American Society of Plastic Surgeons Names Seattle Physician President
Phillip Haeck, MD is named president of the ASPS

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Phillip Haeck, MD, a partner at Plastic Surgery Associates of Seattle, was named president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), at Plastic Surgery 2010, the Society's annual scientific assembly. Dr. Haeck will lead the world's largest plastic surgery association and foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery for a one-year term. As ASPS president, Dr. Haeck will focus on patient safety, as well as, continuing member and public education.

"With more physicians trying to enter the cosmetic surgery market and more patients looking for 'discounted' procedures, public education on who is best qualified to perform plastic surgery is important now more than ever," said Dr. Haeck. "Over the next year, ASPS will continue its ongoing effort to inform the public about the benefits of plastic surgery, as well as the overwhelming advantages in seeking a board-certified plastic surgeon."

An ASPS Member Surgeon since 1990, Dr. Haeck has held board positions including ASPS/PSEF Treasurer and Historian, and has served as chair of a number of ASPS committees, including Patient Safety and Health Policy. In addition, Dr. Haeck has served as the ASPS/PSEF Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, and has served on the Public Education and Government Affairs Committees, among others. Currently, he is a member of the editorial board for ASPS' medical journal, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS).

Dr. Haeck has been in practice for 24 years and acquired his American Board of Plastic Surgery certification in 1990. He received his medical degree from Michigan State University, and began his surgical training in Seattle at Swedish Hospital. Dr. Haeck then completed three years of plastic surgery training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, before starting his Seattle-based practice.

Dr. Haeck's scholarly interests are editorial in nature, including his recently authored supplement to PRS entitled "Evidence Based Patient Safety Advisory for Outpatient Surgery." Additionally, Dr. Haeck served as editor of Plastic Surgery News for six years and continues to write the "On Legal Grounds" column, as he's done for the past eight years.

Dr. Haeck's personal accomplishments include his travels with Healing the Children in which he's provided free surgical care to children with clefts and burns on three continents. He currently resides in Seattle with his wife of 26 years, Karen, an oncology nurse and their three daughters, the oldest, a recent graduate of the University of Denver, the second, a student at Colorado College, and the youngest, a student at Northwestern University.