A Legacy of Dedication All of the things that make HSS unique — our caring culture, our emphasis on research and our tradition of excellence — can be traced to the influence of Philip D. Wilson, Jr., MD. Dr. Wilson served as the Hospital’s Surgeon-in-Chief from 1972 to 1989 and passed away on June 29, 2016. “He was a world-renowned leader, teacher and surgeon,” says Charles N. Cornell, MD, Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon and Clinical Director of Orthopaedic Surgery. “His mantra was to improve patient care.” Dr. Wilson was appointed to the HSS staff in 1951 and joined his father’s practice. Philip Wilson, Sr., MD, who served as Surgeon-in-Chief from 1935 to 1955, established the Hospital’s first Research Division. Taking a cue from his father, Dr. Wilson sought to strengthen HSS’s research program. One of his most notable accomplishments was to transform HSS into a leading joint replacement center. He introduced total hip replacement to the Hospital in 1967, garnering national news coverage, and expanded the Biomechanics Department. He recruited engineers to collaborate with orthopaedic surgeons on developing custom implants, enabling patients with debilitating arthritis to find relief. Dr. Wilson also introduced new protocols for preventing infections in the operating room, as well as improvements in anesthesia practices. He encouraged young physicians to obtain specialty training before joining HSS, which led to the Hospital’s focus on highly specialized orthopaedic care. And he launched a joint replacement registry of more than 1,200 patients to find out how hip replacement improved patients’ quality of life over a 40-year period. During his tenure as Surgeon-in-Chief, Dr. Wilson became Director of Resident Training. He served as a role model for Residents and Fellows and was considered a surgical mentor and teacher. “When I was a senior resident and trying to decide on a subspecialty, Dr. Wilson called me into his office,” recalls Dr. Cornell. “I had applied for a fellowship in shoulder and elbow replacement, but he wanted me to stay at HSS and fill a needed role in Trauma. He got my career started, and I feel grateful to him.” Later, Dr. Wilson wrote letters of recommendation to
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help Dr. Cornell obtain research grants. He also supported the research of Jo Hannafin, MD, Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon and Director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center. “Even though I wasn’t an arthroplasty surgeon, Dr. Wilson would stop me in the hall and ask about my research,” she recalls. “He referred children and grandchildren of his patients with sports-related injuries to me. He was so gracious.” The caring culture at HSS can, in part, be attributed to Dr. Wilson. “He established it in the way he took care of patients, the way he praised people for doing the right thing and the way he took people to task if they weren’t doing the right thing,” says Dr. Hannafin, who recalls that Dr. Wilson would admonish a Resident or Fellow who was not clean-shaven. Dr. Wilson referred T. Gordon Young, who was President of HSS from 1954 to 1977, to Dr. Hannafin. He told her that in the 1970s, he and Dr. Wilson would make and serve pancakes to staff members when staff had to stay at the Hospital during severe snowstorms. Dr. Wilson’s legacy will not be soon forgotten. Says Dr. Hannafin: “Dr. Wilson knew everyone — the guys painting the hallways, the transport people, the X-ray staff, the faculty — and always made an extra effort to engage people.”