Jeffrey Morgan

It is important to constantly be evaluating and reevaluating to always work to be a little better and more efficiently.

 

Dr. Jeffrey A. Morgan is a Professor of Surgery and Surgical Director of the Advanced Heart Failure Center of Excellence at Baylor, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. He has an extensive training background.

Dr. Morgan began his education at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, located in Bronx, New York, and graduated in 1999. He went on to do a General Surgery Residency at Mount Sinai Hospital from 1999-2005. He then proceeded to New York University Medical Center in 2005-2007 to do a Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. He attended Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center from 2007-2008 to do a fellowship in Cardiac Transplant and an advanced fellowship in Mechanical Circulatory Support.

He was recruited to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Michigan as the Surgical Director of Heart Transplants and Mechanical Circulatory Support from 2008-2015. At the same time, he was offered a position at Wayne State University as an associate professor.

Dr. Morgan’s divisions flourished under his leadership. The LVAD Program and the Heart Transplant Programs grew substantially. The program provided exceptional knowledge and information based on their clinical results. The results were published by organizations for expectations for heart transplants and assist devices. In addition, the results of the research aspects of the program were very prolific. Researchers had a number of conference presentations nationally and Internationally. His organization had many publications relating to heart failure.

Dr. Morgan continued his success as he was recruited to the Baylor College of Medicine. In January of 2016, Jeffrey Morgan began in the division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support and worked with the Advanced Heart Failure Center of Excellence at Baylor College of Medicine. He served as the Professor of Surgery and the Surgical Director of the Advanced Heart Failure Center and member of Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at the Baylor College of Medicine. He held the same positions at the Texas Heart Institute and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Dr. Morgan replaced Dr. Fraizier a pioneer and founders in the field of Mechanical Support. From 2016-2018 the heart transplant volumes doubled and had a much higher survival of 91%. The length of stay in the hospital was reduced significantly. Complication rates were reduced significantly. His division had national conferences and publications from a research point of view.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

I spent time with my Uncle who is a cardiologist. It impressed me how he could help people and make such a difference in their lives.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

A typical day starts at seven o’clock with rounding or checking in on people who have had surgery. At eight o’clock, I go to the operating room to perform surgery. Surgeries usually last until one or two o’clock. I then do rounds to visit each of the hospital patients, as well as new patients in the office. I often have to attend various administrative and research meetings. My day is very busy. It is made productive by different aspects of patient and clinical care.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I spend time thinking about how I can improve both clinical and patient care. I discuss the ideas with my colleagues to see if they agree with the problem that has been highlighted. We discuss a potential solution to fix that problem. We form a team or individuals who get together to research what it would take to bring the idea or new approach into operations. We track the results or progress.

What’s one trend that excites you?

One trend that excites me is that morbidity for heart surgery seems to be decreasing. I think we are finding ways to perform surgeries more safely. We have better patient outcomes, improved results, and fewer complications. I think this a very good result for patients and their families. We can offer them high-risk surgery with a lower complication rate.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I tend to examine every situation that did not turn out optimally. I want to know and understand exactly what went on and why. I try to correct any deficits, inefficiencies, issues or challenges. I want to assure myself that the next time everything will be performed in an optimal fashion.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would simply tell myself to work hard every day. I would say to be diligent and conscientious. Be meticulous with preparation and to make sure to cross all your “tees’ and dot every I. In our profession mistakes are not tolerated very well. A mistake could have profound patient-effects. You must come to work every day with your “A” game every single day and need to tackle every challenge that comes your way. I think it is important to constantly be evaluating and reevaluating to always work to be a little better and more efficiently.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Technology is always changing but we cannot forget the basics of the job. It is important as a surgeon to remember the basics, while also thinking about ways to advance your technical skills. Sometimes people get lost in the world of technology and forgot what we had started with.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I think a lot about how to perform complex operations. I tend to prepare so that everything goes naturally without any delays. Especially if it is a very complex surgery, I want to anticipate any pitfalls that may occur. I always try to figure them out before the surgery.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

One strategy that I use to grow as a doctor is to consult with my senior colleagues. If I am uncertain or want to look for additional guidance or advice. I will either speak with someone here or I will make a call to a specialist at another institution. I think it is important to involve other colleagues or mentors, as it is good to have a second opinion.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Shortly after I started here, I noticed that there was a referring group of cardiologists who were not sending us referrals. They had an issue with an individual in our group, so I reached out to them. I was convinced that we could correct any issue that bothered them and wanted to know if they would graciously give us another starting point. We were able to reestablish a very productive relationship with them.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

It would bring so much value if someone could invent an artificial heart that could be associated with lower complication rates. If we could just uncomplicate the power issues on an artificial heart it would be so much better. The heart needs to be powered without any cords coming through the skin. It should be charged and powered internally. That would have a huge impact and be a huge income opportunity.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

The best money that I’ve spent recently was to hire an A.C.T. tutor for my son. He is getting ready to take his college exams and he must do well. It will help to determine the college he will be able to attend, so I think it is truly important that he does well. I believe it is money well spent, and very beneficial for him.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I would say that video conferencing helps me to be very productive. It could be through WebX or Zoom or even just face-time on the iPhone. It is very productive to have meetings with other doctors or researchers, where we can share a presentation and information readily. It is a powerful tool.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Dr. Cooley’s book called 100,000 Hearts. It is a story of professionalism, and persistence as a pioneering surgeon.

What is your favorite quote?

It is a quote from my mentors, Dr. Fraiser, and Dr. Cooley: You need to forget what happened yesterday and focus on today. Today is a different day and a new opportunity to help people.

Key Learnings:

• I think it is important to involve other colleagues or mentors. It is good to have a second opinion.
• Be meticulous with preparation
• It is important to constantly be evaluating and reevaluating to always work to be a little better and more efficiently.