Rick Hodes: Difference between revisions

'''Richard Michael Hodes''' (born May 30, 1953) is an American medical doctorphysician specializing in [[cancer]], heart disease, and spinal conditions. Since the 1980s he has worked in [[Ethiopia]] and has adopted a number of children from the country.<ref name="npr" >{{cite web|title=Humpbacked Children Have a Hero in Ethiopia|publisher=National Public Radio|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130610321}}</ref><ref name="rd" /> He is medical director of the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee]]. He is the consultant at a Catholic mission working with sick destitutes suffering from heart disease (rheumatic and congenital), spine disease (TB and [[scoliosis]]), and cancer. He has worked with refugees in [[Rwanda]], [[Zaire]], [[Tanzania]], [[Somalia]], and [[Albania]] and was previously responsible for the health of Ethiiopians immigrating to Israel.

Hodes graduated from [[Middlebury College]] in [[Middlebury, Vermont]] and the [[University of Rochester Medical Center|University of Rochester Medical School]] in [[Rochester, New York]], and trained in internal medicine at [[Johns Hopkins University]] in [[Baltimore]].<ref name="rd" >{{cite web|title=Dr. Rick Hodes Helps the Children of Ethiopia|url=http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/dr-rick-hodes-helps-the-children-of-ethiopia/article104652.html|publisher=Reader's Digest}}</ref> He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He first went to [[Ethiopia]] as a relief worker during the 1984 famine. He returned to EthipiaEthiopia on a [[Fulbright Fellowship]] to teach internal medicine.

In 1990, Hodes was hired by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a humanitarian group, as the medical advisor for the country. His original position was to care for 25,000 potential immigrants to Israel. In 1991, he was an active contributor during [[Operation Solomon]], helping the Ethiopian Jews airlifted to [[Israel]].

In 20012002, Hodes adopted two Ethiopian children, so they could receive treatment in the USU.S. for spinal [[tuberculosis]] ([[Pott's disease]]).<ref name="rd" /> He has adopted a total of five children with medical needs from the country.

He opened the JDC Spinal Deformity Clinic in 2006, based at Mother Teresa's Mission. That year, he gottreated 20 new spine patients, and they didperformed 11eleven surgeries in [[Accra]], Ghana. At present, they get around 500 new deformity patients/ a year. It has been said that he now has the largest collection of the worst spine deformities in the world.

In 2007, Hodes was selected as a "[[CNN Hero]]," a program that highlights ordinary people for their extraordinary achievements.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/dr-rick-hodes-helps-the-children-of-ethiopia/article104652.html |title=Dr. Rick Hodes Helps the Children of Ethiopia {{!}} Heroes {{!}} Reader's Digest |website=www.rd.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081110122446/http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/dr-rick-hodes-helps-the-children-of-ethiopia/article104652.html |archive-date=2008-11-10}}</ref>

The [[American College of Physicians]] has awarded him "Mastership," and the Rosenthal Award for creative practice of medicine. Hodes' work in [[Ethiopia]] was the subject of an HBO documentary, ''Making the Crooked Straight'', and a [[Marilyn Berger]] book, ''This Is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes''.<ref name="npr" /><ref>{{cite book|title=This Is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes|url=http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061759543/This_Is_a_Soul/index.aspx?AA=index_authorIntro_35327}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Making the Crooked Straight|url=http://www.makingthecrookedstraight.org/}}</ref>

[[Category:21st-century1953 American physiciansbirths]]