LOUISVILLE, KY, January 23, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Hiram C. Polk Jr., MD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Polk celebrates many years' experience in his professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
A Ben A. Reid professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Louisville since 2005, Dr. Polk has been recognized for his years of service and tireless dedication in medicine, academia, and other fields. A Harvard Medical School graduate of 1960, he worked in the field as president and chairman of numerous boards for the University of Louisville.
Dr. Polk has delivered more than eighty named lectureships and served as editor in chief of The American Journal of Surgery from 1986 to 2004. Among the most prestigious honors bestowed to him are the dedication of the Surgical Forum (American College of Surgeons) 2009, Ephraim McDowell Physician of the Year, distinguished alumni of Millsaps College, the Jacob Markowitz Award of the Academy for Surgical Research, and has been honored for his leading role in organ donation by Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates. He is also an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh since 1995, as well as The Royal College of Surgeons in England, and honorary fellow of many other professional organizations.
Known for his pioneering research on proper surgical antibiotic use to reduce surgical site infections, burn care, concepts in the treatment of malignant melanoma, surgical oncology, reflux esophagitis treatment, trauma surgery and systems development, as well as many contributions in the development of contemporary surgical training methods and models, Dr. Polk is a board-certified surgeon whose expertise lies in complicated cancers, malignant melanomas, esophageal problems and general surgery. He is a recipient of the UofL Lifetime Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to education. He was similarly recognized by the Surgical Infection Society and the Society of University of Surgeons. Polk has served as Chair of the Residency Review Committee (ACGME), and the Veterans Affairs Merit Review Board. He has served as president for a number of associations, including the American Surgical Association, Society of University Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology, the International Surgical Group, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Kentucky Surgical Society, the Association for Academic Surgery, Louisville Surgical Society, Southeastern Surgical Congress, and the Kentucky Division of the American Cancer Society, among others. Throughout his career, he has mentored fifteen PhD candidates and trained approximately 380 surgeons, many of whom have since become surgery chairs at medical schools across the United States, and all of whom have since become board-certified. While serving as chair, Dr. Polk was behind the initiation of one of the world's first hand-transplant programs and the advances that occurred in the development and first implantation of the Abiocor artificial heart. In 2008, the Department of Surgery named the entire Department after him in honor of his work.
Other than surgery, Dr. Polk chaired the National Foundation for Biomedical Research, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, and oversaw the land conservation trust River Fields, Inc. He is a Director of the Grayson Jockey Club Foundation (veterinary research) and has completed a full term as Steward of The Jockey Club and continues as a founding member of its Thoroughbred Safety Committee.
Dr. Polk has written extensively in his field, including authoring and co-authoring 11 books such as Basic Surgery (5 eds), Contemporary Burn Management, and Trauma: Clinical Care and Pathophysiology, as well as more than 450 papers and articles in peer-reviewed journals and over 150 book chapters. He also served on the editorial boards for several peer-reviewed medical journals. In 2016, Dr. Polk was appointed to serve as the commissioner for the Kentucky Department for Public Health. In his role, he earned the opportunity to begin directing policy and implementing pilot Kentucky programs to address such serious issues as the Zika virus and hepatitis C.
Prior to earning his MD, Dr. Polk completed his undergraduate degree at Millsaps College in 1956. He later completed his surgical training at Barnes Hospital and Washington University and was a fellow at the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine in London, England, and the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France. Born in Jackson, MS, Dr. Polk is married to Susan Galandiuk, MD, and has two children. He has been named in over 35 editions of Who's Who, including Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare, and Who's Who in American Education. Recently, Dr. Polk received a Research Initiative Initiation Award from the National Science Foundation in 2017.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Hiram C. Polk Jr., MD, has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
About Marquis Who's Who :
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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