Illinois Medicine

in memoriam FACULTY James C. Alex, MD, FACS, died May 29, 2012. A facial plastic and reconstructive surgery fellow at the College of Medicine in Chicago, Alex was a reconstructive surgeon and pioneer in cancer treatment. The technique of sentinel node radiolocalization for melanoma, breast cancer and other cancers that he developed as a resident is currently the worldwide standard of care for the evaluation and treatment of these and other cancers. Alex attended Dartmouth for both his undergraduate and medical degrees; he completed his internship in general surgery at Syracuse University and a second year of general surgery and a five-year residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of Vermont. After completing his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, Alex was selected as a fellow at the College of Medicine in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery; he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society, honoring those in the top 10 percent of the class. Alex served as director of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at Yale University and later as director of facial plastic and cosmetic surgery at the Lahey Clinic as well as co-chair of the Lahey Cosmetic Institute. In 2009, Alex opened his own private practice, the Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery, in Weston, Mass. A major in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, he served in the Medical Corps from 1993-2006. As an active member of the Greek Orthodox community, he served as a board member of the New England Hellenic Medical and Dental Society, and a trustee of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Seminary. Ahmed Rasheed, MD, Res '72, of Freeport, Ill., died on March 9, 2012. Rasheed served as a dermatologist at 40 | Spr i n g 2 013 William Meltzer '55, MD '57, Res '62, of Highland Park, Ill., died in November 2012. A dedicated surgeon and leader in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine, Meltzer was a very early pioneer in total hip replacements. "Bill was the second person in the United States to perform hip replacements," said Michael Lewis, a Chicago-area orthopaedic surgeon who shared a practice with Meltzer for 37 years. "He performed the operation in half the time that it took other surgeons and with better results." Meltzer also treated a group of high-profile athletes: In the 1990s, after operating on a high-level Chicago Bulls executive, he was asked to join a team of medical consultants employed by the franchise, working on consultations for some of the Bulls' biggest stars during the six NBA title runs of that decade. After the Chicago native completed his studies at the College of Medicine, he did an internship at Cook County Hospital, a residency in orthopaedic surgery at University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago and a fellowship in orthopaedic rehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Downey, Calif. After finishing his fellowship, Meltzer enlisted in the Army and served at a military base near Boston for two years, treating wounded soldiers, then returned to the Chicago area to open a practice in Skokie, Ill. He joined the staff at Skokie Valley Hospital, where he performed his first hip replacement surgery, and later was on staff at Illinois Masonic Hospital and Rush North Shore Medical Center. In the mid-1960s, he moved his office to Wilmette, Ill., and later he expanded his practice to include sports medicine. Meltzer also served on the faculty at the College of Medicine for many years. Meltzer is survived by his wife of 57 years, Lorraine, two children and three grandchildren. "Bill was a brilliant surgeon and an inspiring individual," Lewis said. "He changed the lives of thousands of people and enabled them to walk again without pain." Freeport Clinic and Freeport Memorial Hospital for 34 years, the only dermatologist in the area for much of that time, until he retired in 2006. He also served as an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the College of Medicine in Rockford. Born in Cairo, Egypt, he earned his medical degree from Cairo University Medical School and completed a residency in dermatology and internal medicine. Rasheed earned a PhD in dermatology and a fellowship in West Germany before coming to the U.S. in 1968. After a second internship in Philadelphia, he completed his dermatology training at the College of Medicine in Chicago. Among his many honors, Rasheed received the Shield of Medicine Award from the University of Cairo as one of the 25 best doctors abroad. Rasheed was a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the Illinois State Medical Society and the International Society of Dermatologic Surgery. Locally, he served as president of the Stephenson County Medical Society, secretary to the medical staff at Freeport Memorial Hospital, and a member of the board of directors of the Freeport Clinic. He and his wife, Mady, had one son and two grandsons. Darryl M. Bronson, MPH '75, MD '76, died in September 2012. The vice president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology, Bronson served as an attending physician at North Shore University Hospitals (dermatology and pathology) and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital (dermatology/dermatopathology.) Bronson earned his medical degree from the College of Medicine, where he was also a James Scholar in independent study, and he received his master's degree in public health at the same time. Chosen as one of the Top Doctors from the Chicago region and one of the Top Doctors in America, Bronson also served as an instructor in dermatology at the College of Medicine. He was past chairman and residency program director of the division of dermatology of Cook County Hospital and had 29 peer-reviewed articles and three book chapters. Bronson's training included an internship in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital, a residency in dermatology at Cook County Hospital and a fellowship in dermatopathology at the University of Chicago and New York University. A prize-winning golfer and avid foodie, Bronson was married to Pai-Pai Cheng, the father of one and stepfather of one.

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