Lawrence Richard Glassman, MD, is a board-certified thoracic surgeon and chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Northwell's North Shore University Hospital. He's also vice president of thoracic surgery for Northwell facilities across eastern Long Island, tasked with building out the program and expanding access to top thoracic care for more New Yorkers. Dr. Glassman began his career with a residency in general surgery at the University of Minnesota and NYU. He also completed fellowships in cardiothoracic surgery at the National Institutes of Health, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and NYU, and obtained special training in lung transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Surgery. He joined Northwell in 2003, which now has one of the busiest thoracic surgery programs in the U.S. Specializing in both cancerous and noncancerous conditions, Dr. Glassman uses advanced minimally invasive robotic techniques, which improve surgical precision and quicken patient recovery. He is renowned for taking on the most complex operations and revisional surgeries, including chest infections and traumas, and is even involved in Northwell's innovative lung transplant program. Many institutions in the region routinely seek his specialized expertise for highly intricate cases.To provide unmatched patient care, Dr. Glassman and his team believe collaboration is paramount. They hold regular multidisciplinary meetings with specialists across Northwell-including daily team rounds to discuss cardiac and thoracic patients at every Northwell hospital, as well as weekly thoracic tumor boards to develop personalized treatment plans. "No doctor is an island. There's lots of eyes and ears checking on every single patient," he says. "We focus on what's best for them and help them make informed decisions like whether surgery is needed, since it may not be the best option for everyone." Dr. Glassman has published over 40 publications in his field and is passionate about teaching the next generation of surgeons. But the best part about his job is being able to transform people's lives, he says. "As a surgeon, I am blessed to be able to do what I do and to develop such special relationships with my patients. We all have to trust each other in this world, and it's a great privilege to know that people trust in me and my team."