Ralph S. Greco

Ralph Steven Greco (May 25, 1942 – March 31, 2019) was the Johnson and Johnson Distinguished Professor, Emeritus of Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. He was a leader of the resident Well Being in surgery movement and surgical training program leader.

Ralph Steven Greco
Born(1942-05-25)May 25, 1942
Bronx, New York City, U.S.
DiedMarch 31, 2019(2019-03-31) (aged 76)
Stanford, California, U.S.
OccupationProfessor
Academic background
Alma materMount Saint Michael Academy
Fordham University
Yale University School of Medicine
Academic work
InstitutionsStanford University
Websiteralphsgreco.com

Early life and education

Greco attended Mount Saint Michael Academy (1956 - 1960).[1]

In 1964 Greco began the study of medicine at Yale University. During his junior year he decided to pursue surgery and was accepted into the Yale Training Program.[2] He interned in 1968-69 and also was an American Cancer Society Fellow. He also served as a surgeon at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti.[3] This began a lifelong commitment to healthcare in Haiti as well as a passion for Haitian art.[4] He completed the chief residency at Yale in 1973.[5]

Career

Rutgers Medical School

He joined the faculty at Rutgers (later Robert Wood Johnson Medical School) as an Assistant Professor of Surgery in 1975. His clinical practice included general, vascular and pediatric surgery. In 1978 in collaboration with Richard Harvey Ph D, professor of biochemistry, Greco developed the hypothesis that bio-materials could be rendered infection resistant by bonding antibiotics to their surfaces. This research resulted in a grant from the NIH in 1979 as well as multiple patents.[6][7] He was promoted to Associate Professor and in 1983 to Professor of surgery. Thereafter he was appointed Director of the General Surgery Residency Program and Chief of General Surgery.[8]

Stanford University

Greco accepted the offer of Stanford University to become the J & J Chair, Chief of General Surgery and Director of the General Surgery Training Program effective July 1, 2000.[9]

From 2001 to 2005, Greco modernized and developed subspecialties in surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, minimal access surgery and trauma.[10]

Balance in Life

In this time frame Greco began his work on resident well being. This path was determined by one of his chief residents who, 5 months after graduation, committed suicide.[11] First he worked with a small number of faculty and residents to create a well being program entitled Balance in Life,[12] which became a model for others.[13] Greco received the 2011 John Gienapp Award for lifetime contributions to GME, the highest honor given by the ACGME.[14]

Sculpture

In 1987 Greco became interested in sculpture and studied under Lilli Gettinger for 5 years.[15][16] Before moving to Stanford he had five exhibitions in the Northeast.[15][17] Greco donated one of his pieces to Rutgers[18] and donated two sculptures to Stanford in 2018.

Awards and honors

Personal life

Greco married to Irene L. Wapnir, M.D., professor of surgery at Stanford. Together they had 3 children.[22] He died on March 31, 2019 at the age of 76.[23]

References
  1. "President's Letter -- November". Mount Saint Michael Academy. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  2. Agrawal, Anushree (24 January 2017). "Alumni Profile: Dr. Ralph Greco, M.D. '68". Yale Scientific Magazine. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  3. Brandt, Michelle L. "Greco takes a round of Stanford Hospital residents on avolunteer trip to Haiti". Stanford News. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  4. Guerriero, Kate (11 September 2011). "Friends of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti's art sale held at Ellis Armory". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  5. "For 500 alumni and their guests, a return to New Haven". Yale Medicine. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  6. "The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey on June 5, 1984 · Page 5". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  7. Greco, S. Ralph; Harvey, Richard; Trooskin, Z. Stanley (1990). "Antibiotische gebundene prothesen und deren herstellung. Antibiotic bound prostheses and their preparation". Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  8. "The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey on November 21, 1984 · Page 33". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  9. "Ralph S. Greco, MD's Profile". Stanford University. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  10. Altman, Lawrence K. (22 February 2006). "Pataki Operation Is Said to Reflect an Unusual Complication". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  11. "Balance, belonging fostered in new program for residents". Stanford University. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  12. White, Tracie. "Surgical residents play hooky to keep healthy". Stanford.edu. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  13. Oaklander, Mandy. "Doctors on Life Support". Time.com. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  14. "Symposium on Physician Well-Being" (PDF). ACGME. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  15. Selis, Sara (April 30, 2003). "General surgery chief reveals his creative side in campus sculpture exhibit". Stanford University.
  16. Ford, Andrea (2015-03-27). "After work, a Stanford surgeon brings stones to life". Scope Blog - Stanford University. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  17. Mole, Beth. "Faculty art in new exhibition at LKSC". Stanford.edu. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  18. O’Neill, Kate (Summer 2014). "State of the Arts: A Self-Guided Tour of Public Art at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School" (PDF). Robert Wood Johnson Medicine. 14 (2): 17.
  19. "2005–2006 Annual Report" (PDF). Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. 2006. pp. 16–18.
  20. "Press release: Ralph S. Greco, MD, honored with Gienapp Award" (PDF). Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. October 17, 2011.
  21. Penn, Tiffany (August 11, 2016). "Ralph S. Greco, M.D. '68, HS '73, receives lifetime achievement award". Yale School of Medicine, Alumni & Friends in Medicine.
  22. Greco, R. (December 2011). "Teaching Surgery as an Intimate Undertaking and a Personal Responsibility". Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 3 (4): 591–592. doi:10.4300/1949-8357-3.4.591. PMC 3244336. PMID 23205219.
  23. Spector, Rosanne (April 3, 2019). "Ralph Greco, pioneering advocate of work-life balance for surgery trainees, dies at 76". Stanford Medicine. Stanford University. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
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