SALISBURY ó The W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center announced last week the appointment of Dr. Paul A. Lucha Jr. as the new associate chief of staff of surgery service.
Lucha comes to Salisbury from the U.S. Navy, where he served as head of the the general surgery department at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., from August 2007 until his retirement in 2011.
Lucha earned his bachelorís degree in biology/marine biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1981, and he obtained his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine in 1986.
Additionally, he earned his masterís degree in medical education leadership from the University of New England in 2010.
Lucha is board certified in surgery and proctology and is a Fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Surgeons and the American Osteopathic College of Proctology. He has published 24 original manuscripts in 10 different scientific journals.
Lucha is a veteran with a distinguished military service record, which includes designations as a Fleet Marine Force Qualified Officer and a Combined Amphibious Task Force Surgeon. He deployed to Haiti in support of Operation New Horizon, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lucha retired from the U.S. Navy in 2011 at the rank of captain.