Contact: Richard P. Gulla
781-434-7101
rgulla@mms.org
Waltham, Mass. -- March 7 -- Deeb N. Salem, M.D., Physician-in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center, has been honored by the Massachusetts Medical Society as the 2016 recipient of the Society’s Special Award for Excellence in Medical Service. The award honors a physician who has made a distinguished demonstration of compassion and dedication to the medical needs of his or her patients and the general public. He will receive the honor, one of the most prestigious presented by the organization to one of its members, at the Society’s annual meeting in Boston on May 5.
In nominating him for the award, his colleagues cited Dr. Salem’s distinguished medical career over four decades as a cardiologist and his services to the medical society reaching nearly 20 years.
Dr. Salem has guided generations of medical students and residents as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and has contributed his knowledge as an author of articles to more than 170 medical publications as a recognized expert in coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. He has served the medical society as a member of its Committee on Publications for 13 years, including three as Vice Chair, has chaired the Committee on Sponsored Programs since 2010, and has been a member of the Task Force on Maintenance of Licensure.
A graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Salem joined Tufts-New England Medical Center in 1972 (now Tufts Medical Center) as a Clinical Fellow in Cardiology, following his three years of service in the U. S. Public Health Service. Over the years, he has held a number of leadership positions at the Center, including Chief Medical Officer and Interim President. He was named Physician in Chief and Sheldon M. Wolff Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine in 1999.
In addition to his patient care, academic, and professional activities, Dr. Salem is a member of the Executive Board of the Board of Trustees, Strategic Planning Committee, Governance Committee and the Quality of Care Committee at Tufts Medical Center and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Hospital Association. He is the Founding President of the New England Affiliate of the American Heart Association, a board member of the Asian American Civic Association, the Wang Chinatown YMCA, and the New England Quality Care Alliance.
Dr. Salem also serves as a manuscript reviewer for a number of medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and Circulation.
His award from the state medical society is the latest of many accorded to Dr. Salem. Among his honors are the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Boston University School of Medicine, the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Tufts University School of Medicine, and the Paul Dudley White Award and Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Heart Association.
He is a member of the national medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American College of Physicians, and the American College of Chest Physicians. He is a three-time honoree of the Compassionate Caregiver Award from the Schwartz Center and has been named multiple times as one of the ‘best doctors’ by Boston Magazine.
The Massachusetts Medical Society, with some 25,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society, under the auspices of NEJM Group, publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters covering 13 specialties. The Society is also a leader in continuing medical education providing accredited and certified activities across the globe for physicians and other health care professionals. Founded in 1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country. For more information please visit www.massmed.org, www.nejm.org, or www.jwatch.org.
