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UTHSC Presents College of Medicine 2006 Outstanding Alumni Awards

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Memphis, Tenn. (September 27, 2006) — Four University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) alumni will receive the 2006 College of Medicine Outstanding Alumni Award.  S. Terrence Canale, MD, Edwin W. Cocke, Jr., MD, Alan S. Gubin, MD, and George W. Hansberry, MD, will be feted at the Alumni Awards Luncheon at noon on Friday, September 29 at the Peabody Hotel. 

            “Because of their outstanding contributions in so many areas, these alumni are exemplars of the Health Science Center mission to excel in education, research, patient care and community service.  We salute Drs. Canale, Cocke, Gubin and Hansberry as role models for our colleagues, as well as our students who are our future physicians,” said Herschel P. (Pat) Wall, MD, interim dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine.

 

S. Terrence Canale, MD

Dr. Terrence Canale has created a legacy of orthopaedic research at UTHSC and has made his mark as a leader and an advocate for education.  Currently chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Harold B. Boyd professor of Orthopaedics at UTHSC, he is a graduate of the 1967 College of Medicine class.

            Well known in the community for his role as team physician for University of Memphis athletic teams, he has also played a vital role in developing the orthopaedic department at UTHSC.  He worked tirelessly to improve research activities in the department, including recruiting Karen Hasty, PhD, and four doctoral-level basic scientists.  A renowned clinical researcher in his own right, Dr. Canale has contributed significantly to orthopaedic literature in both refereed journals and textbooks.  He served as editor for three editions of “Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics,” co-editor of two editions of a pediatric orthopaedic textbook, and contributor to a number of other textbooks.

            Nationally, he is past president of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.  Locally, he has been chief of pediatric orthopaedics at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center, chief-of-staff of the Campbell Clinic and a member of the Regional Medical Center Board of Directors.  

After completing his residency at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa., and service at the U.S. Army Hospital in Fort Hood, Texas, Dr. Canale joined the Campbell Clinic staff in 1974 and practices there still.

 

Edwin W. Cocke, Jr., MD

            A 1943 graduate of the UTHSC College of Medicine, Dr. Edwin W. Cocke, Jr., was one of the first physicians to practice otolaryngology and specialize in surgery of the head and neck.  A founding member of the organization that today is known as the American Head and Neck Society, he served as its president from 1972 to 1973.  The majority of Dr. Cocke’s career was spent at Baptist Memorial Hospital, where he became president of the medical staff in 1972, at the time the largest private hospital in the world.  Since 1973, Dr. Cocke has been a clinical professor at UTHSC, where he taught residents and students at John Gaston Hospital and the West Tennessee Cancer Clinic. 

            A lifetime of achievement has garnered abundant reward and awards for Dr. Cocke.  He is the only person to have received two presidential citations from the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.  Among his many accolades, he also received the “Man of the Year” award from Baptist Memorial Hospital and Outstanding Physician of the Year Award from the Tennessee Medical Association.  In 2003, he was recognized by the Memphis Business Journal’s Health Care Heroes Awards for Lifetime Achievement.  That same year, Dr. Cocke was one of the first five people inducted into the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation Hall of Fame for his distinguished career. 

June 2006 marked the eighth annual Edwin Cocke Symposium, which focuses on otolaryngology research.  Noted for his innovative surgical techniques, Dr. Cocke worked with the late Dr. Ralph Braund and Dr. Jon Robertson, currently the chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, to pioneer several life-saving procedures.

 

Alan S. Gubin, MD

Dedication to charity and community service sets Dr. Alan S. Gubin, UTHSC College of Medicine class of 1953 apart.  Over 30 years ago, he spearheaded a drive to begin the Delta Area Head Start program, which has become the largest rural program of its kind in the country.  Acting as the Head Start medical consultant, he traveled many miles to examine and treat children at Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation centers.

Dr. Gubin played a pivotal role in founding the Pemiscot County Youth Home in Caruthersville, Mo., which is funded solely through donations.  As a member of the Pemiscot Welfare Advisory Committee, part of the Division of Family Services, he gave SAFE exams to children who were suspected of having been sexually or physically abused.  While serving on the Caruthersville Recreation Board, he played a significant role in developing a recreational facility for the community, and he gave free medical exams to high school athletes.  Dr. Gubin also served on the Caruthersville School Board of Education for 18 years.

Even with so much valuable time given to community service, Dr. Gubin has been a full-time pediatrician and family practice physician from 1957 to today.  After completing his internship at the Medical College of Virginia, he completed a pediatric residency at the John Gaston Hospital in Memphis and a second pediatric residency at St. Joseph Hospital in 1957, before assuming his current position.

 

 

George W. Hansberry, MD

            Community service and volunteer efforts have been the hallmark of Dr. George Hansberry’s career.  A 1964 UTHSC graduate, he entered private practice in Decatur, Ala., and has been serving that community since 1965 in top leadership roles.  The Morgan County Economic Development Association, Calhoun Community College Foundation, Hospice of the Valley, and City of Decatur Business Incubator all felt his impact.  Dr. Hansberry was also an active fundraiser for the Morgan County Heart Association, the Boy Scouts of America, the Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Princess Theatre Community Advisory Board, and the Decatur Schools Foundation.

            Professionally he has been involved with several medical societies and has received recognition awards from the American Academy of General Practice, the American Academy of Family Practice and the American Medical Association throughout his 40-year career.

            The UTHSC Outstanding Alumni Award caps a multitude of earlier awards including the National Conference of Community Justice Brotherhood Award, the National Council for Resource Development Benefactor of the Year, the Kiwanis Golden Trowel Award, and the Freedom Award for Outstanding Contributions to the City of Decatur.  He was also named a Decatur General Hospital Foundation Gala Honoree, an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Decatur, and a Paul Harris Fellow. 

            Prior to his retirement from private practice in 2005, Dr. Hansberry also practiced at Baugh-Wiley-Smith Hospital, the Decatur Clinic, and was Chief of Staff at Decatur General Hospital.  He is currently a member of the UTHSC College of Medicine Alumni Council.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is focused on a four-tier mission of education, research, patient care and community service, all in support of a single goal: to improve the health of Tennesseans.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main campus, which includes six colleges, is located in Memphis.  UTHSC has additional College of Medicine campus locations in Knoxville and Chattanooga.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

 

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