Four Fellows Are Elected to Prestigious National Academy of Medicine

On October 20, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced the election of its newest cohort of members, which included four ACS Fellows.

Election to NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. NAM summarized the achievements of the newly elected members:

Gail E. Besner, MD, FACS, a pediatric surgeon, director of the Division of Pediatric Surgery, and H. William Clatworthy Jr. Professor of Surgery at Ohio State University in Columbus, was recognized “for being an internationally renowned expert on novel therapeutics to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis since her seminal discovery of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor. Her pioneering research on administering probiotics in their biofilm state to protect the intestines and brain has progressed to a recently completed first-in-human FDA-approved Phase 1 clinical trial.”

Andrea Hayes Dixon, MD, PhD, FACS, a pediatric surgeon, dean, and senior vice president of health affairs at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC, as well as ACS Regent, was recognized “for pioneering cytoreductive therapy for rare pediatric cancers, increasing survival rates from 30% to 70%. As the first African American woman pediatric surgeon in the US and the first female dean of Howard University College of Medicine, she is inspiring and training the next generation of physicians from underrepresented backgrounds.”

Margaret “Gretchen” Schwarze, MD, MPP, FACS, a vascular surgeon and Morgridge Endowed Professor of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery and Department of Medical History and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, was recognized “for her pioneering work that has transformed how surgeons communicate with patients about major treatment decisions and informed consent for surgery. Her innovative empirical bioethics scholarship and internationally recognized groundbreaking framework, the Best Case/Worst Case tool, have also been applied in the disciplines of geriatrics, oncology, palliative, and critical care medicine.”

Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, a general surgeon and ACS Executive Director and CEO, was recognized “For her visionary leadership at the American College of Surgeons that coalesced all surgical specialties into the ‘House of Surgery,’ creating a forceful, influential voice promoting evidence-based care. Her tireless efforts enable surgeons ‘to heal all patients with skill and trust.’”