News

AUSTIN, Texas—St. David’s North Austin Medical Center announced today that Thomas N. Payne, M.D., a national leader in gynecologic robotic surgery, has been named medical director of the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery, effective Dec. 5, 2011. Payne will join Randy Fagin, M.D.,chief administrative officer of the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery, on the institute’s administrative board.

“Dr. Payne is one of the most experienced leaders in the field of robotic surgery and will be a tremendous asset to the Austin community,” Fagin said. “I look forward to working with him to increase the scope and impact of our educational capabilities for the many physicians and health care team members from around the country who look to the institute as their educational resource. Bringing Dr. Payne here is yet another way that we are redefining surgery with expertise and education at the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery.”

Payne’s involvement and leadership in the robotic surgical field began with the Federal Drug Administration approval of the daVinci surgical system for gynecologic surgery in 2005. His pioneering work as a surgeon and educator in more than 1,000 daVinci gynecologic cases has helped patients and surgeons across the globe and has shaped the present and future of gynecologic surgery. Payne was a founding member of the Society of Robotic Surgeons, is a frequent faculty member for gynecologic and robotic conferences throughout the United States and overseas, and currently sits on the editorial board for the Journal of Robotic Surgery.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue my work as a surgeon and educator in robotic surgery at the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery in Austin,” Payne said. “I look forward to creating collaborative opportunities with the institute that will bring value to the Austin medical community and the patients it serves.”

Payne recently served as the co-director at the Ochsner Robotics Training Center in New Orleans, La., as well as an instructor for advanced robotics in gynecology at Intuitive Surgical in California and Celebration Hospital in Florida.

He also most recently served as the senior physician in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the co-director of the department of minimally invasive surgery at Ochsner Health Center Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

He has served on the faculty at Louisiana State University College of Medicine since 1998.

Payne received several physician recognition awards during his tenure at Ochsner Health Center Baton Rouge, including Physician Leader of the Year in 2007 and the Pioneer in Robotic Surgery Award. He has served as the chairman of the Physician Excellence Committee with the Ochsner Health System since 2008.

Payne graduated with honors from Northeastern Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in molecular cell biology/biochemistry. He attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma, College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, Okla. He completed his residency in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, College of Medicine.