Harris Departs Brigham, Joins MGH

Mitch Harris, MD, chief of Orthopaedic Trauma, has been named the new chief of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at MGH. He begins this new role on Oct. 1. Harris, whose tenure at the Brigham began in 2003, had served as the inaugural director and head of the Stepping Strong Research Scholar lab at BWH and was named the inaugural incumbent Stepping Strong Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery in 2015.

Harris joined the Brigham from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the teaching hospital of Wake Forest School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, N.C. Earlier in his career, he was on the faculty of Louisiana State University School of Medicine’s former Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

In his 14 years at the Brigham, Dr. Harris has elevated the Brigham’s trauma service through innovative clinical care, translational research and inspirational mentorship for trainees. A professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Harris also distinguished himself at the Brigham for his pivotal role in The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation, which launched in 2014.

Wilk Named Chief of the Hip Preservation Service

Richard Wilk, MD, has been appointed chief of the Hip Preservation Service in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at BWH. He began in his new role on June 1.

Wilk sees patients at the Orthopaedic and Arthritis Center in the Building for Transformative Medicine, as well as in the Brigham’s ambulatory care centers in Chestnut Hill and Foxborough.

He received his undergraduate degree from Emory University and his medical degree from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. He completed his Orthopaedic residency and a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Tufts University Hospital.

With more than two decades of experience as a medical professional, Wilk has performed more than 1,000 hip arthroscopy procedures and has established himself as a leader in New England in the advancement of arthroscopic surgical techniques of the hip. He also has expertise in treating sports injuries and complex knee and shoulder problems.

Wilk has held many leadership positions throughout his career, including interim chair and vice chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center and member of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Orthopaedic Association and the Massachusetts Orthopaedic Association. He also serves as treasurer of the Massachusetts Orthopaedic Association.

James Kang, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, said the department is thrilled Wilk has become a member of the Brigham family.

“Dr. Wilk has joined us with an expertise in sports medicine with a particular interest in hip preservation techniques,” Kang said. “He is an outstanding hip arthroscopic surgeon, and also performs knee and shoulder surgeries in athletes of all ages. With close to 25 years of experience, Dr. Wilk is known in the Boston area as a compassionate and caring physician.”

Wante Retires from Brigham Health Emergency Management

Barry Wante, director of Brigham Health Emergency Management, retired on August 4. For the past 10 years, Wante played a vital and visible role in preparation, response, recovery and mitigation of disasters and challenging events for BWH, BWFH and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, including the Boston Marathon bombings, the Ebola preparedness efforts, planning for ananticipated nursing work stoppage and countless blizzards, floods and other events. During his tenure, he redesigned BWH’s emergency operations plan, conducted over 150 exercises involving more than 3,000 personnel and led planning for over 100 real-world events.

Wante spearheaded disaster innovations and provided sound advice and recommendations in the development and production of the BWH Active Shooter “Run, Hide, Fight” informational video; he enhanced significantly the coordination between Partners HealthCare and local hospitals; and is recognized for his mentoring of many individuals who have assumed public safety leadership roles throughout Massachusetts.

Robin Reinke, program manager, Emergency Preparedness, and Eric Goralnick, MD, medical director, Emergency Preparedness, will serve as the primary points of contact while a search is conducted for a new senior manager of Brigham Health Emergency Preparedness is conducted.