Meet our Faculty

Dr. Lawson is the Division Chief of Acute Care Surgery, Medical Director of Surgical Critical Care, and Program Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship. His clinical practice spans trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care, with particular interests in operative Acute Care Surgery, critical care, education, and the development of high-performing ACS systems. 

As Fellowship Program Director, he has focused the program on autonomy, clinical judgment, and preparing fellows to transition confidently from senior trainees to independent Acute Care Surgeons. A graduate of the MCG General Surgery Residency, Dr. Lawson completed a trauma fellowship at Grady Memorial Hospital through Emory University, followed by an additional Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at UTHealth Houston/Memorial Hermann before returning to MCG as faculty. 

Dr. Fox is the Trauma Medical Director for both Wellstar MCG Health and Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center and serves as Associate Program Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship. Her clinical practice spans trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care, with particular interests in trauma systems, quality improvement, and surgical education. 

As Trauma Medical Director, Dr. Fox oversees the continued development of trauma care across an expanding regional system, including the growth of trauma services at the new Columbia County Medical Center. She has also been a longstanding leader in surgical education at MCG and has received multiple faculty teaching awards for her work with residents and fellows. Dr. Fox completed General Surgery residency at Brown University followed by fellowship training in trauma and critical care at Grady Memorial Hospital through Emory University. 

Dr. O’Keeffe is Professor of Surgery, Director of Research for the Division of Acute Care Surgery, and one of the division’s most accomplished academic surgeons. His scholarship spans trauma, surgical critical care, transfusion, traumatic brain injury, and injury prevention, and he has authored or co-authored more than 190 peer-reviewed publications and 20 book chapters. He brings extensive experience in clinical research, academic mentorship, and national involvement in trauma and critical care. 

Dr. O’Keeffe trained in medicine at the University of Edinburgh before completing General Surgery residency at Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship training in trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Miami, where he also earned a Master of Public Health. Prior to joining MCG, he held faculty positions at UT Southwestern and the University of Arizona. At MCG, he served successfully as Division Chief of Acute Care Surgery, helping guide the division through a period of substantial clinical and academic growth. 

Dr. Mabes is a nationally recognized surgical educator whose academic work focuses on simulation, curriculum development, and trauma education. She serves as Director of Surgical Simulation for the Department of Surgery, Program Director of the Surgical Education and Simulation Research Fellowship, and Education Director for the Division of Acute Care Surgery. In 2025, she was inducted into the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and also serves as a program co-director for the Association for Surgical Education’s national ASCENT curriculum. 

Her commitment to education extends well beyond the medical center. Dr. Mabes leads the Rural Interactive Trauma Simulation program, a Georgia Trauma Commission-supported initiative that brings multidisciplinary trauma education and high-fidelity simulation directly to rural and critical-access hospitals throughout the state. She was recently selected for a state-supported Medical College of Georgia educator position providing substantial protected effort dedicated to medical education. Dr. Mabes completed both General Surgery residency and Surgical Critical Care fellowship training at MCG and brings her expertise in education, simulation, and systems improvement directly to the training of our fellows. 

Dr. Abuzeid is an Associate Professor of Surgery whose clinical practice spans trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. He brings extensive international experience to the division, having trained in the United Kingdom and practiced for several years in South Africa, where he developed broad experience managing complex trauma and a high volume of penetrating injury. 

He later completed fellowship training in Surgical Critical Care at Northwestern University. His clinical experience, operative judgment, and breadth of trauma exposure make him an important mentor for fellows learning to manage critically injured and physiologically complex surgical patients. He is also actively involved in departmental morbidity and mortality review and quality improvement. 

Dr. Switzer is the Medical Director of Wound Care Services at MCG and maintains one of the division’s busiest clinical and operative practices. Her work spans trauma, emergency general surgery, surgical critical care, and complex wound management, giving her a broad perspective on the care of challenging surgical patients. 

Before entering academic practice, Dr. Switzer served in the military, an experience that continues to inform her approach to teamwork, adaptability, and clinical decision-making. She is an energetic and highly experienced operative surgeon with particular expertise in complex wounds and soft-tissue disease. Known for her enthusiasm in the operating room, distinctive personality, and highly engaged teaching style, she is a favorite among residents and fellows and brings a unique clinical perspective to the division. 

Dr. Bursey has extensive experience in critical care, resuscitation, and point-of-care ultrasound. His background in emergency medicine brings an important complementary perspective to the fellowship, particularly in the early recognition and management of physiologic deterioration, bedside diagnostic ultrasound, and the care of undifferentiated critically ill patients. 

Dr. Bursey completed Emergency Medicine residency at MCG before serving as an active-duty Army emergency physician at Fort Benning. He later developed extensive experience in emergency critical care and remains closely involved in the education of our fellows. His current academic appointment is shared between the Department of Surgery and Digital Health, adding another perspective on how technology, clinical systems, and evolving models of care can be incorporated into the management of critically ill patients. 

Dr. Dellen is an Assistant Professor of Surgery whose clinical practice includes trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. She completed General Surgery residency at Loma Linda University followed by fellowship training in Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery at Indiana University. 

Dr. Dellen brings recent, comprehensive Acute Care Surgery training to the division and is actively involved in the clinical education of residents and fellows. Her experience across trauma, critical care, and emergency surgery provides fellows with an additional perspective on contemporary Acute Care Surgery practice. 

Dr. Patel is the Director of Emergency General Surgery and brings extensive experience in Acute Care Surgery, surgical education, and program leadership. He completed General Surgery residency at Brown University followed by Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care fellowships at Grady Memorial Hospital through Emory University.  

Dr. Patel has a longstanding commitment to resident and fellow education and previously served as Associate Program Director for both the Emory Acute Care Surgery Fellowship and the Emory General Surgery Residency. He also directed Emory’s Global/Rural Surgery Clinical Track and has been recognized with multiple teaching and mentorship awards. His experience across emergency general surgery, trauma, critical care, and surgical education brings an important perspective to the training of our fellows.  

Dr. Sakharuk is an Assistant Professor of Surgery whose clinical practice includes trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. A graduate of the MCG General Surgery Residency, where he served as Administrative Chief Resident, he returned to Augusta after completing Surgical Critical Care fellowship training at Jackson Health System and an additional Trauma Surgery Fellowship at the University of Miami’s Ryder Trauma Center.  

His training at one of the nation’s busiest trauma centers adds substantial experience in operative trauma, penetrating injury, and the management of complex critically injured patients. Dr. Sakharuk also brings a longstanding interest in education, quality improvement, and clinical research, allowing him to contribute both a familiar understanding of the MCG training environment and a fresh perspective developed through advanced trauma training in Miami.  

Dr. Schachter is an Assistant Professor of Surgery whose clinical practice includes trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. She completed General Surgery residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, where she served as Administrative Chief Resident, followed by fellowship training in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  

Her training at two high-volume Southern trauma centers provides a strong foundation in the full spectrum of Acute Care Surgery. Dr. Schachter has particular interests in trauma systems, surgical education, and the delivery of high-quality trauma care across a growing regional health system. She has also been active nationally through the American College of Surgeons throughout her training and brings a thoughtful, contemporary perspective to the education of our residents and fellows.  

Dr. Al Tauma is an Assistant Professor of Surgery whose practice spans emergency general surgery, trauma, surgical critical care, and minimally invasive surgery. He brings fellowship training in Surgical Critical Care as well as additional fellowship training in Bariatric and Foregut Minimally Invasive Surgery, giving him a broad operative skill set and particular strength in contemporary minimally invasive and robotic techniques.  

An energetic and highly engaged surgeon, Dr. Al Tauma is particularly drawn to operative Acute Care Surgery and hands-on clinical care. His combination of critical care training, advanced minimally invasive experience, and enthusiasm for the operating room adds important depth to the division’s emergency general surgery practice and provides fellows with exposure to both traditional and evolving operative approaches. 

Dr. Ginelli is an Assistant Professor of Surgery whose clinical practice includes trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. She completed General Surgery residency at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx, where she served as Chief Resident, followed by Surgical Critical Care fellowship training at the University of Michigan.  

Dr. Ginelli has been recognized for excellence in teaching and service and brings a strong interest in education, global health, and multidisciplinary care. Her background includes work with the World Health Organization, resident curriculum development, and longstanding involvement in community-focused health education. That combination of clinical training and broader academic experience adds another distinct perspective to the division and to the education of our fellows.  

She has also been active nationally through the American College of Surgeons throughout her training and brings a thoughtful, contemporary perspective to the education of our residents and fellows.