PHX Reporter

Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital is advancing the field of vascular surgery by offering a specialized fellowship program, one of only three in the state. The program is designed to attract and train future vascular surgeons to serve the community effectively.

The Vascular Surgery Fellowship was established by Dr. Stephen Smith, a board-certified vascular surgeon who also serves as the program's director. Over 24 months, fellows receive comprehensive training covering all aspects of vascular surgery.

“There is a national, regional and local shortage of vascular surgeons, so we will be training vascular surgeons for the future of care delivery, and it is all happening in our area, benefiting our current and future patients,” states Dr. Smith.

Dr. Smith brings advanced expertise in endovascular and minimally invasive techniques to his teaching role. His contributions have been acknowledged with awards for his excellence in education.

The first fellow under this program is Dr. Steven Marincel, who began his fellowship after completing medical school in Chicago and a general surgery residency in Arizona. He shares his motivation: “I have always been interested in science and biology ever since I was a little boy and I had to have surgery and I thought my doctor was my hero, so I now want to make that kind of difference in people’s lives.”

The fellowship provides cutting-edge training experiences, ethical faculty engagement, diverse clinical opportunities, and research options. Dr. Marincel gains hands-on experience performing complex surgeries under expert supervision at Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital.

Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the fellowship prepares participants like Dr. Marincel for certification exams by the American Board of Surgery upon completion in July 2026. The program admits one new trainee each year.