This year marks the bicentennial year of The Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio, founded in 1824. AMCNO is one of the oldest medical societies in the country, speaking to the strength of Cleveland’s medical community.
Throughout our 200-year history, our physicians have bravely served the Cleveland community. Three of our former presidents and Cleveland Clinic founders Drs. George Crile, William Lower and Frank Bunts served in front-line hospitals in World War I. Our doctors also provided medical care during the 1929 Cleveland Clinic fire where 123 people lost their lives, including AMCNO past president Dr. John Phillips.
Thousands of our physicians again answered the call to serve on the front lines of World War II. In 1944, our physicians were the first to respond to the tragic East Ohio Gas Company explosion on Cleveland’s East Side.
Our physicians were critical in orchestrating polio immunization campaigns in the 1950s and ‘60s and against rubella in the 1970s. In 2020, our physicians again showed up for our community by treating patients, educating the public and advocating for COVID-19 vaccination.
Join us in celebrating by visiting our exhibit at the Cleveland History Center, 10825 East Boulevard, open through Sept. 30.
Dr. Marie Schaefer,
Cleveland
Dr. Marie Schaefer, MD, is president of The Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio.