Stony Brook Medicine's Department of Surgery welcomes Kenneth W. Gow, MD, MHA, FACS, FAAP as our new Chief of Pediatric Surgery. The department also extends its congratulations to Dr. Gow on his recent election as the Chair of Pediatric Surgical Subspecialties Alliance of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Dr. Gow joins Stony Brook after 16 years at Seattle Children's Hospital where he was Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgeon, Professor of Surgery (at the University of Washington), Co-Medical Director, Vascular Access Service; and Medical Advisor, Medical Executive Committee. His long, distinguished career has earned him accolades as a pediatric surgeon, healthcare administrator, medical director, surgical strategist and national leader. He has also been recognized with several regional and national awards including being named a Top Doctor by the esteemed Castle Connolly Top Doctors list since 2011.
"Stony Brook Children’s Hospital is in a unique time in its history as it defines its next steps towards delivering outstanding care to the children of the region," said Dr. Gow. "I was intrigued by the opportunity to join in these efforts and help expand services to the region. Such opportunities to bring meaningful change is something that I have looked for throughout my career. The leadership team have and will continue to work diligently in strategically placing us in a position to maximize our resources and to fulfill the promise of every child receiving the best care possible in the region."
Dr. Gow earned his Bachelor of Sciences (1987 and 1991) and Medical Degrees (1991) from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; his Master of Science (Surgery, 1997) from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; and a Master of Healthcare Administration (2020) from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S. He completed a rotating internship at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; a General Surgery residency at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; a Pediatric General Surgery fellowship at British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada and a Pediatric Surgical Oncology fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, U.S.
"Stony Brook Children’s Hospital is in a unique time in its history as it defines its next steps towards delivering outstanding care to the children of the region."--Dr. Kenneth Gow
"When my pediatric surgical career began two decades ago, the landscape of the field was very different as most chose this path as it was the last ‘general’ surgical field as the rest of the specialties had fragmented into distinct silos," said Dr. Gow. "However, Pediatric Surgery has also now evolved similarly with subspecialization. I too embarked on a journey in focusing on pediatric surgical oncology, finding success locally and nationally. Helping shape the standardized surgical oncologic care was extremely fulfilling and helped steer me towards quality improvement as a focus area. As my career evolved, I began to start looking more broadly at the healthcare system. I chose to gain more insight through a public health lens, obtaining formal training in healthcare administration. This has given me an appreciation of how the healthcare system can be adjusted to deliver better care to children over a region. I have been fortunate to lead national groups where we are trying to improve access to surgical care for children."
As Dr. Gow alluded to, he is a member and leader of several national and international professional organizations. One of those groups, the AAP, recently elected him the new Chairman of the Pediatric Surgical Subspecialties Alliance. Commenting on Dr. Gow's election, the AAP said "We look forward to Dr. Gow providing as strong a voice for children needing surgical care in our country as he does for those in the community of Long Island."
The alliance organizes the efforts of all surgical and related sectors of the AAP. Dr. Gow's position will allow him to advance the cause for pediatric surgical needs with the AAP Board. This will include such issues as children and gun violence, insurance coverage, the development of new and innovative surgical devices and improvements in trauma care.
The Department of Surgery congratulates Dr. Gow on his recent AAP election and welcomes him to our already top-quality Division of Pediatric Surgery. We look forward to your innovative leadership as you guide the division through a new period of delivering the best children's surgical care available.