Dr. Jorge M. Balaguer, MD is currently employed by NYU as the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Bellevue Hospital.
In 2022, Dr. Balaguer was named the Director of Advanced Coronary Bypass Surgery and the Director of the Hispanic Heart Program Project at the Heart Institute/Stony Brook University Program. Dr. Balaguer was previously the Associate Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stony Brook University Hospital and Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Stony Brook University.
Dr. Balaguer obtained his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires Medical School in Argentina. His advanced specialty training in adult cardiac surgery took place at the University of Massachusetts and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He held a critical position in the past as the Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires and as the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the Vanderbilt-Nashville VA Medical Center.
Dr. Balaguer’s expertise in coronary bypass surgery and surgical management of complex ischemic heart disease is exceptional as detailed above and he brought these areas of expertise to Stony Brook. Furthermore, his knowledge and focus on improving surgical outcomes contributed to elevating the quality of the coronary surgery program at Stony Brook to a level of excellence that led to the achievement of many recognitions, including of the 3-Star Award by the Society of Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Balaguer experience and expertise is vast. He has performed more than 5,000 cardiac surgery operations including coronary bypass (CABG), complex valve operations, surgery for infective endocarditis, implantation of ventricular assist devices (LVADs), heart transplants, other operations for heart failure, cardiac tumors and TAVRs. Many of these operations were performed utilizing advanced techniques and minimally invasive approaches.
Dr. Balaguer’s leadership and team-building skills promoted him to Associate Chief in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. His role in educating surgical residents and medical students at Stony Brook is significant and is amplified by his mentorship to the whole team. His academic background has been demonstrated with multiple publications and lectures in the field, as well as the organization of national and international scientific meetings.
Stony Brook is ahead of the curve in an effort to mitigate healthcare disparities in the community. As the Director of the Hispanic Heart Program project, Dr. Balaguer is leading the way to improve the overall quality of care for the Hispanic community by improving communication across linguistic and cultural barriers and focusing in improving access for this vulnerable population.
- English
- Spanish
- December, 1986
Physician, University of Buenos Aires Medical School
- July 2020- Now
Master in Health Administration (10 courses completed). Stony Brook University, GPA: 3.9
- February 2014
Meta-Leadership and Conflict Resolution Course. Harvard School of Public Health
- July 1996, June 1997
Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellow- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
- July 1994, June 1996
Cardiac Surgery Fellow- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
- Feb 1992, June 1994
Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellow-Saint Vincent Hospital & University of Massachusetts Medical School
- July 1991, February 1992
Internship, General Surgery- Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
- June 1987, May 1990
Resident in General Surgery- Finochietto Hospital. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- August 21, 2023
Faculty Cardiac Surgeon
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
NYU Langone Medical Center - August 21, 2023
Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Bellevue Hospital - December 1, 2018
Staff Cardiac Surgeon
Faculty, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
- October 1, 2021
Associate Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Department of Surgery
Director, Advanced Coronary Bypass Surgery
Director, Hispanic Heart Center
- August 21, 2023
Clinical Associate Professor Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery - December 1, 2018
Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery– Stony Brook University
- Sept 2014-December 2018
Staff Cardiovascular Surgeon, Rush University Medical Center
Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Rush Copley Medical Center
Associate Professor of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Rush University. Chicago, IL - July 2013-Sept 2014
Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, Argentina - Jan 2005-June 2013
Chief of Cardiac Surgery,
Nashville VA Medical Center. Tennessee Valley Healthcare System
Staff Cardiac Surgeon
Cardiac Transplantation Surgeon, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery, Vanderbilt University - Nov 2002-Dec 2005
Associate Surgeon, Brigham & Women’s and Cape Cod Hospital
Instructor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School - Aug 1997-Oct 2002
Staff Cardiac Surgeon, Umass-Memorial Healthcare
Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Massachusetts
- Sept 2014-Dec 2018 Chief of Cardiac Surgery. Rush Copley Medical Center
- July 2013-Sept 2014 Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery Department. Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires
- July 2013-Sep 2014 Chief of Section. Surgical Ischemic Heart Disease. Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires
- July 2013-Sept 2014 Administrative Chief of Section. Vascular Surgery. Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires
- Oct 2013-Sept 2014 Co-Director. Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Group (GCI).Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires
- Jan 2011-June 2013 Medical Director. Vanderbilt School of Cardiovascular Perfusion
- Jan 2006-June 2013 Chairman. Vanderbilt Hybrid Operation Room Committee
- Jan 2006-Dec 2008 Interim Surgical Co-Director. Vanderbilt Cardiac Transplantation
- Jan 2006-Dec 2008 Interim Director. Nashville VA Cardiac Transplantation
- Jan 2005-June 2013 Chief of Cardiac Surgery. Nashville VA Medical Center
- Nov. 2001 Certification: Argentine College of Cardiovascular Surgeons
- July 2013 Recertification: Argentine College of Cardiovascular Surgeons
- 2007 The Andrew Foster Award (Co-investigator) University of Washington
- 1999 CHEST Foundation Young Investigator Award. American College of Chest Physicians
- 1982 -1985 Scholarship for Academic Performance. Department of Physiology. University of Buenos Aires Medical School
- 1982 -1985 Scholarship for Academic Performance.
Department of Physiology.
University of Buenos Aires Medical School, Argentina
- 2020 Suffolk County Medical Society, New York
- 2020 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery
- 2017 Northeast Cardiothoracic Surgical Society
- 2012 Harvard Club de Argentina
- 2012 Vanderbilt Institute of Global Health
- 2012 Leading Physicians of the World
- 2008 Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- 2004 Argentine Society of Cardiology
- 2002 Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians
- 2000 American Heart Association
- 2000 Argentine College of Cardiovascular Surgeons
- 1991 American College of Cardiology
- 1991 American Medical Association
- 1987 Asociacion Medica Argentina
- 1987 Asociacion Argentina de Cirugia
- 2012 Harvard Club de Argentina
- 2012 Vanderbilt Institute of Global Health
- 2012 Leading Physicians of the World
- 2004 Argentine Society of Cardiology
- 2000 American Heart Association
- 2000 Argentine College of Cardiovascular Surgeons
- 1991 American Medical Association
- 1987 Asociacion Medica Argentina
- 1987 Asociacion Argentina de Cirugia