Rising Star Award
This award recognizes exceptional early-career clinical faculty whose actions and activities consistently exemplify enthusiasm, commitment, professionalism, and leadership.
Caroline Park, M.D., M.P.H., FACS
Nick Hendren, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
Division of Cardiology
In the world of entertainment, performers who stand out for their singing, acting, and dancing talents are sometimes called “triple threats.” It’s the ultimate sign of respect.
At UT Southwestern, Dr. Nicholas Hendren, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Cardiology, has been referred to as a “quadruple threat” by some of his colleagues.
He is a nationally recognized expert in his field, a top-tier educator, a dynamic researcher, and an empathetic leader whose creative ideas, leadership, and sheer determination have directly saved numerous lives.
“Dr. Hendren is an inspiration for us all,” said his nominator for the Rising Star Award.
Dr. Hendren emerged as an authority on myocarditis while working as a cardiology fellow at UTSW during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his expertise in heart transplantation and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has made him an invaluable source of knowledge for patients and peers.
As a fellow, he developed and led a service to provide patients at Parkland Memorial Hospital with access to home inotropes, a class of heart medication that enables them to receive vital treatment in the comfort of their home. Joining the UTSW faculty in 2022, he continues to steer the evolution of this highly successful program.
Dr. Hendren also worked to improve access to heart transplants and left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) at Parkland by creating a pathway from evaluation to insurance coverage to successful completion of transplants. This initiative filled a serious gap in care, and, as a result, Parkland patients now make up about 15% of the heart transplant cases at UT Southwestern – with strong outcomes that exceed national averages.
“Dr. Hendren’s ongoing leadership of the Heart Failure Program at Parkland is a shining example of what young people with talent, commitment, and drive can accomplish here,” his nominator wrote.
In addition, he is instrumental in Parkland’s Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA ECMO) program, which provides life-sustaining care to some of our most critical patients. In one instance, when he was not even on call, Dr. Hendren rushed to the hospital to manage the care of a patient who needed ECMO, his nominator recalled. He also took the time to instruct both senior physicians and medical trainees on how to assess and manage the circuit. The net result: He saved a life and taught colleagues how to effectively treat a patient in these dire circumstances in the future.
Beyond his clinical skills, Dr. Hendren is a role model for students and trainees. During his second year on faculty, he earned the L. David Hillis Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest instructional honor for a Cardiology faculty member.
He has published more than 30 papers, including important studies on myocarditis as well as heart transplant and shock care. And perhaps his greatest gift is finding ways to tackle some seemingly “unsolvable” issues.
“Through his grit, determination, attention to detail, vision, and collaborative leadership, Dr. Hendren was able to implement a series of programs that changed the trajectories of numerous patients with advanced heart failure at Parkland,” his nominator said. “His leadership has directly saved dozens of lives of our most vulnerable patients.”
Dr. Hendren earned his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure/transplantation at UT Southwestern.
In his words: “Medicine is an inherently challenging and deeply rewarding profession. As a faculty member, my work has centered on advancing cardiovascular care for patients with heart failure and cardiogenic shock across the Parkland and UT Southwestern health systems. Much of my clinical focus involves caring for individuals who face significant psychological or socioeconomic barriers to accessing effective cardiovascular treatment.
There are times when I have questioned whether my efforts were truly making a difference. Receiving this award affirms that my peers recognize and value these contributions, and for that, I am profoundly grateful. I hope this recognition serves to inspire my current and future colleagues to pursue their passions with dedication and to strive for excellence in patient care and innovation.
It has been a privilege to collaborate with the exceptional clinicians and nursing staff who share and support this vision, often in the face of considerable challenges. Above all, I am deeply thankful for my wife, whose unwavering understanding and encouragement continue to sustain and inspire my professional journey.”
Caroline Park, M.D., M.P.H., FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery
In every dimension of academic medicine, Dr. Caroline Park is a force of nature.
As a trauma and critical care surgeon, she has worked tirelessly to improve systems of care, quality, and preparedness at Parkland Memorial Hospital, where she is Trauma Medical Director.
As a teacher and Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern, she has developed innovative simulation programs, mentored dozens of trainees, and been recognized for her ability to inspire excellence in others.
As a researcher, she has published more than 35 peer-reviewed manuscripts in high-impact journals and presented her work to national and global audiences.
In the words of the physician who nominated her, Dr. Park is not only a Rising Star, she is “one whose brilliance illuminates those around her.”
Since joining the UTSW faculty in 2018 from the University of Southern California, Dr. Park has emerged as a standout surgeon, visionary, and leader. At Parkland, she has collaborated with hospitalists to establish an acute care surgery program to better serve frail and geriatric patients while also working to prevent postoperative delirium and ICU readmissions.
In 2022, she was named Parkland’s Trauma Surgeon of the Year.
On top of being a compassionate and dedicated physician, Dr. Park is an accomplished researcher whose published studies on trauma systems, artificial intelligence in surgery, the use of augmented reality in medical education, and equity in care have earned national and international attention. She holds patents and has collaborated on high-profile projects with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“Dr. Park has shown a passion for her work that is rarely seen, even among our highly motivated cohort of junior surgeons,” her nominator wrote. “Day in and day out, she performs at a level that wins her the respect and admiration of peers.”
In addition to setting high aspirations for herself, Dr. Park is intent on inspiring and equipping future generations of physicians. She has been recognized with the Department of Surgery’s Annual Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award, and as Program Chair of the North Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), she offers mentorship, networking opportunities, and career advice for trainees.
Recognizing the need for accessible evidence-based protocols, Dr. Park created an intranet site to efficiently share educational content and policies and protocols with trauma personnel. She also developed a monthly curriculum for trainee education, curates journal club articles, and moderates discussions during her unit’s weekly conferences. Perhaps most impressively, the surgical training simulation program she started in 2019 is growing each year and cross-trains other disciplines, including emergency medicine and pulmonary critical care.
Dr. Park makes time to prioritize community outreach initiatives such as the Stop the Bleed public health campaign. In her role as Chair of the ACS Northern Texas Committee on Trauma, she directs the local Advanced Trauma Life Support program, which trains over 100 students per year and promotes best practices in areas such as pediatric trauma readiness and prehospital whole blood programs. Her participation on more than 20 committees at Parkland and UTSW includes roles as Faculty Senate President, co-Chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) survey committee, and a leader in faculty compensation equity efforts.
“Dr. Park embodies the spirit of the Rising Star Award,” a nominator added. “She is a transformative force in academic surgery, whose contributions to trauma care, education, and innovation have made her one of the most dynamic and impactful early-career faculty members at our institution.”
Dr. Park earned her M.D. from Tufts University and her M.P.H. from Columbia University. She completed a general surgery residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and fellowships in surgical critical care and trauma surgery at the USC Medical Center.
In her words: “The first thing that comes to mind with this recognition is the support from my surgery family. We all know a career in medicine is an investment; mine started in Boston, where I fell in love with the art of surgery during a ‘simple’ hernia repair. If you told me as a college student that I would become a trauma and acute care surgeon, I would have been floored; it would be too daunting a task. But here I am after years of mentorship in Boston, Los Angeles, and now here in Dallas. Mentorship matters.
It really does take a village to lift up an individual, as it does to build or build up a program, so this is an award that also honors our surgery family. I am excited about the future of trauma and acute care surgery in our medical district and providing the best care to our injured patients. Thank you again for this honor, and I will keep it with me as I support others.”