Newsweek recently ranked Dr. Pat Pappas, a surgeon at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, as No. 2 in the United States for cardiothoracic surgery.

In addition, more than a dozen members of Silver Cross’ medical staff were named to Newsweek’s America’s Leading Doctors 2025.

Pappas heads Silver Cross’ open heart surgery program, which Silver Cross Hospital launched in May 2019. Pappas has more 40 years of expertise in cardiothoracic surgery and has performed more than 25,000 cardiac procedures, according to a news release from Silver Cross.

Silver Cross also opened a $22 million cardiac expansion program in 2021 and opened its Outpatient Heart and Vascular Center in 2024.

Under Pappas’ leadership, Silver Cross’ open hear surgery program has earned numerous awards, including two consecutive three-star ratings from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for “exceptional patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures,” according to the release.

The three-star rating denotes the highest category of quality, according to the release.

“Last fall, Healthgrades ranked Silver Cross Hospital’s heart surgery program No. 2 in Illinois, in between two of Chicago’s leading academic medical centers,” according to the release.

Four additional cardiothoracic surgeons on the Silver Cross medical staff also made the Newsweek America’s Leading Doctors 2025 list: Dr. Philip Alexander, Dr. Chadrick Cross, Dr. George Hodakowski and Dr. Antone Tatooles.

Newsweek also recognized the following Silver Cross medical staff:

• Cataract surgery: Dr. Majid Rassouli

• Foot and ankle surgery: Dr. Brian Burgess, Dr. Daniel Dean and Dr. Edward Ratkovich

• Knee surgery: Dr. Anuj Puppala

• Shoulder surgery: Dr. Robert Thorsness

• Spine surgery: Dr. Chintan Sampat

• Vascular surgery: Dr. Mohammad Sarhan

For more information, visit silvercross.org.