News You Can Use
(From the January 2025 issue of MedStat)
Can Yerebakan, MD, PhD, Named Associate Chief of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Nationwide Children’s has named Can Yerebakan, MD, PhD, the associate chief of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and director of the Congenital CT Surgery Fellowship. Dr. Yerebakan is a principal investigator in the Center for Cardiovascular Research. Prior to joining Nationwide Children’s and the Abigail Wexner Research Institute in September 2024, Dr. Yerebakan was the associate chief of cardiovascular surgery at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and a professor of surgery and pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Dr. Yerebakan’s research interests include alternative treatments for single ventricle heart disease and regenerative therapies for congenital heart disease. Dr. Yerebakan has received several awards and recognitions for his continued work in congenital heart disease and improving the outcomes of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He will continue to provide the hybrid procedure to children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Dr. Yerebakan has conducted pioneering experimental work in regenerative therapies for congenital heart disease with first time experimental application of autologous umbilical cord stem cells for right heart regeneration. He is interested in improving the outcomes of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Dr. Yerebakan is a co-investigator in NIH-funded R01 research, including a phase 1 clinical trial for bone marrow stem cell treatment for neuroprotection and the experimental study to evaluate age and disease appropriate drug therapies for pediatric hearts. Dr. Yerebakan has mentored many international doctoral students, postdoctoral research fellows and clinical fellows.
Dr. Yerebakan has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed publications in journals in three different languages. He is an active scientific reviewer and serves on the editorial boards of several high-impact journals. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the German Society for Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery.
Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Dr. Yerebakan completed most of his medical training in Germany. After completing a pediatric cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Children’s National, Dr. Yerebakan returned to Germany to practice at the prestigious Pediatric Heart Center of Justus-Liebig University in Giessen.
MOC Part 4 Credit
Thank you to everyone who claimed MOC Part 4 credit through Nationwide Children’s. In 2024, there were 150 credit claims and 22 new projects submitted.
Remember, claiming your MOC Part 4 credit through Nationwide Children’s is easy and free. If you actively participated in a Nationwide Children’s approved MOC Part 4 QI project, be sure to submit your credit claim no later than November 30, 2025.
If you need to get your QI project approved for MOC Part 4 credit, submit application materials no later than October 17, 2025.
For more information, visit the ANCHOR MOC page or email MOC@NationwideChildrens.org.