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 Stanford University School of Medicine is the medical school of Stanford University and is located in Stanford, California. It traces its roots to the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific, founded in San Francisco in 1858. This ...

. He was a leader of the resident Well Being in surgery movement and surgical training program leader.

Early life and education

Greco attended

Mount Saint Michael Academy Mount Saint Michael Academy is an all-boys' Roman Catholic high school in the Wakefield neighborhood of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The school's campus also borders the city of Mount Vernon in neighboring Westchester County and is ad ...

(1956 - 1960). In 1964 Greco began the study of medicine at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. During his junior year he decided to pursue surgery and was accepted into the Yale Training Program. He interned in 1968-69 and also was an

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

Fellow. He also served as a surgeon at

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer The Hôpital Albert Schweitzer was established in 1913 by Albert Schweitzer and Helene Bresslau Schweitzer in Lambaréné, Gabon. History Albert Schweitzer opened a hospital in 1913 in Lambaréné in what was then French Equatorial Africa that be ...

in Haiti. This began a lifelong commitment to healthcare in Haiti as well as a passion for

Haitian art Haitian art is a complex tradition, reflecting African roots with strong Indigenous, American and European aesthetic and religious influences. It is an important representation of Haitian culture and history. Many artists cluster in "schools" of ...

. He completed the chief residency at Yale in 1973.

Career

Rutgers Medical School

He joined the faculty at Rutgers (later

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is a medical school of Rutgers University. It is one of the two graduate medical schools of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, together with New Jersey Medical School, and is closely aligned with Ro ...

) 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. 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.

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. From 2001 to 2005, Greco modernized and developed subspecialties in surgical oncology,

colorectal surgery Colorectal surgery is a field in medicine dealing with disorders of the rectum, anus, and colon. The field is also known as proctology, but this term is now used infrequently within medicine and is most often employed to identify practices relati ...

, minimal access surgery and trauma.

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. First he worked with a small number of faculty and residents to create a well being program entitled Balance in Life, which became a model for others. Greco received the 2011 John Gienapp Award for lifetime contributions to GME, the highest honor given by the ACGME.

Sculpture

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

Awards and honors

*Parker J Palmer Courage to Teach Award (2006) *John Gienapp Award (2011) * Shumway Society Lifetime Achievement Award (2016) * Named one of 50 Notable Faculty by

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

* Named one of Notable Alumni by

Yale University School of Medicine The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...

Personal life

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greco, Ralph S. Stanford University faculty Yale University alumni Artists from the Bronx 20th-century American sculptors Fordham University alumni American surgeons United States Army Medical Corps officers 2019 deaths 1942 births 21st-century American sculptors