Stephen Bruns MD FACS

With a distinguished career with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Ascension St. John, and a proven track record in education with the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, I excel in innovation management and education. My roles have demonstrated a passion for education, evidence-based medicine, and healthcare. Specialized skills include clinical research, strategic planning, academic program development, and stakeholder engagement. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities enable successful navigation through complex educational landscapes to meet organizational goals.

• “Platinum Provider” United Healthcare, provider rating
• 5/5 star physician rating: US News and World Report (30 reviews)
• 4/5 star physician rating: Health Grades (18 reviews)
• 4.4/5 star physician rating: WebMD (17 reviews)
• Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals,
• 2004 Fellow, American College of Surgeons
• Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) Alternate Delegate 2008-Present
• Member, Committee on Applicants of the American College of Surgeons, 2009-2019
• Selected: Best Doctors in America 2009-present
• President, Surgery Incorporated. 2012-2017
• Review Subcommittee, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT); Stomach and Small bowel. Scientific program of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract Annual Meeting/Digestive Disease Week (DDW). 2012-Present
• Education Working Group, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT); Resident Education Committee 2013-2019
• Reviewer, Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery-Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) 2013-present
• Reviewer, Surgery (Elsevier peer-reviewed international surgical journal) 2024
• Reviewer, The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 2025-current
• Board Member, Tulsa County Medical Society. January 2020-Present
• President Tulsa County Medical Society. January 2024-January 2025.

Community Activities

• Named One of Tulsa’s New Leaders by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Oklahoma State Representative John Trebilcock and Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry 2003
• Phat Tire Bike Shop Mountain Bike race team: 2022, 2023, 2024 Oklahoma State Champions
• Recording and Live performance with Trust Tree band, Kulica, and Paul Gehring Band.
• Trail advocacy: Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness, Lubell Park, Claremore Lake trail system. Bike Club.

• American Board of Surgery
• Qualifying Exam, Nov. 2002: 90th percentile
• Certifying Exam, Feb. 2003: Pass, First Attempt
• Date of Board Certification: February 4, 2003. Certificate number 47937
• American Board of Surgery Recertification December 2011: Pass, First Attempt. 84% Raw Score
• American Board of Surgery Recertification September 2023: MOC Pass First Attempt. 100% Raw Score

• Oklahoma State Medical Association
• Tulsa County Medical Society
• Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
• Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support
• Advanced Trauma Life Support-Provider: 1997-current
• Advanced Trauma Life Support-Instructor: 1999-current

02/01/25

• Choledochal Cystic Diseases, Bruns SD, Broughan TA, Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology, 2001, 4, 2, 115-121
• Cutaneous Melanoma and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy, Bruns SD, Phillips JW, McGee JM, Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, 2002, 95, 5
• Origin of the Radial Artery as a Proximal Inflow Site for Hemodialysis, Bruns SD, Jennings WC, Presented at Vascular Access for Hemodialysis VIII, 05/09/02
• Proximal Radial Artery as Inflow Site for Native Arteriovenous Fistula, Bruns SD, Jennings WC, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2003, 197, 1, 58-63
• The Subspecialization of Surgery: A Paradigm Shift, Bruns SD, Davis BR, Demirjian AN, et al., Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 2014, 18, 8, 1523-1531
• Spontaneous Appendicocutaneous Fistula after Inguinal Hernia Repair with Mesh, Alamiri N, Bruns SD, Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, 2019, 112, 1
• Granular Tumor of the Arm: A Case Report, Bruns SD, Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, 2024, 117, 1

• Named One of Tulsa's New Leaders, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2003
• Mountain Bike Race Team, Phat Tire Bike Shop, 2019-Current
• Recording and Live Performance, Trust Tree band, Kulica, and Paul Gehring Band
• Trail Advocacy, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness, Lubell Park, Claremore Lake trail system. Bike Club.

• Evaluation of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication and Postoperative Patient Satisfaction, Katsis SB, Melichar RM, McGee JM, Bunn PW, Bruns SD, The Southwest Surgical Congress Annual Meeting, 1997
• Update on Melanoma, Bruns, SD, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, Surgery Department Grand Rounds, 10/24/15
• Spontaneous Appendicocutaneous Fistula after Inguinal Hernia Repair with Mesh, Alamiri N, Hoff S, Bruns S, University of Oklahoma Research Day, 05/03/17
• Small Bowel Obstruction Due to Meckel's Diverticulum, Ewing K, Bruns S, University of Oklahoma Research Day, 05/03/17
• Mesh Repair of Spontaneous Lumbar Hernia, Budrevich D, Milner C, Bruns S, Sclabas G, University of Oklahoma Research Day, 05/03/17
• Gallbladder and Biliary Disease, Bruns SD, Grand Rounds, University of Oklahoma/St. John Ascension Medical Center, 06/14/19
• Bariatric Surgery and Associated Complications, Bruns, SD, Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System Grand Rounds, 01/20/20
• A Rare Tumor in an Unusual Location: Granular Cell Tumor of the Upper Extremity, Mnajjed, L. Bruns, S., University of Oklahoma College of Medicine-Tulsa, Clinical Vignette Symposium, 05/24/23
• Update on Diverticulitis, Bruns, SD, Grand Rounds, Oklahoma City VA Healthcare System, 10/01/24
• Update on Breast Cancer and Breast Surgery, Bruns, SD, Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System, Women Veterans Symposium, 10/01/24

• Who's Who of Executives and Professionals, 2004
• Fellow, American College of Surgeons, 2004
• Alternate Delegate, Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA), 2008-Present
• Member, Committee on Applicants of the American College of Surgeons, 2009-2019
• Selected: Best Doctors in America, 2009-Present
• President, Surgery Incorporated, 2012-2017
• Review Subcommittee, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), 2012-Present
• Education Working Group, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), 2013-2019
• Reviewer, Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery-SSAT, 2013-Present
• Reviewer, Surgery (Elsevier peer-reviewed international surgical journal), 2024
• Board Member, Tulsa County Medical Society, 2020-Present
• President, Tulsa County Medical Society, 2024-Present
• Ascension Southwest (regional) Instituitional Review Board (IRB) member, 2024-Present

• Advanced Trauma Life Support Instructor, 1999-current
• Member, Medical Records Committee, St. John Medical Center 2002-2003
• Member, Medical Informatics Committee, St. John Medical Center 2002-2005
• Member, Cerner Electronic Medical Record Implementation, St. John Medical Center
• Member, Patient Care Policy Committee, St. John Medical Center 2002-2008
• Chair, Surgery Section Quality Assurance Committee, St. John Medical Center 2005-2007, 2013-2015
• Vice-Chair, St. John Medical Center Department of Surgery, 2005-2007, 2013- 2015
• Chair, St. John Medical Center Department of Surgery, 2007-2008, 2015-2016
• Secretary/Treasurer, St. John Medical Center Medical Staff, 2008-2010
• Chair, Medical Staff Quality Committee. 2014-2016
• Member, American College of Surgeons Committee on Applicants, 2016-2019
• President, St. John Medical Center, Medical Staff. 2017-2018
• Chair, Blood Transfusion Committee, St John Medical Center 2016-2020
• Chair, Multi-disciplinary Quality Improvement Committee, 2019-2020
• Chair, Bylaws Committee, St. John Medical Center, 2019-2020
• Executive Board Member, Ascension St. John Health System. 2014-2023
• Executive Board Member, Ascension St. John Hospital 2023-Present
• Member, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, COVID-19 Response Team, Oklahoma City. April 2020-Present
• Member, Selection Committee, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Medical school. May 2023-Current

• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Sooner Healthcare Executives Summit, September 27, 2024: Moderator, Data, and Analytics; Moderator, Patient-centered Care
• University of Oklahoma Department of Surgery Mentor: September 2023-Present
• American College of Surgeons: Young Fellows Mentor: October 2023-Present
• Generational Motivation and Collaborative Leadership: March 2024, Veterans Administration Series; Julianne Mullane Deputy Director of Clinical Operations
• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Sooner Healthcare Executives 2023 Summit: Moderator, Telemedicine in the Healthcare Delivery panel discussion; Presenter, Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success and Leadership
• ACHE Leadership Development Program, October 20, 2023: Accelerating Leadership Development in Yourself and Your Organization Course
• Lean Six Sigma: Yellow Belt, Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare, September 6-8, 2023
• Horty-Springer Leadership Institute, April 11-13, 2019
• Estes Park Institute: Healthcare at a Crossroad, December 2-7, 2018
• Estes Park Institute: Leadership Development Institute, December 4-9, 2016
• Estes Park Institute: Experiencing a Culture of Safety, February 13-20, 2016

• General Surgery Residency, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine-Tulsa Department of Surgery, 06/01/97, 05/01/01
• Chief Resident, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine-Tulsa Department of Surgery, 06/01/01, 06/01/02

American Board of Surgery

Qualifying Exam 11/01/02, 90th percentile

Certifying Exam 02/01/03, Pass, First Attempt

Recertification 12/01/11, Pass, First Attempt, 84% raw score

Recertification MOC 09/01/23, Pass, First Attempt, 100% raw score

References available upon request.