Members in the News

May 21, 2018|ACS Surgery News

Rajiv Datta, MD, FACS, FRCS, chief of surgery, South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside, NY, recently received South Nassau’s 2017 Mary Pearson Award. The award is presented annually to an individual for extraordinary effort and individual contributions that advance the hospital’s mission to provide compassionate care and standard-setting health care services.

Dr. Datta, also medical director, Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center, Valley Stream, NY, and director, division of surgical oncology and head and neck surgery, joined South Nassau in 2001 and has since gained an international reputation for leadership and surgical innovation. His leadership allowed Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center to be equipped with cutting-edge cancer treatment technology, and colleagues and patients recognize Dr. Datta for his surgical skill and compassionate demeanor.

Dr. Datta (far right) with South Nassau representatives (from left) Richard J. Murphy, president and chief executive officer; Lori Edelman, RN, director of patient care services and 2017 Cupola Award recipient; and Joe Fennessy, chair, board of directors

American College of Surgeons Regent Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, FRCS, FAAP, in March was named the new dean of University of Miami, FL, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Ford will start in his new position June 1. At press time, he was vice-president and surgeon-in-chief, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, CA; and professor of surgery and vice-dean for medical education, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California.

A Haitian immigrant who moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 13 years old, Dr. Ford was drawn to the Miller School of Medicine position because of the University of Miami’s dedication to providing medical resources to Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Dr. Ford regularly visits Haiti to assist in procedures and train surgeons. He performed Haiti’s first separation of conjoined twins in 2015.

In his upcoming role, Dr. Ford aims to make the University of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine a primary location for those seeking the latest and best in health care and biomedical research.

Frederick L. Greene, MD, FACS, clinical professor of surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, was awarded the Southeastern Surgical Congress (SESC) Distinguished Service Award in February. The award is the SESC’s highest honor, awarded to a member for their continued contributions, commitment, and service to the Congress.

Dr. Greene was a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, serving as surgeon on the USS Nimitz and at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. He worked on the surgical faculty at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, for 17 years, and then Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, for 15 years. Dr. Greene has authored peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and textbooks, and participated on several editorial boards.