Thomas K. Varghese Jr.,
MD, MS
Languages Spoken: English, Malayalam
Dr. Thomas Varghese Jr. is the Head of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah. He is the Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency, Co-Director of the Thoracic Oncology Progam at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine.
Dr. Varghese's clinical interests are in benign and malignant disease of the lungs, esophagus, chest wall and mediastinum; and minimally invasive applications for general thoracic surgery. Dr. Varghese’s research interests include systems-based interventions for the uptake of research findings into healthcare (implementation science); educational interventions for patient-centered care; the use of social media in public health initiatives; and health services research using population-based data, cost & utility analyses and patient-derived outcomes.
Dr. Varghese was recruited to the University of Utah from the University of Washington, where he served as the Director of Thoracic Surgery at Harborview Medical Center; Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency; and Co-Chair of the Surgical Standardization Committee of the UW Medicine system. While at UW, he helped create the Strong for Surgery program (www.StrongforSurgery.org), a systems-based intervention aimed at optimizing patient health before elective surgery, now active at 50 clinical sites (205 surgical teams) in Washington and Oregon.
Dr. Varghese holds national leadership positions in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Thoracic Surgery Directors Association, American College of Surgeons, Joint Council of Thoracic Surgery Education, and the Surgical Outcomes Club. At the University of Utah, Dr. Varghese is a member of an active collaborative of Health Services Researchers that embraces the Triple Aim (outstanding patient-centered care, improving the health of the population we serve, reducing the cost of care) with the goal of maintaining the University of Utah at the highest level of surgical care in the country.
Clinical Locations
Huntsman Cancer Hospital
801-587-4470
South Jordan Health Center
801-213-4500
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Surgery
-
Associate Professor Community Physician Group - Affiliated Physician |
| Academic Divisions | Cardiothoracic Surgery |
| Board Certification | American Board of Surgery American Board of Thoracic Surgery |
Patient Ratings
The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survery.
Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
Likelihood of recommending care provider
4.9/ 5
Care provider spoke using clear language
4.9/ 5
Care provider's explanation of condition/problem
4.9/ 5
My confidence in care provider
5.0/ 5
Care provider's effort to include me in decisions
4.9/ 5
Wait time at clinic
4.5/ 5
Time care provider spent with me
4.8/ 5
Care provider's concern for questions & worries
4.9/ 5
Care provider's friendliness and courtesy
4.9/ 5
Patient Comments
Patient comments are gathered from our Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survery and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
UofU Patient
May 26, 2017
great doctor!
UofU Patient
May 19, 2017
Best diagnostic discussion I have every had. Usally surgeons have the bed side manner of a brick. This was informative and reassuring.
UofU Patient
May 19, 2017
I kinda felt like I was being rushed and because they had seen and been thru my condition before that I just felt like they expected me to know how it was going to be and all the pain I was dealing with was ok and I should just wait it out.
UofU Patient
May 15, 2017
Dr Varghese and Dr Siler are two of the best Doctors that I have ever been treated by. Great "bedside" manner, very personable and great physicians!
UofU Patient
April 29, 2017
Everything very good!! Each and every care provider we have seen up to date has been more than exceptional!!
UofU Patient
March 25, 2017
Dr Varghese and team are exceptional!
UofU Patient
February 17, 2017
Dr. Varghese is the BEST provider I have ever been to! He is kind, compassionate and knowledgeable! I could not ask for a better physician!
UofU Patient
February 03, 2017
I really liked that everything they told me was plain English so I could understand everthing.
UofU Patient
December 18, 2016
Every aspect of visit was excellent.
UofU Patient
December 17, 2016
Have already recommended Dr Varghese
UofU Patient
December 04, 2016
I was able to focus on what Dr. Varghese was explaining because he wrote and provided drawings for all the items we discussed and then provided written material to take home with me. The meeting was not rushed and all care providers included in the process were in attendance.
UofU Patient
December 03, 2016
It was wonderful
UofU Patient
October 18, 2016
Dr Varghese was very thorough with explanation. He spent a lot of time and I did not feel that he needed to hurry out to the next patient. I felt I was in great hands and I sure about his ability to complete the procedure I need to have done.
UofU Patient
October 13, 2016
Everyone in the room was respectful, was quiet during the explanation of the surgery, showed a placid professional face.
UofU Patient
September 28, 2016
dr Vargees is fantastic. very professional, we trust him completely. he answered every question, even our silly questions were treated respectfully. he was extremely helpful and easy to talk to. he addressed our concerns and helped us to be at peace with our situation and plan for follow up
UofU Patient
September 24, 2016
Dr. Varghese is a truly amazing doctor and person. I have total confidence in his technical skill and knowledge. What really impresses me is how kind and compassionate he is. I always feel better after my appointment because I understand my situation better and have all of my questions answered. He uses vocabulary that I can understand, and is very clear and direct, while also being supportive and positive.
UofU Patient
September 03, 2016
The best medical experience I have ever had. I love the team approach. Dr Varghese and his team are phenomenal.
UofU Patient
August 22, 2016
Dr Varghese is the epitome of what I would call a perfect Doctor and I feel is a great Surgeon. He saved my life.
UofU Patient
August 19, 2016
Excellence in procedure and follow up care.
UofU Patient
August 18, 2016
dr varghese is an excellent and knowledgeable physician as well as very kind and caring. I'm so glad we found him and I would highly recommend him!
UofU Patient
August 13, 2016
excellent doctor explained thoroughly what my options and what the procedures would be outstanding doctor
UofU Patient
August 09, 2016
Very professional and made sure every step of care and procedure was explained and covered for complete understanding.
UofU Patient
August 08, 2016
Dr. Varghese is the do nice to me and my husband. We have complete confidence in him and are so grateful he was my Dr. and surgeon. He made me cancer free .. he is brilliant.
UofU Patient
July 18, 2016
Dr Varghese has made this difficult surgery and recovery much more pleasant because of his kind care for me and all my questions and concerns. All doctors should learn how to care for their patients from Dr Varghese! I knew I had the best surgeons before my first visit to him. It was so nice to also discover what a great person he is!
UofU Patient
July 11, 2016
Dr Varghese is amazing! he takes all the time I need to answer my questions and explain everything completely. no matter how busy he may be outside my room, I never feel rushed or that he's in a hurry to get to the next patient. and he is so kind and caring with me as a person - not just another one of his hundreds of patients. He's the BEST!
UofU Patient
July 11, 2016
He was very patient.
UofU Patient
July 08, 2016
I already have recommended HCI
UofU Patient
May 30, 2016
The doctor, nurse & assistant were exceptional.
UofU Patient
May 22, 2016
Good
UofU Patient
May 18, 2016
Great "bedside" manner. Confident and reassuring.
UofU Patient
May 10, 2016
LOVE Dr Varghese! he took his time with me. made sure I understood my condition and treatment with risks and outcome explained. I feel very confident about him doing my surgery and along with his obvious knowledge and expertise ... he was very kind and carrying. he took all the time we needed to answer or questions and explain everything in detail. he's great! so thankful he's my surgeon!
UofU Patient
May 02, 2016
i trust Dr V completely
UofU Patient
April 30, 2016
Dr. Varghese radiates confidence and assurance. I felt very comfortable with him and his "chairside" manner.
UofU Patient
April 17, 2016
Dr.Varghese was very professional. he brought in several people to help in his assessments and treatment strategies and explained everything to me several times so I knew exactly what I was up against and gave me total confidence in his ability to treat me and get me back to health
UofU Patient
February 13, 2016
Dr. Varghese made me feel much more comfortable with upcoming procedures.
UofU Patient
February 12, 2016
All positive.
UofU Patient
January 22, 2016
Dr. Varghese has been fantastic from the beginning. I feel very blessed and lucky that Dr. Varghese is at Huntsman.
UofU Patient
January 16, 2016
Everyone I spoke to answered any and all questions or concerns.
UofU Patient
October 31, 2015
Dr. Varghese and his team are amazing. They have my health at the top of their concerns. They have a great bedside manner and have great personalities to match the phenomenal medical abilities that they have.
Dr. Thomas Varghese Jr. is the Head of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, and co-director of the Thoracic Oncology program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Dr. Varghese's clinical interests are in benign and malignant disease of the lungs, esophagus, chest wall and mediastinum; and minimally invasive applications for general thoracic surgery. Dr. Varghese’s research interests include systems-based interventions for the uptake of research findings into healthcare (implementation science); educational interventions for patient-centered care; the use of social media in public health initiatives; and health services research using population-based data, cost & utility analyses and patient-derived outcomes.
Dr. Varghese was recruited to the University of Utah from the University of Washington, where he served as the Director of Thoracic Surgery at Harborview Medical Center; Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency; and Co-Chair of the Surgical Standardization Committee of the UW Medicine system. While at UW, he helped create the Strong for Surgery program (www.StrongforSurgery.org), a systems-based intervention aimed at optimizing patient health before elective surgery, now active at 50 clinical sites (205 surgical teams) in Washington and Oregon. Strong for Surgery is now an official Quality Practice Improvement program of the American College of Surgeons, that will spread nationwide in the years ahead.
Dr. Varghese holds national leadership positions in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Thoracic Surgery Directors Association, Joint Council of Thoracic Surgery Education, and the Surgical Outcomes Club. At the University of Utah, Dr. Varghese is a member of an active collaborative of Health Services Researchers that embraces the Triple Aim (outstanding patient-centered care, improving the health of the population we serve, reducing the cost of care) with the goal of maintaining the University of Utah at the highest level of surgical care in the country.
Academic Locations
School of Medicine
801-581-5311
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Surgery
-
Associate Professor Community Physician Group - Affiliated Physician |
| Academic Divisions | Cardiothoracic Surgery |
| Board Certification | American Board of Surgery American Board of Thoracic Surgery |
Research Interests
- Methods to Promote the Uptake of Research Findings into Healthcare (Implementation Science)
- Interprofessional Education
- Health Services Research Including Use of Population-Based Data, Cost & Utility Analyses, and Patient-Derived Outcomes
Education History
| Chief Resident | University of Michigan Cardiothoracic Surgery Administrative Chief Resident |
| Fellowship | University of Michigan Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow |
| Chief Resident | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine General Surgery Chief Resident |
| Residency | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine General Surgery Resident |
| Research Fellow | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Organ Transplantation Research Fellow |
| Graduate Training | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Clinical Investigation M.S. |
| Residency | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine General Surgery Residency Resident |
| Internship/Residency | Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram Rotating Resident Internship Intern/Resident |
| Professional Medical | Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram/University of Kerala Medicine M.D. |
Global Impact
Education History
| Internship/Residency | Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram Rotating Resident Internship Intern/Resident |
| Professional Medical | Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram/University of Kerala Medicine M.D. |