Dr. R. Lewis Wilson, Jr., FACS

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon

Dr. R. Lewis Wilson, Jr. will lead the new Cardio-vascular and Thoracic program at Springhill Medical Center. He is a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves and is board certified in surgery, thoracic surgery and vascular surgery. He is fellowship-trained in general thoracic surgery and vascular surgery. He previously served as medical director of the peripheral vascular lab, cardiovascular intensive care unit, and cardiovascular surgical services at Cookeville Regional Medical Center in Tennessee. He has earned numerous honors, hospital appointments, and has given many presentations.

Military

1987 – 2001, Lieutenant Commander, United States Naval Reserves, Honorable Discharge

Education

8/77 – 5/81, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

8/83 – 5/87, The Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Medical Doctor

Post Graduate Training

7/98 – 6/00, Cardiothoracic Surgery at University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN
Resident

7/91 – 6/92, General Surgery at University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN
Chief Resident

7/87-6/91, General Surgery at University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN
Resident

Fellowship Training

7/97 – 6/98, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN
Fellowship, Francis H. Cole Scholar in General Thoracic Surgery

7/92 – 6/93, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN
Fellowship, Peripheral Vascular Surgery

Academic Appointments

7/97 – 6/98, University of Tennessee Department of Surgery
Clinical Instructor

Regulatory Appointments

2015, State of Tennessee, Department of TennCare,
Wave 4 Technology Advisory Group for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Committee Member

2010-2016, Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, Committee on Clinical Perfusion
Physician Member

Hospital Appointments

07/00 – Present, Attending Cardiovascular Surgeon, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
07/97 – 06/00, Consultant Vascular and General Surgeon, Methodist Hospitals, Memphis, TN
07/97 – 06/98, Attending General and Vascular Surgeon, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis, TN
07/93 – 06/97, Attending General and Vascular Surgeon, Oconee Regional Medical Center, Milledgeville, GA

Board Certifications

2001 American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Recertification 2011
1995 American Board of Vascular Surgery, Recertification 2013
1997 American Board of Surgery, Recertification 2013

Honors/Awards

2018, Martin Coffey Award for Excellence in Cardiac Care
1981, Order of Saint Andrew

Leadership

05/20 – Present, Chairman, Vascular Quality Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
10/15 – Present, Chairman, Critical Care Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
10/15 – Present, Medical Staff Executive Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
10/10 – 09/11, Chairman, Department of Surgery, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
07/06 – Present, Medical Director, Peripheral Vascular Laboratory, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
7/03 – Present, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at The Heart Institute at Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN (alt. years)
07/03 – Present, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Surgical Services at The Heart Institute at Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN (alt. years)
07/93 – 06/97, Medical Director, Peripheral Vascular Laboratory, Oconee Regional Medical Center, Milledgeville, GA
1995 – 1996, Charter Board Member, Georgia Independent Physicians Group

Committees

10/15 – Present, PCAC Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
2008 – 2015, Robotics Steering Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
07/03 – Present, Surgery Quality Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
07/03 – Present, Critical Care Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
7/01 – 07/05, New Surgical Products Committee, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN
1994 – 1997, Intensive/Critical Care Committee, Oconee Regional Medical Center, Milledgeville, GA
1994 – 1995, Emergency Services Committee, Oconee Regional Medical Center, Milledgeville, GA

Professional Organizations

2010 – Present, Tennessee Medical Association
2017 – Present, The Society for Thoracic Surgeons
2003 – Present, Southern Association for Vascular Surgery
2000 – Present, Upper Cumberland Medical Society
1998 – 2000, Thoracic Surgery Program Directors Residents Association
1997 – Present, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
1997 – Present, H.E. Garrett Vascular Surgical Society
1993 – 1997, Medical Association of Georgia
1993 – 1997, Baldwin County Medical Society
1992 – Present, Harwell Wilson Surgical Society

Additional Education

2019, Abbott, Structural Heart MitraClip Training 101
2019, Silk.Road, TCAR Training
2019, Edwards Lifesciences, THV /Sapien and TV AR Procedure Training
2018, SAYS Postgraduate Course on Vascular Complications
2017, Medtronic CoreValve Evolut R Product and Procedure Training
2011, SAYS Postgraduate Course on Venous Disease Update
2010, SAYS Postgraduate Course on Carotid Surgery Update
2008, Intuitive Surgical, Robotics Procedure Training 2008, Ex-Maze Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedure Training
2008, SAYS Postgraduate Course for Venous Endovascular Therapy
2007, Medtronic Surgical Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedure Training
2006, SAYS Postgraduate Course on Lower Extremity Endovascular Therapy
2004, ENACT 2004, Neuroanatomy and Angiography Course, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
2004, Update in the Treatment of Early Stage Lung Cancer, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA
2004, The Fourth Annual Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
2004, Mitral and Aortic Valve Surgery, Medtronic sponsored training course with Tyrone David, M.D., Toronto, Canada
2001, Ancure, Guidant sponsored training course, Asheville, NC
2001, Anuer Rx, Medtronic sponsored training course, Charlotte, NC
2000, Transmyocardial Revascularization, Eclipse sponsored training course, Memphis, TN

Research, Publications & Presentations

Aortic and Mitral Valve Surgery Update, presented at the Cookeville Regional Medical Center Cardiovascular Diseases Symposium, Cookeville, TN, 2004
Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease, Channel 7 Housecalls program, Cookeville, TN 2004
Cardiac Surgery Update, presented at the Cookeville Regional Medical Center Cardiovascular Diseases Symposium, Cookeville, TN, 2003
Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease, Channel 7 Housecalls program, Cookeville, TN 2003
Current Surgical Therapy of Breast Cancer, presented at Governor’s Symposium on Breast Cancer, Macon, GA, 1994
Comparison of Different Methods of Repair of Traumatic Aortic Disruption and Organ Perfusion Using a Pig Model, Research Project, 1991
Penetrating Cervical Esophageal Injuries, presented at Harwell Wilson Surgical Society, 1991
Duodenal Diverticula, presented at Surgical Grand Rounds, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, 1990
Restoration of Post-Ischemic Segmental Function and Blood Flow with Surgical Revascularization of Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Dog Model, Senior Medical Student Research, 1986
Rosen, GM; Rausrnan, E.J.; Wilson, R.L., Jr.; and Tschanz, C.; Production of Superoxide during Metabolism of Nitrazepam, Xenobiotics, 14 (1 C); 785-94, 1984
The Effects of Cirrhosis on the Elimination of Tamazepam, abstract presented to the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 1983