The Wright Stuff: WVU Medicine physicians saluted on Doctors' Day

Happy Doctors’ Day

A message to WVU Medicine-Ruby Memorial Hospital family

Today (March 30) is National Doctors’ Day, a well-deserved time of recognition for a group of people who work tirelessly to change lives.

Our physicians are not only the face of WVU Medicine, but the brains that find solutions and remedies, and the hands that mend, fix and heal. I thank each and every one of them for caring for our patients and for their immeasurable impact on the overall health of the communities we serve.

At WVU Medicine, we are blessed to have some of the most outstanding physicians in the world. Some have built their careers here; some have joined us and flourished, emerging as our future leaders; and some are just beginning their journey with us. We appreciate all of them.

The physicians who have built their careers here are the foundation of WVU Medicine. People like Alvin (Woody) Moss, M.D. (Medicine/Supportive Care), Mark Polak, M.D. (Pediatrics/Neonatal and Newborn Medicine) and Rebecca (Becky) Schmidt, D.O. (Medicine/Nephrology) are veteran providers with thousands of cases under their belt. They care about this place and have helped lay the groundwork for our current and future success.

Building on that foundation are our emerging leaders. George (Kelly) Bal, M.D. (Orthopaedics/Sports Medicine), James Berry, D.O. (Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry), Wissam Gharib, M.D. (Medicine/Cardiology) and Alison Wilson, M.D. (Surgery/Trauma) are among the physicians becoming national leaders in their respective fields.

We also have a strong group of “rising stars,” young physicians, like Kate Sproul, M.D. (Anesthesiology), who are armed with the latest knowledge about their profession and bringing new ideas and enthusiasm to the table. Many, like Christopher Kiefer, M.D. (Emergency Medicine) are West Virginians who have returned home. And some, like Ossama Elsaccar, M.D. (OB/GYN), who is from Egypt, have found a niche and a home here.

We have hundreds of talented physicians providing care at WVU Medicine. The ones I have mentioned are just a sampling of the top-notch providers making a real impact in the institution, state and region.

On Doctors’ Day – and the other 364 days of the year – I’d like to thank our physicians for all they do.