Ross M. Ungerleider Oral History Interview, 1994-1994

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Summary

Creator:
Ungerleider, Ross
Abstract:
Dr. Ross M. Ungerleider, MD, MBA, is a surgeon, researcher, author, public speaker, surgical educator, and coach. He completed his residency in General and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, joining the faculty in 1987 where he rose to tenured professor by 1996. In addition to this, he also held the roles of Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Surgical Director and co-founder of Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and Surgical Director and founder of the EMCO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) program. He remained at Duke until 2001 when he left to help build children's heart programs and teach leadership and teamwork at numerous other medical institutions. He is recognized for pioneering the use of echocardiography in the operating room to evaluate the heart anatomy at the time of repair, and to assess the adequacy of the repair prior to the patient leaving the operating room, providing care for more than 7,000 hearts of infants and children with congenital heart disease. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on July 22, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford. In this interview, which is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project, Ungerleider discusses his personal background, education and surgical training, research experiences at Duke and the research being done in his laboratory, the importance of the research work done in laboratories as a means to teach the next generation of doctors, building the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) Programs at Duke, and how Sabiston's leadership of the Department of Surgery created an environment that promoted academic surgery that attracted excellent residents.
Extent:
1 Interview (1 transcript, 1 audiocassette tape)
Language:
English
Collection ID:
OH.UNGERLEIDERR

Background

Scope and content:

Includes 1 oral history interview with Dr. Ross M. Ungerleider conducted on July 22, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford. It is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

In the July 22, 1994 interview, Ungerleider discusses his personal background, education and surgical training, research experiences at Duke and the research being done in his laboratory, the importance of the research work done in laboratories as a means to teach the next generation of doctors, building the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) Programs at Duke, and how Sabiston's leadership of the Department of Surgery created an environment that promoted academic surgery that attracted excellent residents.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. Ross Michael Ungerleider, MD, MBA, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 4, 1949 to Arthur and Rochelle (Kallis) Ungerleider. He graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, in 1967 where he played on the golf team and was a member of the Debate team. He was awarded recognition as the #1 debater in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) debate competition in 1967.

Ungerleider received his BA in English from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1971. While an undergraduate student he competed on the golf and swimming teams, as well as receiving the highest honors in biology from the Honors College. Ungerleider attended medical school at Rush Medical College in Chicago, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) honorary society. He received his medical degree in 1977, and he completed his residency in General and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, joining the faculty in 1987 where he rose to tenured professor by 1996. In addition to this, he also held the roles of Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Surgical Director and co-founder of Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and Surgical Director and founder of the EMCO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) program.

Ungerleider left Duke in 2001 to become the John C. Hursh Chair of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, where he remained until 2008. During this period, he earned an MBA degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (2006) from the Physician Executive MBA program. While in the program, he was voted the Physician Leader of the Year by his peers. From 2008 to 2010, Ungerleider was Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2010, Ungerleider became Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Brenner Children's Hospital, part of Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He left in 2016 to become Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Director of the Children's Heart Program at Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas where he remained until 2019. At each of the previous listed organizations, Ungerleider helped build children's heart programs and teach leadership and teamwork. In 2019, he became the Co-Director of the Institute for Integrated Life Skills for Healthcare Workers in Bermuda Run, North Carolina.

Ungerleider is a surgeon, researcher, author, public speaker, surgical educator, and coach. He is recognized for pioneering the use of echocardiography in the operating room to evaluate the heart anatomy at the time of repair, and to assess the adequacy of the repair prior to the patient leaving the operating room. Through the span of his 40 plus year career, Ungerleider has provided care for more than 7,000 hearts of infants and children with congenital heart disease.

Ungerleider is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters, as well as the lead editor of one of the major textbooks in the field. He has been named to America's Best Doctors, Cambridge's Who's Who, Castle Connolly's Top Doctors, and by Good Housekeeping as one of the best pediatric cardiac surgeons in the U.S. In 2000, he was the recipient of the James Carreras International Humanitarian Award for his work performing heart surgery on children in undeveloped nations. His contributions have been highlighted on national television shows (CNN, 700 club, Learning Channel, Discovery Channel). His leadership training and skills led to his election to the presidency of the Southern Thoracic Surgery Association (2006). He has spent over two decades training in personal and relationship skills and is a certified International Coach Federation (ICF) Presence-Based Coach. He has had extensive training in leadership development, conflict management, relationship and communication skills, and change management.

Acquisition information:
Accession A1994.030 (transferred by James Gifford, July 1994)
Processing information:

Processed by Archives staff: 1994; updated by Lucy Waldrop March 2023.

Arrangement:
Organized into the following series: Interview, July 22, 1994.
Rules or conventions:
DACS

Contents

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Terms of access:

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ross M. Ungerleider Oral History Interview, Duke University Medical Center Archives.