Accepting new patients

Howard K. Song, M.D., Ph.D.

Accepting new patients

  • Professor of Surgery
  • Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine

Expertise

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Surgery

Special focus

  • Aortic Surgery
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Heart Surgery
  • Heart Transplant
  • Heart Valve
  • Surgery

Locations and contact

I see patients at

About me

Dr. Howard Song is a professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Dr. Song performs surgery for patients with all types of adult cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, heart failure and aortic aneurysms. He has special expertise in aortic and mitral valve repair and replacement, including minimally invasive and transcatheter approaches, as well as more complex procedures such as heart transplantation.

He is a strong patient advocate and believes in spending ample time with patients and their families to discuss the patient’s cardiovascular condition. He explains treatment options to help patients and families make the best choice for each patient.

He also does both clinical and basic science research on cardiovascular disease. His research focuses on biomedical and tissue engineering, genetically triggered thoracic aortic aneurysms and patient outcomes following cardiovascular surgery.

Dr. Song earned his M.D. at Stanford University. He completed a residency in surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University in Atlanta. He also earned a Ph.D. in immunology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Languages spoken

  • English

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.S., 1989, Yale University
    • M.D., 1994, Stanford University School of Medicine
    • Ph.D., 2001, University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Graduate Studies

  • Residency

    • General Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2001

  • Fellowship

    • Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory University Affiliated Hospitals, Atlanta, GA, 2004

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Thoracic Surgery, 2005; recertified 2015
    • American Board of Surgery, 2002; recertified 2013

Memberships and associations:

  • American Association of Thoracic Surgery
  • Society of Thoracic Surgeons
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Insurance

Before scheduling your appointment, we recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any copayments, co–insurance, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with OHSU providers, your out of pocket liability may be higher. Visit the billing and insurance section of our site for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.9 out of 5 (174 Ratings, 72 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized NRC patient surveys.

  1. Yes, my, the provider was very good, very helpful, and I would recommend him to my family, no problem.

  2. Very professional & very pleased with service.

  3. Very long wait for short interaction

  4. As in past meetings with Dr. Howard Song, he was thorough, informative, straightforward, and amiable in addressing all issues and questions that I and my wife raised during our visit.

  5. Dr. Song was kind and considerate of the dilemma I faced. His feedback was factual but passionate. I'm not over this bridge yet, but my hope is rising.

  6. Personable, professional, Direct. Compassionate and caring.

  7. Yes i met with Dr. Song. I was very impressed. He is going to be handling my case and I know he's going to do an excellent job and it will be successful. Thank you

  8. I was extremely pleased with my visit, as were my husband and daughter who joined me for the appointment. We thought our questions were answered and a very good explanation of my upcoming procedure was provided.

  9. Dr Song was very friendly and relaxed. He even took the time to fill out a form for my travel insurance. Answered all my questions and put me at ease.

  10. Very knowledgeable, compassionate, able to discuss complex issues with the family in easily understood language, and projects himself as being an involved member of a terrific team.

  11. Yeah, I was impressed with them. They were very honest and answer any questions you may have, which I like. And then they gave me that folder, which really explains everything in detail. You know, you sit out and read it over and want to read it twice or whatever, but it's very helpful, so you really know what's going to be done. So I like that. So what do I do now? Press one or two or what?

  12. Howard Song was very friendly and patient. He did not rush and allowed me to ask all the questions I had.

  13. Very kind and knowledgeable, very informative, excellent bedside manner. very pleased with his confidence in the procedure I will have.

  14. Dr Song was very pleasant and very comprehensive and careful in his diagnostic communication.

  15. Good. On time with appointments. Dr explained in a lot of detail. Answered questions in normal english

  16. Very positive experience

  17. Very professional. Reassuring and confident.

  18. I don't know what to say. I had to wait one hour and 15 minutes in the waiting room for the doctor. That wasn't too good.

  19. Dr. Song listens carefully, explains clearly, and addresses all my questions very patiently and completely.

  20. Very informative, took all the time i needed to answer questions, very friendly, very helpful.

  21. Made me feel relaxed and provided answers to all questions in a very professional manner. Had a pleasant interaction with all staff members from the time I walked into the clinic office

  22. We had to wait I think an hour and a half for our appointment and I can understand the cardiology, there's probably emergencies. So anyway, that was the only problem that we had. So thank you.

  23. The provider spent time with me and answered all the questions and concerns I had.

  24. Dr. Song made me feel comfortable. Did not feel rushed. I have surgery scheduled for April and I feel I'm in good hands.

  25. Very clear in his descriptions, a great listener and answered all of our questions.

  26. good explanation of my condition and procedure options.

  27. Dr Song delivered concerning information calmly and clearly.

  28. The people are there to see that your questions are answered and to see that the problem is addressed and fixed if possible.

  29. Very informative meeting with Dr. Howard Song regarding an issue of serious heart surgery. Dr. Song was knowledgeable, patient, and engaged during our lengthy conversation, helping lead my wife and I to a decision about proceeding with treatment.

  30. Dr Song has such a natural and approachable style. He's calm while being very open and transparent about the tough reality of my condition. I really appreciate his direct yet compassionate delivery. I appreciated that he spoke to both me and my partner. He acknowledged the importance of her support in that she not coddle me once I get home - no breakfast in bed! Darn!I feel that I am in good hands. He has just the right balance of being energetic yet moving with focused precision - just what you want in a surgeon!After my appointment with Dr. Song I feel I am ready to go forward with this critical life-changing surgery.He will give me my quality of life back once he repairs my mitral valve. With his good work I will be able to start my retirement life with wide-open possibilities!

  31. Dr Song is an excellent listener and communicator. I appreciate his candor and compassion.

  32. A very positive meeting.

  33. Dr. Song was very informative and knows. He took the time to answer every question that I had. He made me feel comfortable and confident in my decision in his ability to preform my open heart surgery successfully.

  34. He explained my options Allowed my adult dtrs to ask questions and they liked that he made eye contact when he spoke to them!

  35. Our experience was very good. He answered all our questions and concerns. Professional, caring, knowledgeable, friendly. Highly recommend him.

  36. Yeah, my experience coming to the doctor has been wonderful. They explain everything to me. They take tests and check you out and find out things wrong with you that you didn't know. So my experience has been very, very good. And I would recommend to come near anytime.

  37. So fast and efficient as usual.