The thoracic surgery program at Rush draws upon more than 70 years of combined experience in traditional thoraic surgery and more than 15 years of combined experience in leading-edge laparascopic surgery. Surgeons in the program are supported by a team of physician assistants and nurses with extensive experience working with cancer patients and their families. Click on the links below to read about physicians and other staff members in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center.

Michael J. Liptay, MD
L. Penfield Faber, MD
William H. Warren, MD
Edward Hong, MD
Amy Call, PA-C
Megan Cloud, PA-C
Kathy Culiner, OCN, RN

Michael J. Liptay, MD

Michael J. Liptay, MD, is head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and an associate professor in the Department of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Ill. An innovator in the field of thoracic surgery, he pioneered intraoperative sentinel lymph node mapping in lung cancer surgery.

Liptay is principal investigator of a national trial studying the use of video-assisted thorascopic surgery to the treatment of lung, esophageal and mediastinal tumors. Other research interests include early detection of lung cancer, micrometastases, molecular profiling and proteomics.

Liptay received his medical degree at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. He completed a residency in general surgery at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, and a fellowship in thoracic surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

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L. Penfield Faber, MD

L. Penfield Faber, MD, is vice chairperson of the Department of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery and medical director of the Coleman Foundation Chest Tumor Clinic at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. Faber is board certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery. He received his medical degree at Northwestern School of Medicine in Chicago. He completed a residency in general surgery at Rush University Medical Center and a residency in thoracic surgery at Edward Hines, JR., VA Hospital in Hines, Ill.

Faber's special clinical interests include lung cancer, esophageal cancer and thoracic neoplasms. His research interests include advanced lung cancer and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in lung cancer.

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William H. Warren, MD

William H. Warren, MD, is a professor of surgery and thoracic surgery at Rush University Medical Center. He is board certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery. He received his medical degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. He completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Toronto Hospitals, a fellowship in pathology at Rush University Medical Center, and a fellowship in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Rush University Medical Center.

His special clinical interests include laser bronchoscope, tracheobronchial and esophageal stents, photodynamic therapy, thoracic outlet syndrome and minimally invasive thoracic surgery. He performs several special procedures, including video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS), esophagectomy, resection of locally advanced lung cancer, chest wall reconstruction and tracheal surgery.  

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Edward Hong, MD

Edward Hong, MD, received his medical degree from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. His postgraduate training included a general surgery residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center, in Loma Linda, CA, a cardiothoracic fellowship at Rush, and most recently, a one-year minimally invasive thoracic fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with Robert McKenna, MD, one of the world's leading surgeons in minimally invasive thoracic surgery.

Dr. Hong specializes in minimally invasive thoracic surgery, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy, laparascopic myotomy, laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair, thoracoscopic hyperhidrosis surgery, lung cancer surgery, esophageal cancer surgery, tracheal surgery and surgery of mediastinal tumors.

Dr. Hong is proficient in Spanish and Korean.

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Amy Call, PA-C

Amy Call plays a key role in rounding, assistant in surgical procedures and inpatient consults, and participating in the Coleman Foundation Chest Tumor Clinic at Rush University Medical Center. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in physician assistant studies from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Ill., and is a licensed and registered physician assistant. In addition, Call has a long history of volunteerism, including working with the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization.

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Megan Cloud, PA-C

Megan Cloud received her Master of Science degree in physician assistant practice from Finch University of Health Sciences in North Chicago, Ill., and is a licensed and registered physician assistant. Her primary responsibilities include handling preoperative assessment, work-up and education for surgical and oncology patients, serving as a first and second assistant to surgeons and cardiothoracic fellows, educating surgical nurses regarding thoracic surgery patients and providing long-term outpatient follow-up for thoracic oncology patients.

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Kathy Culiner, OCN, RN

Kathy Culiner, OCN, RN, received her Bachelor of Science degree in health care leadership from National-Lewis University and an associates' degree in registered nursing from the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. She is responsible for the coordination of a weekly multidisciplinary thoracic conference at Rush University Medical Center, and she is instrumental in identifying patients for collaborative research studies and tracking their care from initiation through follow-up. She is also involving in maintaining a thoracic database to assist in ongoing research efforts.

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