| |
 |
| Jerome H. Modell, M.D. |
Jerome H. Modell, M.D., will present the 2004 Emery
A. Rovenstine Memorial Lecture on Monday, October
24, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the Las Vegas
Hilton during the ASA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas,
Nevada. This eponymous lectureship honors Emery A.
Rovenstine, M.D., the distinguished past Chair of
the Department of Anesthesiology at New York University
Medical Center and Director of Anesthesiology at Bellevue
Hospital, New York, New York. While serving the specialty
of anesthesiology in multiple capacities, including
as a founding member and a president of the American
Board of Anesthesiology, ASA President (1943-44) and
a recipient of the ASA Distinguished Service Award
(1957), Dr. Rovenstine is best remembered as a teacher
and mentor for a generation of anesthesiologists who
became leaders of our specialty.
Dr. Modell graduated from the University of Minnesota
School of Medicine in 1957. He spent the next six
years as a U.S. Naval officer during which time he
completed his residency in anesthesiology at the U.S.
Naval Hospital in St. Albans, New York, where he established
the first formal department of respiratory therapy
and intensive care unit in a U.S. naval hospital.
He then served two years as the Chief of Anesthesiology
at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Pensacola, Florida,
where he had the opportunity to treat his first drowning
victim. This sparked his interest and led to a career
of studying the pathophysiology and treatment of drowning
for the next four decades. While in the Navy, Dr.
Modell was a member of the original medical recovery
team for the NASA space program, Project Mercury.
In 1963 he joined the faculty at the University of
Miami and established the intensive care unit at Jackson
Memorial Hospital and played a major role in the establishment
of the anesthesiology educational program. It was
there that his studies of respiratory failure and
mechanical ventilatory support began as well as his
basic research in drowning and liquid ventilation.
At the World Congress on Drowning in 2002 in Amsterdam,
the Netherlands, he was recognized for his career
of research in drowning and awarded the Medal of Honor
by the Maatschappij tot Redding van Drenkelingen (the
oldest rescue society in the world, having been founded
in 1767).
In 1969 Dr. Modell accepted the position as Professor
and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the
University of Florida, Gainesville, a position he
held for more than 23 years. Under his direction,
the department became recognized as one of the largest
and most prestigious in the nation. Upon retiring
as chair in 1992, he spent the next nine years in
various administrative positions, including Senior
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Executive Associate
Dean and Interim Dean of the College of Medicine and
as Associate Vice-President for Health Affairs.
Dr. Modell has been very active in ASA, having served
on 12 different committees, including Chair of the
Committee on Refresher Courses, Section on Annual
Meeting, Committee on Continuing Education and the
Committee on Governmental Affairs, during which time
he and ASA Director of Governmental and Legal Affairs
Michael Scott inaugurated the ASA Legislative Conference,
an annual event since that time 25 years ago. He has
been active for three decades in anesthesiology-related
political activities and has testified on such issues
before committees of the Florida State Legislature,
both houses of the U.S. Congress, the Federal Trade
Commission and the Justice Department.
In addition to ASA, Dr. Modell has served in leadership
roles in the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists
(FSA), the Society of Academic Anesthesiology Chairs
(SAAC), the Association of University Anesthesiologists
(AUA), the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the
American College of Chest Physicians. He has been
President of FSA, SAAC and AUA. Shortly after his
retirement as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology
at the University of Florida, an endowed professorship
in anesthesiology was established in his name through
contributions of private donors.
Dr. Modell has received many honors, including invitations
to give 10 named lectureships. Dr. Modell is the recipient
of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American
Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists and the
FSA Distinguished Service Award. He was instrumental
in assembling the team of physicians, engineers and
computer scientists who developed and obtained a patent
on the Gainesville Anesthesia Simulator, now known
as the human patient simulator (HPS). This computer-driven
mannequin that can mimic physiologic and pharmacologic
interactions with the human body to provide hands-on
training in physiology, pharmacology, anesthesiology
and critical care medicine without risk to human life.
The HPS is now in use in more than 400 institutions
in the United States and Europe.
After retiring from the University of Florida three
years ago, Dr. Modell was appointed to the position
of Professor Emeritus and volunteers on a regular
basis in administering anesthesia, teaching medical
and veterinary students and anesthesiology residents,
and mentoring faculty in both the colleges of medicine
and veterinary medicine. His long-time interest in
veterinary medicine led to his collaboration with
colleagues at the University of Florida College of
Veterinary Medicine to adapt the human patient simulator
for use in educating veterinarians; such a course
(the first of its kind) is now a part of the curriculum
of the University of Florida College of Veterinary
Medicine. In recognition for his contributions to
veterinary medicine, the University of Florida College
of Veterinary Medicine has appointed him as a Courtesy
Professor of Large Animal Clinical Science.
During the course of his career, Dr. Modell contributed
chapters to more than 70 books and more than 200 refereed
scientific papers, competitive abstracts, invited
papers and editorials. He also has given approximately
250 scientific presentations by invitation or in competition
throughout North America and abroad. He has served
as a reviewer and/or editorial board member for a
variety of scientific journals and taught as a visiting
professor at more than 50 universities and other academic
institutions.
Under his leadership, the University of Florida Department
of Anesthesiology has graduated more than 400 residents
and fellows, many of whom have gone on to become officers
in their state societies; 17 of his residents, fellows
and faculty members have gone on to chair medical
school departments.
Dr. Modell has received numerous recognitions for
his professional accomplishments, including, among
others, the University of Florida Medallion and the
University of Florida President’s Medallion,
both for outstanding service. Perhaps his most significant
honor came in May 2004 when the president of the University
of Florida, in recognition of his career accomplishments
and upon the unanimous recommendation of the University’s
Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees, awarded him
the honorary degree of Doctor of Science.
Throughout his career, Jerome H. Modell, M.D., has
repeatedly demonstrated a keen awareness of the role
of anesthesiology in the world of medicine and generated
remarkable contributions to our specialty. The Emery
A. Rovenstine Memorial Lecture honors the memory of
a great anesthesiologist who made a tremendous impact
in our field and who is known for his dedication,
vision and loyalty to the specialty. This year’s
lecturer has earned the same recognition.
| |
|
Kenneth J. Tuman, M.D., is Professor and Vice-Chair,
Department of Anesthesiology, Rush University
Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. |
|
|
return to top
|