John L. Zapas, MD, FACS

At Beebe Healthcare

John Zapas, MD, serves as Surgeon in Chief at Beebe Healthcare. In this role, he oversees all of Beebe’s surgical services and works on the continuous expansion of comprehensive surgical services to meet the needs of a growing and aging population across Sussex County. Management of Beebe’s surgical services team, recruitment of highly-skilled and trained surgical specialists, and sustained focus on quality, safety, program development, patient experience, and patient outcomes are among his core leadership priorities. Additionally, Dr. Zapas remains active in the operating room, devoting a portion of his time to care for patients who require surgery for a diverse range of medical issues. A strong advocate for minimally invasive approaches to surgical care, Dr. Zapas performs nearly 100 percent of his surgical cases with use of the Da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System.

Education, Training, and Credentialing

Dr. Zapas is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His post-graduate training began with a general surgery residency at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, followed by two years of training as a surgical oncology medical staff fellow at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Zapas then returned to MedStar Washington Hospital Center for additional residency training that ultimately included an appointment as Chief Administrative Resident in Surgery. Over the years, Dr. Zapas has achieved numerous certifications in alignment with his clinical focus on surgical care. He is a certified user of the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System and the CyberKnife Robotic Stereotactic System, and is Lean Six Sigma certified. Additionally, Dr. Zapas is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology. He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Association for Academic Surgery, and the Society of University Surgeons.

Earlier Work Experiences

Prior to joining Beebe, Dr. Zapas was the Medical Director of Surgical Specialists, part of Frederick Health Medical Group, located in Maryland. Over time, he was recognized as the busiest and most experienced robotic surgeon in the area. Earlier in his career, Dr. Zapas worked at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, joining the hospital’s Cancer Institute as an attending physician and serving as the Chief of Surgical Oncology for 11 years. 

Personal Notes

Outside of work, Dr. Zapas enjoys playing and listening to stringed music, biking, and hanging out with his dogs. He and his wife Deborah are parents to three grown children – Ellis, Patricia, and Greg.