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.

Read about the physicians and other staff members in the Section of Thoracic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center:

• Michael J. Liptay, MD
• William H. Warren, MD
• Edward Hong, MD
• Gary W. Chmielewski, MD
• L. Penfield Faber, MD (Emeritus) 
• Amy Call, PA-C
• Grace Chan, PA-C
• Martin Lomibao, RN
• Andrea Markham, PA-C
• Megan Svoboda, PA-C

Michael J. Liptay, MD

Michael J. Liptay, MD, is head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and vice chairperson in the Department of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Liptay is also the medical director of the Coleman Foundation Chest Tumor Clinic at Rush University Medical Center and holds an associate professor status in Rush Medical College. In 2010, he became the Thoracic Surgery Residency Program director.

The author of over 100 manuscripts, book chapters and scholarly reports, he has lectured on four continents. His primary research interests lie in lung cancer early detection, staging and prognosis.  An innovator in the field of thoracic surgery, he pioneered intraoperative sentinel lymph node mapping in lung cancer surgery. His research team is currently active in the development of a serum blood test for lung cancer relying on biomarker and autoantibody signatures.

As the head of University Thoracic Surgeons, Liptay directs the busiest thoracic surgery practice in Chicago, with the most experience in minimally invasive techniques in the Midwest. He holds many national leadership positions in organized medicine. He is the American Medical Association House of Delegates representative for the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, editor of Thoracic Surgical News, editorial board member of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database Task Force.

Liptay received his medical degree at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago as a member of its honors program in medical education. He completed a residency in general surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University in St. Louis, and a fellowship in thoracic surgery at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

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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, California, 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.

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.

He is proficient in Spanish and Korean.

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Gary W. Chmielewski, MD

Gary W. Chmielewski, MD, FACS, is an associate professor of surgery at Rush University Medical Center. He is board-certified in thoracic surgery and general surgery. He received his medical degree from the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. He completed a residency in general surgery and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center.

His clinical interests include Barrett's esophagus focusing on early detection and treatment of esophageal cancer, prevention of esophageal cancer through radiofrequency ablation for Barrett's esophagus, esophageal preservation for early-stage esophageal cancers through endomucosal resection techniques, minimally invasive esophagectomy, minimally invasive (VATS) lung cancer surgery, and chest wall and mediastinal tumor resection. In addition, he specializes in the evaluation and treatment of benign esophageal disease such as laparoscopic nissen fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), laparoscopic or robotic heller myotomy for achalasia, and laparoscopic repair of giant paraesophageal hernias. Chmielewski's research interests include participation in national cancer clinical trials and early detection and treatment of Barrett's-related cancers of the esophagus through the formation of multidisciplinary teams. He currently serves on committees for the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and American College of Physician Executives and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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L. Penfield Faber, MD (emeritus) 

L. Penfield Faber, MD (emeritus), is a professor of surgery and thoracic surgery at Rush University Medical Center. Faber 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 included advanced lung cancer and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in lung cancer.

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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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Grace Chan, PA-C

Grace Chan received her Master of Medical Science in physician assistant studies from St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, and her Associate in Applied Science in physician assistant studies from Malcolm X College and John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County and is a licensed and certified physician assistant in Illinois. She is responsible for inpatient rounds, assisting in surgical procedures, seeing patients in the office and doing preoperative assessment, work up and education. She also received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Rush University and practiced as a registered nurse in the Rush Healthcare system for 12 years.

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Martina Lomibao, RN

Martina Lomibao serves as the RN coordinator for UTS.  She is a licensed RN and she received her Bachelor of Science in nursing at West Suburban College in Oak Park. Martina has vast clinical experience in many settings including working with the cardiovascular/thoracic team in the operating room. Her clinical duties include patient care in clinic and educating patients about surgery and oncology concerns, assisting the team with formulation and execution of treatment plans, and facilitating participation of patients for lung research studies conducted at Rush.  

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Andrea Markham, PA-C

Andrea Markham received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Loyola University in Chicago and her Master of Medical Science in physician assistant studies from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Ill., and is a licensed and certified physician assistant. Her responsibilities include preoperative and postoperative clinical assessments, long-term cancer surveillance followup, first or second assistant in the operating room, inpatient care of postoperative patients and inpatient consultations.

Prior to joining the thoracic surgery team, she worked as a physician assistant in obstetrics and gynecology.

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Megan Svoboda, PA-C

Megan Svoboda received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from University of Wisconsin in Madison and her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. During her PA education, she completed several clerkships in surgical specialties and was very active as a volunteer, working with diverse patient groups such as children, handicapped individuals and those living with Alzheimer's disease. She performs outpatient clinical duties and inpatient rounds and assists in the operating room.                                          

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