Maggie Westfal, M.D., MPH, Joins the Department of Surgery

The MUSC Department of Surgery is excited to announce that Maggie Westfal, M.D., MPH has joined the Division of Colorectal Surgery as an assistant professor, where her expertise will help enhance the division’s clinical programs. Dr. Westfal is a fellowship-trained colon and rectal surgeon specializing in both benign and malignant diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus. Clinically she specializes in colon, rectal, and anal cancer as well as benign anorectal disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease, and rectal prolapse. She has been trained in all techniques of colon and rectal surgery but is specifically interested in minimally invasive and robotic approaches.

Dr. Westfal earned her medical degree and Master of Public Health degree at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. She remained in Boston for general surgery residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital where she spent three years performing clinical outcomes research and implementing the research skills that she acquired during her public health studies. Her research interests include early onset colorectal cancer, including patients with both hereditary and non-hereditary disease. She completed her fellowship training in colon and rectal surgery at Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Westfal is a member of several surgical societies, including the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Her research has been presented at several national meetings for these and other societies. She led several trainee well-being councils throughout her training and remains passionate about improving the well-being of trainees across all specialties.

Outside of work, Dr. Westfal enjoys spending time with her husband, Douglas Cassidy, M.D., an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Foregut and Metabolic Surgery, and their two children. She was a former two-sport varsity athlete at Yale University and enjoys following both the women’s soccer and ice hockey teams. A life-long east coaster, she enjoys vacationing on the beaches of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, the Hamptons, and the Outer Banks. When time permits, she loves to bake and enjoys making chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip banana bread for friends and family.