The Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program has announced that Amy Fiedler, MD, a cardiac surgeon and Assistant Professor in the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Surgery, has been selected as one of the 60 scholars chosen for the program’s sixth annual class. PLS brings together a diverse network of leaders to study leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Scholars were selected based on their leadership growth potential and their personal leadership projects aimed at improving civic engagement or social good by addressing a problem or need in their community.
Over the course of six months, scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the presidential leadership scholars class of 2020. My personal leadership project is focused on partnering with the non-profit organization, Team Heart, to develop the first cardiac surgical unit in Rwanda to address the challenges of rheumatic heart disease,” says Dr. Fiedler. “The opportunity to learn from past presidents, administrative leaders, and my class cohort is unparalleled. I’m so excited to capitalize on this unique experience and bring these leadership skills back to the Department of Surgery.”
In addition to being a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Dr. Fiedler specializes in the care of patients with end stage heart failure, including mechanical assistance and heart transplantation. She has broad experience with all aspects of adult cardiothoracic surgery, including coronary artery bypass grafting, valve repair and replacement, endocarditis, and the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms.
“We are very proud of Dr. Fiedler for her acceptance into PLS and her continued commitment in the realm of global cardiac surgery and surgical education,” says Malcolm DeCamp, MD, Chair of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. “We are eager to learn from her experiences in the program.”
Dr. Fiedler recently celebrated a landmark in transplantation surgery with her team on Dec. 30, 2019 with the first donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplant performed at UW Hospital, making it one of the first centers in the country to perform this type of surgery.
She will join a network of 298 scholars who will apply lessons learned through the program to create change that benefits communities in the U.S. and around the world. The program began in Washington, D.C. on January 28.