The Department of Surgery is pleased to welcome Courtney Balentine, MD, MPH, who joined us April 1, 2022, as an Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrine Surgery. Dr. Balentine will be focusing mostly on research, continuing his investigations into surgical care for aging populations funded by his Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging as well as developing new lines of inquiry. He will also provide clinical care and teach students, residents, and fellows.
In addition to his Beeson Award, Dr. Balentine’s research portfolio includes extensive work evaluating and improving the treatment received by veterans, and finding ways to enhance surgery outcomes for African American patients. Dr. Balentine’s clinical care will include endocrine surgery at UW Health at the American Center and at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital.
Dr. Balentine earned his MD at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where he also completed his residency. While based in Texas, he completed both his Masters in Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and a fellowship at the Houston Center for Quality of Care & Utilization Studies (now renamed the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety). After his time in Houston, Dr. Balentine completed a fellowship in the Division of Endocrine Surgery here at the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery, followed by a fellowship in Implementation Science at the University of California, San Francisco. Most recently, Dr. Balentine served as Assistant Professor of Surgery and Co-director for the Center for Outcomes, Implementation, and Novel Inventions at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Other past positions include Assistant Chief of Surgical Service at the Birmingham, Alabama VA Hospital and Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
We are excited for Dr. Balentine to return to our department and continue his important work on improving surgical outcomes for vulnerable patients.