Associate General Counsel

Header utility. May 7, 2026 Distinguished cardiac surgeon brings national leadership in complex valve and structural heart surgery to advance growth, innovation and multidisciplinary cardiovascular care across Tufts Medicine Tufts Medicine announced today that Dr. Panayotis (Panos) Vardas, has been named Division Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC), with an academic appointment at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Vardas, an internationally recognized cardiac surgeon, will advance the clinical, academic and research mission of the Division of Cardiac Surgery and contribute to the growth of cardiovascular services across Tufts Medicine. Dr. Vardas will also promote patient-centered, multidisciplinary, collaborative, high-quality cardiac surgical care and ensure equitable access to advanced cardiothoracic surgical services across Tufts Medicine. "Dr. Vardas joins us at an exciting time for cardiovascular services at Tufts Medical Center and across Tufts Medicine," said Erika Werner, MD, Chief Physician Executive of Tufts Medicine, President of the Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization, and a Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. "His proven track record in advancing surgical excellence and building high-performing programs, combined with his dedication to education and research, will be instrumental in strengthening our cardiac surgery program and expanding access to innovative cardiac care for the communities we serve." Dr. Vardas practices the full spectrum of adult cardiac surgery with a specialized clinical focus on complex valve disease and structural heart interventions. His clinical expertise emphasizes durable valve repair, percutaneous and transcatheter valve interventions, arrhythmia surgery, surgical coronary revascularization and complex reoperative cardiac surgery. In addition to his clinical leadership, Dr. Vardas brings a strong academic profile and a commitment to innovation. He has been actively involved in clinical trials, outcomes research and guideline development, with a focus on valve disease, arrhythmia surgery and advanced surgical and transcatheter technologies. His scholarly work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, and he has served in leadership roles within several professional societies, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society and the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association. Dr. Vardas joins Tufts MC from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he served as a Tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical Director of the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Units and Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency and Fellowship. He has received multiple national honors, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons President's Award, and was recently inducted into the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, one of the most prestigious professional societies in the field, in recognition of his contributions to cardiothoracic surgical education and research. "Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine are nationally renowned for excellence in cardiovascular care and a unique opportunity for growth," said Dr. Vardas. "I'm honored to join this outstanding team and look forward to working collaboratively to build a leading cardiac surgery program focused on innovation, multidisciplinary care and exceptional patient outcomes. Dr. Vardas earned his Medical Degree from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" School of Medicine. He completed general surgery training at the University of Washington, followed by an integrated thoracic surgery residency at Indiana University School of Medicine, and an advanced fellowship in complex valve reconstructive and arrhythmia surgery at Northwestern University. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Persistent inequity in survival after atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation, also known as AF or Afib, is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. In fact, one in three individuals can expect to be diagnosed by the condition, which increases the risk of serious complications such as heart failure and stroke. Despite significant advances in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, a new Danish study from Aalborg University shows that social inequities in survival have remained virtually unchanged over the past 20 years. The article has just been published in the internationally recognized journal The Lancet Public Health in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and Boston University. The study is based on nationwide Danish registry data from more than 380,000 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation between 2000 and 2022 and documents inequities in income, education, and social relationships still have a major impact on life expectancy after diagnosis. Individuals diagnosed with AF who have a low income live on average 2.5 years shorter than those with high income. Low educational level results in a loss of 1.8 years of life, while living alone costs about 1.6 years. "Advances in the management and treatment of atrial fibrillation have improved survival for everyone but have not closed the gap between social groups. This is clearly a problem in a tax-funded universal healthcare system with formally equal access to treatment for all - especially when we know how much prevention can actually matter," says the study's lead author, Nicklas Vinter, MD, PhD, and postdoctoral researcher at the Danish Center for Health Services Research at Aalborg University. He also points out that the global incidence of atrial fibrillation is rising, making the results relevant far beyond Denmark's borders. This is clearly a problem in a tax-funded universal healthcare system with formally equal access to treatment for all - especially when Adsl Aau know how much prevention can actually matter. Social and structural barriers must be addressed. According to Nicklas Vinter, the causes of inequity are not only linked to medical treatment but also to social and behavioral factors. For some patients, treatment guidelines can be difficult to understand and translate into concrete action, and many lack a social network that can provide practical support in everyday life. Therefore, the researchers behind the study propose a new tool, FAIR-PRO-AF, which can help decision-makers and researchers across sectors systematically reduce inequity and create continuous improvements. The tool is designed as a circular work cycle: first, the social factors associated with survival are mapped. Next, the barriers that hinder equity in access, quality, and effectiveness of treatment are identified. In the third step, concrete initiatives are prioritized and implemented, and finally, the effect is evaluated before the cycle moves on to the next round. "The social and structural barriers that limit patients' access to knowledge, resources, and support must be addressed if we want to improve prognoses for all. This requires a broader effort where the healthcare system collaborates with social and political actors," says Nicklas Vinter. Facts: Atrial fibrillation * Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. * Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include shortness of breath, palpitations, and chest pain. * The condition is associated with increased mortality - on average, a patient with atrial fibrillation loses about two years of expected lifespan compared to individuals without the diagnosis. * In Denmark, more than 170,000 people live with the condition, * Each year, more than 20,000 Danes receive the new diagnosis. Read the scientific article: Temporal trends in associations between social drivers and life-years lost in newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in Denmark, 2000 - 22: a nationwide cohort study Published in The Lancet Public Health, December 2025. Authors: Nicklas Vinter, Søren Paaske Johnsen, Gregory Yoke Hong Lip, Ludovic Trinquart, Lars Frost and Emelia J. Benjamin.