Richard J. Andrassy, MD

Senior Vice President, Clinical Affairs and Strategy, UTHealth Houston

Richard J. Andrassy, MD, was named senior vice president for clinical affairs and strategy at UTHealth Houston in September 2022. In this role, he participates on the leadership team of UTHealth Houston’s academic group practice, UT Physicians. Widely known for providing excellence in patient care to both children and adults, Andrassy has focused much of his career on advancing the field of pediatric surgery as well as training future pediatric surgical leaders. As the chair of the Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston since 1994, he is the longest-serving surgical department head in the United States. He also serves as surgeon-in-chief at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, and professor of surgery at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Andrassy’s decorated career includes the Meritorious Service Award from the U.S. Air Force, the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award, the Houston Surgical Distinguished Surgeon on the Year Award, and numerous accolades for teaching excellence since joining the faculty at UTHealth Houston in 1985.

A prolific researcher, educator, and surgeon, Andrassy has published more than 350 manuscripts and chapters and more than 300 abstracts. He is a member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, the Surgical Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society of University Surgeons, the American Surgical Society, and the Southern Surgical Society, among other professional societies. Andrassy also serves on the Board of Governors and the Committee on Diversity for the American College of Surgeons.

He holds the Jack H. Mayfield, MD, Distinguished University Chair in Surgery and the Denton A. Cooley, MD, Chair in Surgery at UTHealth Houston. He served as executive dean ad interim at McGovern Medical School from 2020 to 2022.

Prior to moving to Houston to join the faculty at UTHealth Houston and also serve as chief of pediatric surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Andrassy held positions at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keesler Air Force Base Medical Center, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

He is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the Medical College of Virginia. He completed residencies in general and vascular surgery at Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Medical Center in San Antonio, and fellowships in pediatric surgery and surgical oncology at the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.

Related Site:

Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School