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Media Releases
MU Physician James T. Cassidy Receives Nation's Highest Award in Rheumatology
Columbia, Mo. (Nov. 7. 2006) James T. Cassidy, MD, pediatric rheumatologist and emeritus professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Michigan, will receive the Presidential Gold Medal from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) during its annual scientific meeting Nov. 10-15 in Washington, DC.
The ACR is the professional organization for rheumatologists who specialize in treating arthritis and related rheumatic diseases, which affect more than 70 million Americans. The Presidential Gold Medal is the highest award the ACR can bestow in recognition of outstanding achievements in rheumatology over an entire career.
Cassidy, Chief of Pediatric Rheumatology at the University for the past 18 years, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians. He was made a Master of the ACR in 1996 and was the recipient of the ACR Distinguished Rheumatologist Award in 2002.
"We could not be more pleased to award our Gold Medal to Dr. James Cassidy, an individual who has been called the 'father' of pediatric rheumatology," says Mary K. Crow, MD, ACR President. "Dr. Cassidy not only defined many of the childhood rheumatic diseases, but also authored the classic and standard textbook in this field. The ACR congratulates Dr. Cassidy on a career that has had a tremendous impact on the lives of children with some of the most debilitating diseases."
As a pioneer in pediatric rheumatology, Cassidy's career spans the full spectrum of the field - clinical practice, teaching, research and administration. "A person of less stamina wouldnÕt have accomplished (this)," says Ross Petty, MD, PhD., Professor of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia, who has known Cassidy for almost 40 years. "This [the Gold Medal] is not for a single accomplishment, but for his vision," says Dr. Petty, "to see farther than most people saw," and "to promote the development of the field, probably unparalleled in the country."
Dr. Cassidy embarked on his career in pediatric rheumatology in 1960. He was a major player in many initial development activities in the field, from establishing the first pediatric rheumatology clinic at the University of Michigan, to validating classification criteria for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, to forming the pediatric section of the ACR; from participating in organizing the first international conference on the rheumatic diseases of childhood, to participating in the founding of the rheumatology sub-board of the American Board of Pediatrics.
In the opinion of Carol B. Lindsley, MD, pediatric rheumatologist and long-time associate of Cassidy, Dr. Cassidy is both "a consummate academician," who has made "huge contributions to the literature of pediatric rheumatology" and "an excellent teacher who has spent innumerable hours giving lectures, and talking to families about arthritis in children and all the practical aspects of it."
Most of all, as many of his colleagues say, Cassidy is "devoted to the patients and their families to a fault." Always modest about his own accomplishments, Cassidy is outspoken when it comes to the welfare of children and their families. He has persistently pushed for early diagnosis of juvenile arthritis and increased access to proper health care, through his participation and leadership in numerous professional organizations, public health programs, and supporting new legislation. He initiated with the State Department of Health, and supported from 1993 to 2003, the Missouri Juvenile Arthritis Case Coordination Program.
Looking back at all the developments that have been made in the field of pediatric rheumatology since he started 46 years ago, Cassidy says he is "absolutely fortunate" to have been there "at the right time." "It's an enormously exciting field. There isn't a day goes by that you wouldn't feel you haven't done something really worthwhile," he says. "There's some sadness in it, as you all know. But most of the time, it's a triumph."
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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