HSS Physician-in-Chief Mary K. Crow, MD, Receives 2018 Presidential Gold Medal

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Oct 22, 2018, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mary K. Crow, MD, physician-in-chief at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), and chief of Rheumatology at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell Medical Center, received the 2018 Presidential Gold Medal presented by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) during their Annual Meeting in Chicago on October 20, 2018.

Recognizing outstanding career achievements in rheumatology, the Presidential Gold Medal is the highest honor that ACR presents to one individual each year. Winners have made important contributions to clinical medicine, research, education and administration.

Dr. Crow is the second woman as well as the second HSS physician, following physician-in-chief emeritus Charles L. Christian, MD, to receive this distinction.

"It's a tremendous honor to receive this award," said Dr. Crow. "Throughout my career, I have worked to improve the understanding and treatment of autoimmune rheumatic diseases to increase the quality of patient care."

A member of the ACR for 35 years, Dr. Crow is a rheumatologist and physician scientist who investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms of systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Her research efforts have contributed to identification of new targets for therapy, and her work has established the rationale for drug development programs testing new treatments for lupus patients. Specifically, she identified the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction, characterized the role of CD40-CD40 ligand in lupus, and defined the type I interferon pathway as a critical disease mechanism in lupus. Additionally, her characterization of gene expression in patients with lupus nephritis holds promise of designing precision medicine strategies for the disease.

After being appointed physician-in-chief in 2010, Dr. Crow led an initiative to establish a perioperative medicine program at HSS to optimize outcomes of patients with rheumatic disease who undergo orthopedic surgery procedures. HSS perioperative medicine guidelines have since been applied to more than 30,000 surgeries at HSS.

"HSS is a world leader in orthopedics and rheumatology, and physicians across all specialties have the incredible opportunity to collaborate," said Todd J. Albert, MD, surgeon-in-chief at HSS. "By working with Dr. Crow and her team, we are able to transform and personalize care delivery, improve patient care and outcomes, and implement advances in treatment for numerous conditions."

During Dr. Crow's tenure as chief, the Department of Rheumatology at HSS has recruited 12 new adult and pediatric rheumatologists, along with infectious disease and metabolic bone disease specialists, and has established a dedicated team of perioperative medicine internists. The department's physicians evaluate and manage the full spectrum of rheumatic diseases, with more than 40,000 patient visits in 2017.

Dr. Crow is also passionate about mentoring women working in rheumatology. She is devoted to growing the number of women in the field and supporting the development of clinical investigators.

"Her dedication to advancing the careers of the next generation is second to none. She is the iconic role model for women in our field. She has inspired, mentored and paved the way for many women in rheumatology," said Jane E. Salmon, MD, rheumatologist at HSS.

Dr. Crow plays an integral role in creating and expanding centers of excellence at the Hospital, serving as director of the Autoimmunity and Inflammation Research Program and co-director of the Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research. She is also currently the co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Lupus Research Alliance.

She has published 15 book chapters and 154 peer-reviewed articles, and continues to publish in leading rheumatic disease journals including Arthritis & Rheumatism and Lancet.

In 2017, Dr. Crow was named an honorary member of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) based on her service in improving the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal diseases. In past years, she has served as president of the American College of Rheumatology and President of the Henry Kunkel Society and has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international medical conferences.

About HSS l Hospital for Special Surgery
HSS is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the ninth consecutive year) and No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S.News & World Report (2018-2019). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has one of the lowest infection rates in the country and was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. The global standard total knee replacement was developed at HSS in 1969. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State. In 2017 HSS provided care to 135,000 patients and performed more than 32,000 surgical procedures. People from all 50 U.S. states and 80 countries travelled to receive care at HSS. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. The HSS Global Innovation Institute was formed in 2016 to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The culture of innovation is accelerating at HSS as 130 new idea submissions were made to the Global Innovation Institute in 2017 (almost 3x the submissions in 2015). The HSS Education Institute is the world's leading provider of education on the topic of musculoskeletal health, with its online learning platform offering more than 600 courses to more than 21,000 medical professional members worldwide. Through HSS Global Ventures, the institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery