Colon and Rectal Fellowship Receives ACGME Accreditation

May 4, 2026

Stanford’s new Colon and Rectal Fellowship has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) effective April 24, 2026. 

Fellowship Program Director Dr. John Gahagan says Stanford chose to launch the fellowship in response to increased need both in the Bay Area and nationally.

"Colorectal surgery is a rapidly growing field, and there continues to be a growing national need for specialty-trained colorectal surgeons,” said Gahagan. “There was a need for additional training programs, particularly on the West Coast to meet this need.” 

Of the approximately 70 ACGME-accredited colorectal fellowship programs nationally, there were only six programs on the West Coast, none of which were located in Northern California.  

In the last 10 years, the Stanford colorectal surgery volume has nearly doubled. Also in that time, the section has expanded its clinical practice to several new locations, including clinics in Redwood City, Emeryville, and South Bay, outpatient surgery at Stanford Emeryville, as well as an inpatient colorectal surgery service at Stanford Tri-Valley in Pleasanton.

“We aspire to be the preeminent colorectal surgery training program on the West Coast and train the next leaders in colorectal surgery,” said Gahagan.

Stanford will welcome its first fellow, Dr. Joe Keller, this summer.

Media Contact

Rachel Baker
Rachel Baker
Director of Communications
(650) 723-2301
rebaker@stanford.edu

Bio

As the Director of Communications for Stanford Surgery, Rachel Baker tells the stories of her department's faculty, staff, and trainees. With the help of an amazing team of content creators, she produces and curates original articles, photos, videos, graphics, and podcasts. She works with each division, center, program, and lab within her purview to define their audience and reach their goals while maintaining a consistent brand voice. She also offers both 1:1 and group education on a variety of topics including media training, using social media to advantage, and presentation refinement. Rachel holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism with a focus on photography from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Maryland.

About Stanford Surgery

The Stanford University Department of Surgery is dedicated to inventing the future of surgical care through:

• pioneering cutting-edge research, 
• developing the next generation of leaders, and 
• healing through incomparable surgical skills and compassion. 

To learn more, please visit surgery.stanford.edu

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