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R.Morton “Chip” Bolman III, MD, visited BWH, Boston and his new hometown of Newton weeks after he was named the Brigham's new chief of Cardiac Surgery in January. During that visit, he met with residents, support staff and the surgery team, and he checked out the Red Sox schedule, especially after catching a game last August as the team launched a hot streak that carried through the World Series.
“I kind of wish they waited until this year,” Bolman said.
The 58-year-old Bolman succeeds longtime BWH Cardiac Surgery Chief Lawrence H. Cohn, MD. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Larry. He's been very helpful to me, and I come here with a commitment to him and his legacy,” Bolman said. Cohn will remain an active clinical surgeon and integral member of the Cardiac Surgery team.
A fourth-generation doctor from Fort Wayne, Ind., Bolman began at BWH this week after 16 years at the University of Minnesota, where he was a professor of Surgery and chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. He also served as chief of Cardiac Surgery at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
Not a stranger to Massachusetts, he earned his undergraduate degree at Williams College in Williamstown. He went on to obtain his medical degree, magna cum laude, from St. Louis University.
In addition, Bolman interned at Duke University Medical Center's Surgery Department, and that's where he met his wife, Ceeya. “She was a nurse running an ICU there,” he said. They celebrate their 30th anniversary this year.
The Bolmans have two daughters, Paige, 24, a May graduate of the University of Minnesota, and Melissa, 21, a senior at the University of Colorado.
Bolman describes himself as an outdoorsman, enjoying biking, fly-fishing and fly-tying, and hiking, while counting the Appalachian Trail among his conquests. And, when he's not reading up on the latest innovations in heart surgery or xenotransplantation, Bolman, a Civil War buff, likes to read both fiction and non-fiction.
As an author, Bolman has published hundreds of journal articles, textbook chapters and abstracts. Here at BWH, Bolman hopes to continue his research in xenotransplantation and stem cells related to heart repair. Also, he looks forward to mentoring and educating younger cardiac surgeons at BWH.
“It's an honor to continue my career at one of the top-ranked academic hospitals in the world,” said Bolman, who is eager to take part in the planning of the new Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center at BWH being built at 70 Francis St.
In describing his own style, Bolman said, “It is all about providing the patient with the best possible care and treating all members of the patient care team with respect. I'll never ask anyone do something I wouldn't do myself, and I have an open-door policy of paying attention to new ideas from my colleagues.”