Dr. R. Lewis Wilson, Jr. will lead the new Cardiovascular 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 and 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