Beaumont Health creates position to honor deceased doctor’s legacy

Beaumont Health System announced it has created the Harry N. Herkowitz, MD, Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedics as a tribute to the iconic doctor, according to a press release.

Contributions totaling more than $2.2 million were donated by friends, family, former coworkers, patients and students who wanted to honor the achievements of Dr. Herkowitz and Beaumont Orthopaedics.

“If you made a tree of spine surgery, all the branches lead to Harry Herkowitz,” Jeffrey Fischgrund, MD, chairman of the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Beaumont and the first Herkowitz Distinguished Chair appointee, said in the press release.

The Herkowitz family and Beaumont leadership established the Distinguished Chair following Herkowitz’s sudden death from a heart attack on June 7, 2013. Under the management of Fischgrund, funds from the position will allow for the continued expansion of existing research efforts and studies of the use of tissue engineering techniques and synthetic materials to enhance bone growth, according to the press release.

“The personal commitment and outpouring of generosity to establish this chair in Harry’s name has been extraordinary,” Margaret Cooney Casey, president of the Beaumont Foundation, said in the press release. “This display of respect and honor stands as a powerful testament to the role he played in the lives of so many — family, friends, colleagues, residents, fellows and patients alike.”