MOUNT SINAI SURGERY ASSOCIATES

CELIA M. DIVINO, M.D., FACS

The Stanley Edelman M.D. Professor of Surgery

Chief, Division of General Surgery

Vice Chair, Education & Quality

Program Director, General Surgery Residency Training Program

As a surgical educator and leader, Dr. Celia M. Divino, Chief of the Division of General Surgery, and the Stanley Edelman Professor of Surgery, has blended the best of the past and the future in her approach to medical education. Dr. Divino is a proponent of both the traditional value of mentoring by teachers as critical to young doctors’ sound decision-making, while also keeping abreast of the latest innovations in surgery with her establishment of a Surgical Simulator Center. Dr. Divino has extensive experience in advanced minimally invasive techniques, specializing in laparoscopic gastrointestinal and hernia surgery. She is an authority on Neuroendocrine disease, notably carcinoid tumors. She has been listed on the roster for the Best Doctors in America since 2010, and in New York Magazine's Top Doctors since 2014.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Divino’s service is further demonstrated by the administrative roles she maintains within the department, institution, and national level.  She is the Chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Resident Education, as well as being on the American College of Surgeons Advisory Council of General Surgery. Additionally, Dr. Divino has been charged with oversight of the Quality Assurance, Surgical Education, and Performance Improvement Committees, and the NSQIP program.  As the Vice Chair for Education and Quality, she instills a culture of safety in the education of house staff, highlighting the importance of team training and pathways to improve patient care and reduce medical errors.  She is an active member of the American Surgical Association, American College of Surgeons, the Society for the Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, the Association of Women Surgeons, the Society for Surgical Education, the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society, the Association of Program Directors in Surgery, and the Endocrine Society. 

Maintaining a strong presence in the field of research, Dr. Divino has been the recipient of research grants from institutions including The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The Department of Defense, The National Institute of Health, and The Association of Women’s Surgeons. She serves on major editorial boards and has published extensively in medical and surgical literature.

Dr. Divino’s accomplishments in the laboratory, classroom, and operating room have been repeatedly recognized both within the Medical Center, as well as on a national level. Awards include The Surgical Attending of the Year Award, The Medical Student Teaching Award, The 2010 Master Clinician Award from the Institute of Medical Education, The Dr. Robert Paradny Teaching Award in Surgery, and most recently, the prestigious 2017 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Jacobi Medallion Award.   Dr. Divino has also been honored with multiple commendations from various scientific societies and community groups including The American Medical Association’s Janet W. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Award, the Medical Leadership Award from the New York State Assembly, and the 2015 Icahn School of Medicine Faculty Council Award for Academic Excellence.