AAOS presents Dave M. Atkin, MD, FAAOS, with humanitarian award
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons presented Dave M. Atkin, MD, FAAOS, with its 2021 Humanitarian Award, according to a press release.
The award recognized Atkin for his 25 years of humanitarian efforts and dedication to underserved communities and people in need. Atkin’s accomplishments include his work as director of Operation Rainbow, where he led more than 60 surgical missions to Central and South America, Haiti and the Philippines; his primary practice in San Francisco dedicated to serving the “Latinx” and African American communities; and his time spent mentoring local and international students and doctors to promote humanitarian work, according to the release.
“Dr. Atkin’s commitment to grassroots social justice in our San Francisco communities and humanitarian work abroad is extraordinary,” Leonard Gordon, MD, FAAOS, said in the release. “He dedicates each day of his life, at significant personal sacrifice, to lifting up those who are so often forgotten.”
Atkin is also known for the many years he and a small group of other physicians campaigned to save St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco when it was slated for closure. Atkin and his colleagues succeeded when the hospital was rebuilt as California Pacific Medical Center Mission Bernal Campus in 2018 and included a $538 million hospital that serves Southeast San Francisco.
“I have known Dave for many years, and he has remained absolutely consistent in his commitment to humanitarian activities at home and abroad,” AAOS 2016 Humanitarian Award winner Richard A. Gosselin, MD, FAAOS, said in the press release. “I do not know anyone more deserving of this honor.”
Atkin is an active board member in many San Francisco Bay area community youth programs that emphasize mental health, mindfulness and empowerment, including the MeWater Foundation, according to the release.
“I am honored to receive this award,” Atkin said in the release. “I am proud to be a member of the AAOS and to stand by my colleagues as we seek diversity and inclusivity in our ranks and social equity for our patients.”