Darrell L. Hunt, MD, PhD, FACS, Program Director
Darrell L. Hunt, MD, PhD, FACS, is the Program Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and completed his General Surgery Residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine, where he also obtained a PhD in Medicinal Sciences/Molecular Cell Biology.
Dr. Hunt completed his Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Florida, developing expertise in trauma, critical care, and acute care surgery. His research background includes NIH-funded surgical oncology training and a robust publication record spanning trauma systems, geriatric injury, traumatic brain injury, venous thromboembolism, and cancer biology. He has authored numerous peer‑reviewed manuscripts and presented extensively at national surgical and trauma conferences.
An experienced academic surgeon and educator, Dr. Hunt is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and an active contributor to national committees, trauma system development, and performance improvement initiatives. His work continues to advance clinical outcomes, trauma system efficiency, and education within surgical critical care.
Jorge A. Vega Jr., MD, FACS, Associate Program Director
Jorge A. Vega Jr., MD, FACS, is an acute care surgeon and Associate Program Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his Doctor of Medicine at the Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences, followed by a General Surgery Residency at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He went on to complete both a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship and an Acute Care Surgery Fellowship at the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine.
Dr. Vega is board-certified in both General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and has extensive clinical experience across trauma, critical care, acute care surgery, and burn management. His academic background includes multiple faculty appointments and prior service as a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program Director.
His research contributions span trauma systems, burn injury epidemiology, and vascular and thoracic trauma, with publications in journals such as Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Journal of Burn Care & Research, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Cureus. He has been a participating investigator in multi-center national trauma studies and has presented his work at national surgical and critical care meetings.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Dr. Vega is an active member of professional organizations including the American College of Surgeons, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the American Burn Association.
Core Faculty
- Tiffany Bee, MD
- Mary Boggs, DO
- Richard Chen, MD, PhD
Teaching Faculty
- Kevin Luftman, MD
- George H. Tyson, MD
- Tommy Tran, MD (Burn)
- Jordan Rahm, MPH (Research)