A career dedicated to trauma care

A profile of Edward Pyun, MD, Good Samaritan Chief of Staff and Trauma Medical Director

Dr. Pyun is a seasoned professional with more than 20 years’ experience in…

(Hang on. Before we get to all that, did he tell you about the trip he just took? It’s a mike drop. The Pyuns went to Korea and Japan to visit family and see the sights. Check out the photos below. The first set is from Korea; the second from Japan.)

Photo #1: The Iron Horse in Imjingak Park. It’s train at the DMZ that once carried travelers (and coal) between Busan and Sinuiji until the war carved a line between north and south, leaving these two cities on opposite sides. The park was built as an act of hope that the country might again unify.

Photo #2: Turtle Ship replica at the War Memorial of Korea. The memorial honors the UN and all countries that have come to the defense of South Korea. The Turtle Ship was used during wars with Japan in the 1500s.

Photo #3: The Sukjeongmun Gate, aka, the North Gate. It allowed access through the wall that once enclosed the capital city of Seoul. The name Sukjeongmun means, “Rule Solemnly Gate.”

Photo #4: The Starfield Library in Seoul, within a shopping mall and, to this editor, giving off Harry Potter vibes.

Photo #1: Senso-Ji Temple in Tokyo

Photo #2: Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine in Kyoto

Photo #3: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto

(Pretty sensational, right? Anyway…)

…general surgery and trauma care. Throughout his career, he has served as a trauma medical director for 14 years and an ICU director for 16. He joined Good Samaritan in 2018 and in January of this year took on the role of chief of staff at Good Samaritan, a position he will hold through 2026.

Dual roles

As the Trauma medical director, Pyun stays in touch with the trauma staff to ensure the highest-quality patient care. He checks in with trauma surgeons and assists with any issues, supporting overall process improvement. As chief of staff, he is responsible for providing leadership and guidance to the medical staff house-wide and promoting effective communication and collaboration between the medical staff and administrative teams. All of it with the goal of achieving the best outcomes for patients.

“When I was in private practice, I believed that ‘you’re not smarter or better than another person.’ That’s the heart of collaboration. You get another brain thinking about an issue, a problem, a roadblock and, ultimately, it’s better for patient care. There’s not only one right answer.”

Passion and pride

With love for the job, Pyun especially appreciates the opportunity to move around throughout his day and interact with people rather than sitting in an office. He is proud of his role in improving patient care and the close-knit community he helps build at Good Samaritan.

Innovations and best practices

Pyun is involved in implementing innovative practices at the hospital, including the use of ultrasound ‘skin’ provided by the Foundation for trauma care. He performs surgeries at least one day a week and sees patients in the clinic each week.

Kindness and caring

It’s important to our chief of staff to care about everyone at the hospital, regardless of their role. He believes in showing kindness and caring, inspired by his faith. In fact, he surprises people with his kindness, often being told he's too nice to be a surgeon. He likes to get to know his patients before surgery, helping to build their trust.

“Overall, I care about everybody. I care about how they are getting through life. It doesn’t matter who they are. Showing kindness and caring – we don’t do it often enough. Out of all the complexities it is most important to show kindness and caring.”

Avoiding burnout

Burnout is a known challenge among physicians. Pyun takes care of himself by carving out time for the treadmill and using relaxation techniques, like massage or listening to music. He advises newer physicians to find a balance between work and personal life, emphasizing that there's more to life than work.

State trauma involvement

Outside of his dual roles at Good Samaritan, Pyun is actively involved in Colorado state trauma initiatives. He serves on the State Emergency Management and Trauma Advisory Council, an appointed position that he has held for the past five years. This council, appointed by Governor Polis, reviews EMS activities. He also is part of the state’s Designation Review Committee, which discusses Level III and IV trauma centers in smaller community hospitals, and he reviews sites for the CDPHE and helps the agency review community grants.

Teaching and conferences

Pyun is a course director and instructor for the Advanced Trauma Life Support course, driven by the American College of Surgeons. Hosted at Good Samaritan three times a year, we’re the first hospital in Intermountain Peaks Front Range to lead such a program. He also will help lead and present at the Front Range Good Samaritan Trauma Conference in September. Pyun’s scheduled presentation is Golden Years, Golden Care: Managing Trauma in the Elderly.

Personal life

Pyun is married with two adult sons. One of his sons is heading to CU Boulder this fall to study mechanical engineering, while the other is moving out of state. His parents emigrated from Korea, and he had a twin brother who sadly passed away. Family is important to him and, recently, he and his family returned from Korea and Japan where they visited relatives. (You might have seen pictures.) Outside of work, Pyun disconnects from work by building Lego sets, particularly Technic or Star Wars sets.

Medical staff members can reach out to Pyun about trauma care at Good Samaritan, hospital-wide care and safety initiatives, traveling to Korea and Japan and, apparently, Lego sets, via email at edwardpyunjr@imail.org.