Scott Hollenbeck, MD, Named President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons

SAN DIEGO – Scott Hollenbeck, MD, University of Virginia (UVA) chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial and Oral Health, has been named president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Dr. Hollenbeck took office at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the Society's annual scientific meeting, on Sept. 29, 2024, in San Diego. Dr. Hollenbeck will serve in the position for one year.

"I am honored to serve as the president of ASPS and uphold the knowledge that plastic surgeons can be leaders within their health systems and add value to their communities through innovative and inspired problem-solving," said Dr. Hollenbeck. "I will continue to work toward unifying the specialty and organization toward critical missions, such as ensuring access to plastic surgery services, continued advancement in patient safety, and reinforcing the importance of consulting a board-certified plastic surgeon when considering cosmetic or reconstructive procedures."

A cornerstone of Dr. Hollenbeck's plans as ASPS president will be to show the fundamental value that plastic surgery has in the United States health system. He is energized and inspired by academic medicine and strongly emphasizes the importance of collaboration across a large health system.

In 2020, as ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Education, Dr. Hollenbeck helped steer the organization through the challenges of COVID-19 by expanding virtual educational opportunities through enhancements of the In-Service Exam and ASPS EdNet online platform.

Dr. Hollenbeck currently serves as Raymond F. Morgan Professor at UVA – the first plastic surgery department in the country – which he joined in 2022, when he accepted the position of department chair.

"Dr. Hollenbeck's talents as a surgeon, researcher and educator have made him a national leader in academic medicine," said Melina R. Kibbe, MD, the dean of the School of Medicine and chief health affairs officer for UVA Health. "He is leading our Department of Plastic Surgery to even greater accomplishments in service to our patients and future generations of physicians and scientists."

His clinical practice involves both reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery, with a specific focus on breast cancer reconstruction. Dr. Hollenbeck has had a successful research career in areas including health services, basic science, translational and commercialization programs, with well over 125 peer-reviewed publications, several patents and a variety of extramural grants. Inspired by his patients and mentees, he has focused on identifying barriers for accessing breast cancer reconstruction, locally and nationally.

Dr. Hollenbeck earned his medical degree and graduated magna cum laude with Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society distinction from The Ohio State University. He completed a general surgery residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital, leading him to pursue a second residency in plastic surgery at Duke University, focusing on microvascular reconstruction for cancer. While serving as tenured associate professor, division vice-chief, director of research and director of breast reconstruction at Duke, Dr. Hollenbeck partnered with several biomedical engineers to launch a start-up company related to tissue engineering. He hopes these efforts will someday help patients rebuild their own tissue after damaging surgeries or injuries.