American College of Surgeons 90th Annual Clinical Congress

NEW ORLEANS—The Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) presented Richard B. Reiling, MD, FACS, of Charlotte, NC, with the College's 2004 Distinguished Service Award yesterday during its Annual Meeting of Fellows at the 90th Annual Clinical Congress. The Board recognized Dr. Reiling with the College's highest honor for his dedicated service to the College, his service on College committees, his contributions to the profession of surgery as a gifted surgeon, and his distinctive service to the surgical community as a distinguished professor. Dr. Reiling was also commended for his active and tireless volunteer spirit as reflected in the countless hours he has spent actively serving surgical organizations in addition to the ACS and in acknowledgement of the positive leadership he has shown throughout his surgical career.

Dr. Reiling currently serves as Medical Director of the Presbyterian Cancer Center in Charlotte, NC, and as an active surgical staff member at Presbyterian Hospital and Presbyterian Matthews Hospital (Charlotte, NC). He is also an emeritus member of the surgical staff at Kettering Medical Center (Dayton, OH), Miami Valley Hospital (Dayton), and Good Samaritan Hospital (Dayton), and on leave of absence from Riverside Methodist Hospital and Grant Hospital (Columbus, OH).

Dr. Reiling graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1967 and then interned at Boston City Hospital's Harvard Surgical Service (1967-1968). He remained at that institution and completed his residency in general surgery (1968-1970; 1971-1973). At the same time he was completing his residency, Dr. Reiling was also an instructor of surgery at Harvard Medical School (1968-1973). In 1970, he completed a fellowship in surgery with the Lahey Clinic Foundation.

After completing his postgraduate training, Dr. Reiling joined the United States Air Force (USAF), serving at the USAF Medical Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH, (1973-1975) where he acted as chief of general surgery (1974-1975) and director of medical education (1974-1975).

Dr. Reiling returned to surgical education after his service in the military: he has held the position of assistant clinical professor of surgery at Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, (1979-1981) as well as associate professor of surgery (1991-2000). Dr. Reiling, currently associate clinical professor of surgery (1982-1990; 2000-present), was an associate director of general surgery residency (1990-2000), and clinical professor of surgery (2000-present) at the university.

As a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons since 1977, Dr. Reiling has made outstanding contributions to and on behalf of the College. He is currently an acting Surveyor (1993-present) and a member (1999-present) of the College's Commission on Cancer; an ACS Delegate to the American Medical Association (1994-present); Chair of the Development Committee (2001-present); former Chair of the College's Board of Governors Committee on Ambulatory Surgical Care (1994-1997); former ACS representative as a member (1993-1997), Vice-Chair (1993-1997), and Chair (1996-1997) of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations' Professional and Technical Advisory Committee/Ambulatory Health Care; former member of the College's Subcommittee on Standards Development (1992-1997); former member of the Board of Governor's Committee on Ambulatory Surgical Care (1992- 1997); and a former ACS Governor-at-Large representing the state of Ohio (1991-1997). Furthermore, Dr. Reiling served as President of the Ohio Chapter (1986-1987), Chair of the Socioeconomic Committee of the ACS Ohio Chapter (which was quite active in state and federal activities), and editor of the Ohio Chapter Newsletter (1988-2003). In his intense involvement with the Ohio Chapter, he served on the Council of the chapter for over twenty-five years. He is still an active member of both the Ohio and North Carolina Chapters of the College.

In addition to Dr. Reiling's involvement with the College, he has also been an active member and leader of numerous organizations within the medical community, including the American College of Physician Executives; American Medical Association; American Society of Clinical Oncologists; American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopists; Breast Surgery International; International Association of Endocrine Surgeons; Soceite Internationale de Chirgurie; Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract; and Society of Surgical Oncology. Furthermore, Dr. Reiling has held key leadership positions in a number of societies, including co-chair of the Association of Community Cancer Centers Guidelines Committee (1999-2001); member of the board of trustees and currently treasurer of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (2000-present); delegate to the Ohio State Medical Association (1994-2000); Commission on Cancer cancer liaison physician (1979-2000) and chief of medical staff (1982) of the Kettering Medical Center; chairman of the editorial committee of OHIO Medicine (1989-1994); and president of the Dayton Surgical Society (1980-1981). Dr. Reiling was also president and founder of the Greater Metropolitan Physicians, Inc., as well as a founding member of the Wright Choice Health Care Plan and the Ohio Surgical Panel, Inc.

In recognition of Dr. Reiling's continued and dedicated service to and on behalf of the College and the surgical community, the Board of Regents is pleased to present Dr. Reiling with the College's highest honor: the 2004 Distinguished Service Award.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 66,000 members and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

News from the 2004 Clinical Congress