Leadership VCU School of Medicine

Surgery

Edgar B. Rodas, MD, FACS

Rodas Dr. Edgar B. Rodas was born and raised in Cuenca, Ecuador. Inspired by the humanitarian activities of his father, a philanthropic Ecuadorian surgeon and his mother, a compassionate American nurse, he obtained his Medical Degree from the University of Cuenca in 1995. He then moved to the U.S. to pursue surgical training. Initially he conducted research in laparoscopy and telemedicine, followed by cell physiology and molecular biology in Yale University, where he additionally spent a year as an intern in general surgery. He then completed his surgical residency in General Surgery in Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and was Dr. Rao Ivatury’s first fellow in Surgical Critical Care.

Dr. Rodas then joined private practice in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for 6 years as a general surgeon, trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist with Broward Surgical Associates. He returned to Ecuador where he spent 5 years implementing a Trauma and Acute Care Surgical Service in a Public Hospital.

In 2016 he was recruited by Virginia Commonwealth University and joined the Faculty as an Associate Professor of Surgery, and is Co-Director of VCU’s Program for Global Surgery. Dr. Rodas has been involved in providing access to surgical care to underserved and remote populations in Ecuador as a founding member of the CINTERANDES foundation, a non-profit institution with 25 years of service which he now leads. In addition to his passion for trauma and acute surgical care, he is devoted to Global Surgery efforts that seek to provide equitable surgical care to vulnerable populations. Furthermore, Dr. Rodas has been committed to the evaluation and development of trauma systems in the Americas with the Panamerican Trauma Society.

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Jordan Hylton, DO

Hylton Dr. Jordan Hylton grew up in rural Virginia. She graduated medical school from Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013. After graduation, she completed residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and became board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Hylton and her husband’s love for the City of Richmond inspired her to maintain a practice locally at Virginia Commonwealth University while also expanding services to veterans of the armed forces. Dr. Hylton established the Gynecological Surgery department at Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in 2017.

Prior to medical school she had an interest in medical care in the low resource setting and globally after trips to Central America. During medical school she participated in medical missions to Honduras and Dominican Republic. Based on the general lack of a formal global healthy experience or education, she began to seek educational curriculums for medical students and residents. During her third year of residency, she traveled to and worked at a community hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam. The collaborative efforts that she witnessed in medical education as well as the vast differences of practices among rural areas in the realm of obstetrics and gynecology reinvigorated her interests in ensuring proper cross-cultural medical education and training.

In the spring of 2019, she gave the Women’s Global Health lecture the Reproduction Course and was approached by students to help develop an Obstetric component within ACCESS Program. In 2020, given M3 interest, a 3rd year curriculum was developed which incorporates current OBGYN residents. She is continuing to work with other experienced global health providers to enhance and improve the OBGYN global and low resource experience for residents and medical students alike.

In addition to developing an ACCESS curriculum, she serves as the Associate Program Director for Virginia Commonwealth University OBGYN Residency. She also takes the lead on formal residency didactic education and simulation. Her research interests are in group prenatal care, veteran women’s health, and education.

Anesthesia

Olga Suarez-Winowiski, MD, MSc

suarez Dr. Olga Suarez-Winowiski has been serving as an Assistant Professor Department of Anesthesiology since 2010. She is also involved as an Obstetric Anesthesia core faculty, resident advisor, documentation committee chair, and PACE Clinic Medical Director, where she precepts MS3 students during their Ambulatory Clerkship.

As part of her involvement with medical student education, Dr. Suarez-Winowiski also leads the Introduction to Perioperative Medicine, conducts QA/QI projects, and works to submit abstracts for presentation at several meetings and conferences. Furthermore, she is the Director of Global Education Program. This Program’s curriculum includes three main topics: (1) ERAS fundamental concepts and applications (2) Ultrasound-guided training on transthoracic echo, intravascular access, and regional surgical blocks (3) Simulation training

Lastly, Dr. Suarez-Winowiski helped coordinate the current agreement with three residency programs in Toluca, Mexico. The agreement facilitates the exchange of clinical knowledge and skills by enabling anesthesia residents to spend two weeks at either Toluca, Mexico hospitals (OBGYN or Children hospitals) or VCU Medical Center.

Emergency Medicine

Megan Donohue MD, MPH

Dr. Megan Donohue is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine at VCU Health System with specific interests in population health, global health, healthcare systems development, outcomes-based-research and quality improvement. Before pursuing clinical medicine, she received a Master’s degree in Public Health with specialization in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The perspective gained from this training has continued to influence her clinical work and academic interests. She is grateful for the opportunities to have worked in Ghana and South Africa during her medical training where she plans to continue to strengthen relationships through clinical and research opportunities. Her current clinical responsibilities range from providing emergency medical services at a large, academic, tertiary care, level 1 trauma center, to providing the same services at a rural, single coverage, free-standing Emergency Department. She also attends in the observation unit, on inpatient medicine and participates in a virtual follow up clinic.

Critical Care

Aamer A. Syed, M.D.

Dr. Aamer Syed received his MD degree in 2006 from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He did his Residency in Internal Medicine at VCU and stayed to complete his Fellowship training in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine. Afterwards, Dr. Syed joined VCU as an Assistant Professor.

Throughout his medical training, Dr. Syed has been recognized for his dedication to teaching and has received many awards including the Recipient of the Department of Internal Medicine Excellence in Teaching award. He was also nominated by the medical students and subsequently inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He is a two-time recipient of the Orhan Muren Fellow of the year award. He has also been teaching critical care courses in Rwanda and recently received a Presidential Citation from the Society of Critical Care for his efforts.

Dr. Syed’s research primary focus has been on improving disparities in health care in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the local and international level. This has been the common theme underlying his research of Sarcoidosis, low-cost Vitamin C for Sepsis, and the development of low-cost medical devices.

Since starting as a faculty in 2012 he has been almost continuously funded by various grants including the NIH, DOD and most recently the Presidential Quest Grant for his work in Rwanda. He continues to publish steadily and serves as a reviewer for Respiratory Care Journal. He has been the recipient of the Department of Internal Medicine Distinguished Research Award

Dr. Syed serves as an attending in the medical respiratory intensive care unit and general pulmonology consult service. He has also developed and co-manages the unique multidisciplinary Sarcoidosis clinic. The World Association of Sarcoidosis and other Granulomatous Diseases (WASOG) has recognized this clinic as a Center of Excellence. Dr. Syed most recently has been the recipient of the Department of Internal Medicine Excellence in Clinical Practice Award.