Throughout his career, Dr. Kaufman has passionately pursued efforts to reduce the effects of surgical trauma on his patients through early adoption of new technologies, advancements in multidisciplinary care, and leadership positions in patient safety and quality initiatives. He was one of the early pioneers of minimally invasive surgery for Crohn’s disease and was the first surgeon on the west coast to perform colon resections laparoscopically through a tiny single incision in the umbilicus (single port or single incision surgery). He has developed multidisciplinary pelvic floor programs on both coasts and has demonstrated how advanced pelvic imaging influences surgical treatment decisions. Dr. Kaufman served as the USC University Hospital Surgeon Champion for the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and was Vice Chairman for Patient Safety and Quality in Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine. He was the first surgeon at Huntington and USC to implement the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist, a tool proven to reduce complications and improve outcomes in surgery.

Dr. Kaufman’s research efforts have paralleled his clinical interests and expertise. He has published over 63 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 16 book chapters and has presented his work at major national and international meetings. He is a scientific advisor to many surgical device corporations. Dr. Kaufman is a member of several national surgical societies and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He leads the Colorectal Research Program at the Huntington Medical Research Institutes, where he directs numerous clinical and translational studies in both benign and malignant diseases.