Portsmouth, Va. (June 22, 2007) – Robert F Dunton, M.D., has been appointed as the new medical director and senior surgeon for the Bon Secours Heart Institute. Dunton, who brings a wide range of clinical, academic and management experience to the position, begins his new duties this month.

“The development of many of the minimally-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions has enabled community-based hospitals to provide excellent care. This allows patients to remain in their community where there is support from their family and friends,” Dr. Dunton said. “Our relationship with Columbia University allows Bon Secours Heart Institute to bring world-class cardiac care to Hampton Roads.”

Dr. Dunton also noted the expanding need to provide cardiac care in the local community. “Our community's population is growing, there is a higher than normal death rate and incidence of cardiac disease in Western Hampton Roads, and at the same time, our population continues to experience an obesity epidemic. In addition, as Baby Boomers continue to age, there will be an even greater need for advanced cardiac care,” he explained. “It’s also important for the Bon Secours Heart Institute to offer a choice of advanced cardiac care providers to our community.”

Dr. Dunton is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon. Prior to joining Bon Secours, he had been a cardiothoracic surgeon at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Concord, N.H. since 2001. In this capacity, he was involved in active management of clinical service, growth of services, public and medical community education and clinical care of cardiothoracic surgical patients. Also, he served as the medical coordinator of the Concord Hospital Open Heart Program and as an assistant professor of surgery at Dartmouth Medical School. He was involved in academic activities at Northeastern University Perfusion Training Program and research activities for the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group.

From 1996 to 2001, Dr. Dunton was a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Wichita Clinic in Wichita, Kan. He was chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita and an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. From 1989 to 1996, he was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Overholt Cardiothoracic Clinic in Boston, where he also served as a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and the chief of thoracic surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Dr. Dunton received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, and his medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, N.Y.  He did a general surgery internship and residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn., where he received the Upjohn Outstanding Intern Award. He was a senior resident in cardiac surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston. Dr. Dunton is currently enrolled in the Bioethics Master's Degree Program at Albany Medical College. 

He has co-authored and published numerous articles and has presented papers to many surgical societies. He has been a member of the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia since 2004. Dr. Dunton is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Chest Surgeons and a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.