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Willis D. Gatch Award (General Surgery)
Willis D. Gatch, MD - 1877-1962
Willis D. Gatch was born in 1877 and grew up in the Southeastern Indiana community of Aurora. He attended college at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he graduated with honors, being elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He attended medical.school at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,Maryland, and stayed on to complete his residency.He was a student of Dr. William Halstead, an extremely important member of the surgical community during the era.
The Indiana University School of Medicine, which had been formed of several smaller schools, was officially formed in the early 1900's. and Dr. Gatch was recruited as Professor of Surgery in 1912. He became the second chair of the Department of Surgery in 1922, and remained Professor of Surgery until his retirement in 1947.He became Dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1932, and remained in that post until retirement.
Dr. Gatch's contributions to surgery, the School of Medicine, and the various National Surgical Organizations, are legion.He was a founding member of the American Board of Surgery, a member of the American Surgical Association, Central Surgical Association, the Western and Central Surgical Associations as well as the Southern Surgical Association. His research contributions, particularly those in the day to day practice of Clinical Surgery, are extremely important.He was instrumental in the development of safe nitrous oxide anesthesia.While a resident at the Johns Hopkins, he developed the features of a surgical bed allowing the legs to be elevated and folded, and this device still bears his name today.
Following his retirement from the University in 1947, he entered private practice in Indianapolis, and remained active in clinical surgery and research. He pursued studies of shock, and other topics in his private surgical laboratory.
Information from Indiana State Medical Association, edited by R. P. Inlow, M.D.
Dr. Gatch's contributions to surgery, the School of Medicine, and the various National Surgical Organizations, are legion.He was a founding member of the American Board of Surgery, a member of the American Surgical Association, Central Surgical Association, the Western and Central Surgical Associations as well as the Southern Surgical Association. His research contributions, particularly those in the day to day practice of Clinical Surgery, are extremely important.He was instrumental in the development of safe nitrous oxide anesthesia.While a resident at the Johns Hopkins, he developed the features of a surgical bed allowing the legs to be elevated and folded, and this device still bears his name today.
Following his retirement from the University in 1947, he entered private practice in Indianapolis, and remained active in clinical surgery and research. He pursued studies of shock, and other topics in his private surgical laboratory.
Information from Indiana State Medical Association, edited by R. P. Inlow, M.D.
Award Winners
1993 Michael J. Dorenbusch, M.D.1994 Neil A. Grieshop, M.D.1995 Michael J. Dorenbusch, M.D. (tie)1995 Howard G. Smith, M.D. (tie)1996 Mustafa Kabeer, M.D.1997 Mustafa Kabeer, M.D.1998 Glen Carlos, M.D.1999 Charles Hyre, M. D.2000 Robert A. Campbell, M. D.2001 Robert Campbell, M.D.2002 Rodney Kratz, M.D.2003 Chad Wiesenauer, M.D.2004 Carol Palochko, M.D.2005 Carol Sheridan, M.D.2006 Matt Hennig, M.D.2007 Abhishek Mathur, MD2008 Terence Wade, M.D.2009 Hayder Al-azzawi, MD2010 Paul Crisostomo, MD2011 Christy Cauley, MD2012 Joshua Waters, MD2013 Janak Parikh, MD2014 Adam Ramey, MD2015 Joal Beane, MD2016 Annabelle R. Butler, MD