J. David Vega elected OPTN/UNOS Region 3 Associate Councilor
FEBRUARY 2022
J. David Vega, MD, professor of surgery and surgical director of the heart transplant program at Emory University Hospital, has been elected associate councilor of Region 3 of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). He was elected to this position by other transplant and organ donation professionals in Region 3, which encompasses Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. His tenure will begin in July 2022 and last through 2024.
During his term, Dr. Vega will be the Region 3 representative to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)/UNOS' Membership and Professional Standards Committee, and assist with region-wide communication of key information and input into policy development.
Having established a stellar record as an outstanding leader and advocate for organ donation and transplantation, Dr. Vega has served on multiple OPTN/UNOS committees, including chairing the Thoracic Organ Transplantation Committee from 2007-2008, and being the thoracic transplant representative on the Board of Directors from 2008-2010 and 2012-2014. He also co-chaired the Thoracic Organ Transplantation Committee of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons from 2008-2011, and has been a member of the Board of Governors of LifeLink Foundation since 2001.
Dr. Vega is also considered an outstanding cardiothoracic surgeon. He implanted Georgia's first dual pump ventricular assist device (VAD) in 1999 to serve as a bridge to heart transplantation, which initiated Emory's ongoing national position at the forefront of the use of mechanical circulatory assist devices. In 2006, he was the first physician in Georgia to implant a VAD as a form of destination therapy for individuals who are ineligible for or are unwilling to undergo a heart transplant, and in 2007 implanted an even smaller VAD for the same purpose.
In May 2021, Emory University Hospital reached the milestone of 1,000 heart transplants performed, of which Dr. Vega is estimated to have performed nearly half.
