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Kelowna Thoracic Surgeons //
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Dr. Michael F. Humer | MD
UBC Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Thoracic Surgery
Dr Humer, born and raised in Vancouver, studied at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and earned a BSc (’83) and M.D. (’87). He completed a Rotating Internship at the Toronto East General (now Michael Garron) Hospital and returned to Vancouver to complete a General Surgery Residency (UBC ’93) followed by a Thoracic Surgery Residency (UBC ’95).
Dr Humer’s vision has been to improve access to thoracic surgical care throughout all of British Columbia. He provided General Surgical and solo Thoracic Surgical care to Prince George (1995-1998) and Kamloops (1998-2002). Dr Humer was a provincial leader in developing the British Columbia Programme of Thoracic Surgical Care where four Thoracic Surgical sites were organized: Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, and Kelowna. In 2003, the Interior Health Thoracic Surgical group (IHTSG) began in Kelowna with Dr Bill Nelems (2003-2013), Dr Andrew Luoma (2003-2021), and Dr Humer (2003-present) providing Thoracic Surgical services to the interior and a significant portion of northern British Columbia. Since 2003, the IHTSG has been a national leader in providing a virtual consulting service that serves more than 75 different communities in the Interior and North of BC plus the Yukon, seeing more than 20,000 patients. Dr Humer has published and presented extensively on the IHTSG Telemedicine programme. This virtual care programme is an example of our IHTSG commitment to equitable access to thoracic surgical services throughout BC.
Dr Humer completed a MA (Professional Communication) from Royal Roads University (’12) with a thesis entitled – Personalized Compassionate Care: An Appreciative Inquiry Exploring the Positive Core of Canadian Health Care.
Dr Humer is currently (2017-to present) the Kelowna General Hospital Surgical Department Head and Perioperative Medical Director providing oversight and leadership to a rapidly growing surgical department of more than 60 surgeons from 10 surgical divisions. He was a founding member of the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons (CATS) in 1997 and has served on the CATS executive. In 2020, Dr Humer received the CATS Distinguished Service Award – In recognition of outstanding contributions to Thoracic Surgery.
Michael considers himself extremely fortunate to be living with his family in the beautiful Okanagan and working in close collaboration with our Thoracic Surgical team at KGH – Anand, Shaun, Maurice, Gord, and Marjan.
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Dr. Gordon Buduhan | MD | MSc | FRCSC
UBC Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Thoracic Surgery
Dr. Buduhan joined the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Kelowna General Hospital August 2021. Prior to moving to Kelowna, he was staff thoracic surgeon at Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Associate Professor of Surgery and former Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency Program at the University of Manitoba.
Dr. Buduhan was born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba. He completed medical school at the University of Toronto. Dr. Buduhan completed general surgery residency at the University of Manitoba, and during residency also obtained his Masters of Science in Surgery in pulmonary physiology. He finished his thoracic surgery fellowship training at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Buduhan also obtained additional fellowship training in minimally invasive thoracic and foregut surgery at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Buduhan’s clinical focus is on all aspects of thoracic oncology, minimally invasive thoracic and esophageal surgery. His research interests include clinical trials in thoracic oncology, clinical outcomes in lung and esophageal cancer, minimally invasive thoracic surgery and patient engagement research.
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Dr. Maurice Blitz | MD
Dr. Maurice Blitz completed his Bachelor of Science at the University of British Columbia. He continued onto medical school there graduating from UBC in 1999. He then proceeded to Edmonton and the University of Alberta where he completed his general surgery residency. Within this program he was also able to complete a Masters of Science in Epidemiology. Staying in Alberta, thoracic surgery residency was completed at Foothill’s Hospital at the University of Calgary. This was followed by a fellowship at Swedish Medical Centre in Seattle focusing on advanced thoracic oncology, minimally invasive thoracic surgery as well as benign and malignant diseases of the esophagus.
After the first 9 years of practice in Toronto at St. Josephs Health Centre Dr. Blitz Moved back home to BC and has been working at Kelowna General Hospital.
Dr. Blitz has won numerous awards in the fields of surgery and teaching. He continues to work locally as well as nationally and internationally on educational programs. He has published in peer reviewed scientific and clinical journals. He has also presented his work at international conferences in the Canada and the US.
Dr. Blitz’s clinical interests include both open and minimally invasive approaches to malignant and benign diseases of the chest and esophagus. Focusing on minimally invasive thoracic oncology (lung ,esophageal, and mediastinal disease) as well as chest wall deformities and hyperhidrosis.
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Dr. Anand Jugnauth | MD, FRCSC, BSc.
UBC Clinical Instructor, Division of Thoracic Surgery
Please let me introduce myself as a proud member of the Thoracic surgical team here at Kelowna General Hospital. I grew up in small town Saskatchewan, and after graduation moved on to the University of Saskatchewan where I earned a BSc. (’92), M.D. (‘96), and completed a General surgery residency with an F.R.C.S.C. (2001).
Upon completion of my training in Saskatoon, I moved on to the University of Toronto where I completed my Thoracic surgery training with an extra year of Cardiac surgery, obtaining my F.R.C.S.C. in 2004. I then returned back to Saskatoon to begin a combined General and Thoracic surgical practice for 5 years.
In 2009 we had the opportunity to relocate to the Okanagan and join an exceptional team at KGH. My wife currently practices as a Pediatric Nephrologist, as we happily raise our 5 children in this wonderful community. I look forward to continue to grow and develop our Thoracic surgical service within Interior and Northern Health.
Dr. Shaun Deen | BMSc | MD | MEd | FRCS(C)
UBC Clinical Instructor, Division of Thoracic Surgery
Upper GI MIS/Robotic fellowship
Dr. Deen attended medical school at the University of Alberta. He then moved to Vancouver to complete a general surgery residency and masters degree in adult education, and finished his thoracic surgery fellowship in Calgary. He spent an extra year in Seattle at Swedish Hospital learning more about robotic and minimally invasive surgery. His thoracic surgical interests include medical education, thymus and esophageal surgery, and robotic surgery.
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Marjan Vizcaino | MN | ARNP | DNPc
UBC Clinical Instructor, Division of Thoracic Surgery
Marjan Vizcaino is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner and joined the Thoracic Surgical team at Kelowna General Hospital in 2012. She has been in the healthcare field for more than 25 years and completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2006, she returned to the University of Washington and earned a Master of Science and Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degree (NP), with honors.
Marjan has dedicated most of her clinical career to surgical and medical oncology. She has worked in leadership roles and clinical positions within surgical and medical teams, including the University of Washington Lung Transplant program. As the Clinical Director at Swedish Medical Center, she was instrumental in implementing the Liver Disease and Liver Transplant program.
Marjan has returned to school to complete a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, with a dual emphasis on preventing, screening, and treating psychosocial health needs of patients with cancer, as well as healthcare-system leadership. She is passionate about quality care and change that is patient-centered, innovative, culturally safe, efficient, and enhances health outcomes.
Marjan is a Clinical Instructor for the University of British Columbia Division of Thoracic Surgery and a member of Sigma Theta International Honor Society of Nursing.