Dr. Africa Wallace becomes first Black president of a major surgical organization in its 60-year history

After 60 years, Dr. Africa Wallace has become the first Black female president of the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society (ECTSS) and the first of any cardiothoracic surgery society.

Wallace, who also serves as the director of thoracic surgery at Capital Health, is a board-certified thoracic surgeon who treats cancer and other conditions at Capital Health Medical Center in Hopewell using minimally invasive techniques such as video-assisted or robotic approaches.

The newest appointee of the ECTSS is also a member of Capital Health Surgical Group and Capital Health’s Robotic Center of Excellence, a group of expert surgeons that offers a multidisciplinary array of robotic-assisted operations that satisfy the highest national quality standards.

In addition, Dr. Wallace co-leads Capital Health’s Lung Center of Excellence, which is a division of Capital Health Cancer Center and offers complete care for lung disease identification, assessment, monitoring, and treatment.

She expressed excitement over the appointment in a statement, “The Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society works to advance the highest standards of excellence in patient care through education, research, and surgical training programs. I’m excited to lead an organization that aligns with my personal commitment to quality, diversity, and inclusion in health care and Capital Health’s mission of improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves.”

Dr. Wallace serves on the Society of Thoracic Surgery’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work Force on top of her new role as president of the ECTSS. She belongs to the Association of Women Surgeons and Women in Thoracic Surgery.

Her present areas of interest are clinical outcomes related to minimally invasive pulmonary and esophageal surgery, as well as racial inequities in the surgical care of thoracic cancer.

According to a report by Zippia, even though Black Americans have the highest rate of cardiovascular problems and are thirty percent more likely than non-Hispanic whites to die from heart disease, there were less than 2% of Black cardiothoracic surgeons in the United States in 2021.

Dr. Wallace’s appointment bridges the gap and, hopefully, marks the beginning of many more such appointments.