Here’s some great news about someone I feel like I’ve known forever. Trust me, you will for certain want to read this if you have children — or grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. — or if you know people who do. (And those of you who know what “NBHS ’69” means, you will especially want to keep reading!)
Kurt Newman: Then and Now
(That previous paragraph sounds way too much like a eulogy! Not what was intended!! Sorry, Kurt.)
Happily Kurt is very much alive, active, and highly accomplished. He has risen to lofty heights of achievement and rank in his chosen field of Pediatric Surgery (see his bio below), and he is the author of an inspiring, very important, and wonderfully readable book titled Healing Children: A Surgeon’s Stories from the Frontiers of Pediatric Medicine.
The book is seasoned with Kurt’s memories, experiences, and many of the children (and their parents) he has encountered over the years. But its purpose is not to be a memoir for its own sake — though with all he has accomplished, he would be more than entitled to write one.
As you will see later when you view the video of Bret Baier’s interview, Kurt is very forthright in asserting that he wrote the book with a much more crusading purpose. Based on knowledge and wisdom he has accrued in his 30+ years of experience as a noted Pediatric Surgeon, he wrote the book to enable parents and guardians to know how best to plan in advance for their children’s health and well being. As such, it is an exceedingly important book, as summarized here:
By exposing the reader to the range of child-specific treatments and services available, Healing Children helps parents to tackle the myriad decisions involved in choosing the best health-care options for their children and to plan ahead. After all, the day your child needs care is not the best day to start looking.
— The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, October 2017
The reviewers have heaped on praise:
- The New York Times: “Newman captures the beautiful collegiality of pediatric medicine and the wisdom of parents and of children themselves. The kids Newman describes are themselves heroic, and they deserve nothing but the best.”
- Author Madeline Levine: “Astounding! An amazing look at the tenacity and courage of kids.”
- Kirkus Reviews: “[Newman] sets forth a convincing argument to place children’s medical requirements and their need to thrive well into adulthood at the forefront of American medicine, and he admits that ‘these kids have been my real teachers.'”
- Washington Independent Review of Books: “This book is a valuable guide for parents, families, and caregivers, as well as for anyone concerned about the future of our kids. Healing Children will also be of great interest to students pursuing a career in medicine.”
- The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: “Healing Children is a deeply moving and inspiring chronicle of a doctor who has dedicated his life to fighting the good fight.”
The hardback edition of Healing Children was published last year, six years after Kurt was named both President and CEO of the renowned Children’s National Health System, headquartered in Washington, DC. And here’s more good news: the paperback edition is scheduled to be released two months from today, July 17 and is now available for pre-order..
Last year, after the book had hit the market, Kurt was invited to be interviewed on Fox News by anchor Bret Baier. It turned out to be an emotional moment for the newsman.
ABOUT HIS BOOK HEALING CHILDREN (13 JUNE 2017) (4:11)
For those who prefer to absorb their reading through their ears, there is an Audio Book version as well, nicely narrated by Kurt himself! Here’s a 5-minute chunk of the opening, just to give you a flavor and to entice you:
READ BY THE AUTHOR (2017) (5:00)
Congratulations on the success of your book, Kurt. We are honored to know you, and are so very proud of your career of life-saving work!
Kurt Newman, MD: Bio
Kurt Newman, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children’s National Health System, is a surgeon and a recognized leader on pediatric health issues, nationally and in Washington, D.C.
Since becoming CEO in 2011, he has fostered a culture committed to advancing care and research by putting patients first and actively championed innovations in research, operations, and clinical care. He has forged creative and productive partnerships with other health systems in the region, with government and community entities and with industry, at the local, national, and global level. He is also a strong advocate for expanding mental health access for kids and has led two national forums on this issue.
Dr. Newman joined Children’s National as a surgical fellow in 1984, becoming the Surgeon-In-Chief and Senior Vice President for the Joseph E. Robert, Jr. Center for Surgical Care in 2003. He was instrumental in developing the vision for the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National, inspired by the audacious goal of making surgery for children minimally invasive and pain free. When the Institute was made possible in 2009 through a transformational $150 Million gift, Dr. Newman served as its Founding Vice President.
Currently Dr. Newman serves as the Chair of the Children’s Hospital Association Leadership Committee on Advocacy and Policy and as a member of the Board of Trustees. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the District of Columbia Hospital Association and a member of the Commonwealth Council on Childhood Success in Virginia. In addition, Dr. Newman serves on the Board of the Economic Club of Washington, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Federal City Council, DC Chamber of Commerce, and Fight for Children. Previously, he served as a Board Member of Commissioners of The Joint Commission, a member of the Board of Governors of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, and as Chair of the Surgery Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Newman is a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Public Health. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his medical education at Duke University. He completed his surgical residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and also served as the Arthur Tracy Cabot Fellow at Harvard Medical School.
FIRST DAY ON THE JOB AS PRESIDENT AND CEO (2011) (5:23)
PHOTO CREDITS: (TOP) PRWEB.COM; (MIDDLE) MEDIUM.COM (BOTTOM) LATIPAC, 1969, P.53
VIDEO CREDIT: (MIDDLE) FOX NEWS; (BOTTOM) CHILDREN’S NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM
AUDIO CREDIT: AMAZON.COM
| ARTICLE © 2018, DR. GROVER B. PROCTOR, JR. — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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