SUNY Upstate Medical University

The Upstate chapter, in Syracuse NY, was founded in the fall of 2021 by vascular surgeon Dr. Michael Costanza and medical students who felt passionately that the community could benefit from the SRS mission. We hope to bring surgical equity to the forefront of practice at Upstate and the surrounding area to better provide for the widely underserved populations. 

Located in Central New York, SUNY Upstate Medical University is the only Level 1 trauma center in the region, serving 1.7 million people and 28 referral hospitals. Approximately 9,500 refugees have settled in the county in the last 10 years, providing a diverse community with many underserved needs. The distinctly underserved and rural populations that comprise Syracuse allows for a unique opportunity for SRS to be a central part of improving advocacy within surgery and addressing social determinants of health that directly impact patient outcomes.

Twitter handle: @UpstateSurgEq

Current Projects

• A panel and discussion series about patient advocacy from local physicians with experience working in public health

• Service outreach into the Syracuse community with a focus on refugee health