Samson appointed surgeon-in-chief at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital

Dr. Tom Samson has been named surgeon-in-chief at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

Samson replaces the late Dr. Robert Cilley, who became the Children’s Hospital’s first surgeon-in-chief in 2011. Under Cilley’s direction, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital achieved Children’s Surgical Level 1 verification status in 2017. Cilley, who died on Jan. 30, stepped down in October 2021. Dr. Shawn Safford, chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and professor of surgery and pediatrics, served as interim surgeon-in-chief.

Samson joined Penn State College of Medicine’s Department of Surgery 12 years ago and was promoted to associate professor in 2020. He also serves as director for the multidisciplinary Vascular Malformation Clinic, co-director of the Craniofacial Clinic, program director of the plastic surgery residency program and a representative to the Surgical Services Governance Team.

Samson completed his general surgery training at Mayo Clinic and his plastic surgery training at Penn State College of Medicine. He also served as a pediatric craniofacial surgery fellow at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto.

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