Akron Children’s welcomes Dr. Mark Wulkan as new chair of surgery

08-17-2020 (Akron, Ohio)

Mark Wulkan, M.D., is the new chair of surgery at Akron Children’s Hospital.

As chair, Dr. Wulkan will oversee a department that now completes nearly 20,000 pediatric surgeries a year. In addition to his duties at the hospital, he will be a professor of surgery and pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown.

Dr. Wulkan, who began in his new role Aug. 3, came to Akron, following a national search, from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the division of pediatric surgery at Emory University, where he served as surgeon-in-chief since 2010. At Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta he served in multiple other leadership roles during his time in there, including medical director of informatics, director of minimally invasive surgery and surgical director of the pediatric intensive care unit.

At Emory, Dr. Wulkan was a professor of surgery and pediatrics in the Emory University School of Medicine. He was the chief of the division of pediatric surgery in the department of surgery at Emory from 2010 to 2017.

Dr. Wulkan earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine and his bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry from Emory University.

His postgraduate training began at The University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Medical Center, where he completed a general surgery residency. At the University of Pittsburgh/Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital he completed a fellowship in pediatric surgical critical care. Dr. Wulkan then went on to The University of Alabama at Birmingham/The Children’s Hospital of Alabama where he completed a pediatric surgery research fellowship, followed by a fellowship in pediatric surgery.

“We are excited to have a surgeon of Dr. Wulkan’s caliber join us at Akron Children’s,” said John Crow, M.D., associate chief medical officer, who previously served as chair of surgery. “We believe his experience and training, combined with his previous leadership positions, will be an asset as we continue to grow and expand our Akron Children’s Hospital surgical programs in Northeast Ohio.”

Dr. Wulkan is a well published academician, as well as a respected clinician. He is a member of multiple professional organizations where he has had leadership positions, including the American Pediatric Surgical Association, American College of Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group (president 2014-15) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons.

Dr. Wulkan is residing in Akron. When not in the hospital he enjoys spending time with his three children and staying fit.