Listen
A doctor from Richland, Washington, was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service on Monday. It’s an honor that is often bestowed upon U.S. presidents.
Dr. Lew Zirkle, an orthopedist, was honored with the medal for his work in developing nations. He founded a nonprofit called SIGN that trains doctors across the globe to use innovative approaches to treat people with bone fractures or deformities.
U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, a former Marine general who grew up in Richland, came to present the honor. He started by saying he was “so happy he could cry” to be out of Washington, D.C., for a bit.
Mattis said the U.S. has two main tools at its disposal abroad: One, the power of intimidation, and two, the power of inspiration.
“I would just say, Dr. Zirkle, that you’re part of the power of inspiration,” Mattis said. “And you’re part of the reason America will stay a great country. You prove we are a very, very good country.”
Zirkle’s nonprofit, called SIGN Fracture Care, makes stainless steel medical implants that can help speed up the healing of broken bones. The nearly 50-person organization manufactures the rod-shaped implants in Richland.
SIGN trains surgeons from all over the globe and supplies them with the implants and the tools to use them. Zirkle said since 1999, his team has trained thousands of surgeons and made more than 200,000 surgeries possible.
Copyright 2018 Northwest News Network
Related Stories:
Did An IV Cocktail Of Vitamins Save This Washington Lumberjack From Sepsis?
A 51-year-old Washington man nearly died from septic shock, when a crushing injury led to overwhelming infection. After getting an experimental treatment, he’s recovering well, but some doctors want more proof. Continue Reading Did An IV Cocktail Of Vitamins Save This Washington Lumberjack From Sepsis? Read More » NPR News February 21, 2018
Tri Cities Doctor Honored For Healing Bones Around The Globe
Lew Zirkle, a doctor in Richland, Washington, works with thousands of surgeons all over the world to treat injuries in poor or war-ravaged countries. He will receive the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service—the highest honor the Defense department gives to a non-career civilian—by Secretary James Mattis later this month. Continue Reading Tri Cities Doctor Honored For Healing Bones Around The Globe Read More » Anna King February 2, 2018
LIGO Detects Another Deep Space Black Hole Event
LIGO Hanford is one of two detector sites that operate as a single observatory. CALTECH Listen Scientists in southeast Washington state announced Wednesday that… Continue Reading LIGO Detects Another Deep Space Black Hole Event Read More » Anna King September 28, 2017