In Memoriam

It is with sadness that I inform you that Dr. Dennis S. Weiner passed away Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Akron, OH. Dr. Weiner died peacefully in his home surrounded by family after a battle with colon cancer. 

Mark Adamczyk, MD, summarizes Dr. Weiner’s impact and legacy poignantly: “Dr. Weiner was a visionary, becoming a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon before the specialty even existed. He had extraordinary, infectious enthusiasm for his life and his work that inspired the generations of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons who followed him and continue his legacy at Akron Children’s Hospital. He was driven by his humanity to provide care for thousands of patients of all walks of life and by his curiosity to investigate a multitude of children’s orthopaedic conditions and publish voluminous papers, books, and book chapters that have helped to define pediatric orthopaedic surgery as a specialty.”

Dr. Weiner’s focused vision for and commitment to excellence in the specialization of pediatric orthopaedic care has initiated and created an ongoing trajectory pursuant of excellence at Akron Children's Hospital. Dennis pursued fellowship training in pediatric orthopaedics prior to the advent of formal fellowships–focused post-residency training in Toronto, San Francisco, Newington, Downey, and San Mateo laid the foundation for a career focused on improving the orthopaedic care of children and adolescents and created a new paradigm for specialized care in our region. Fifty years later, Dr. Weiner has been instrumental in growing Akron Children's Hospital’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery from a singular surgeon to 13 surgeons and 12 APPs. Quite frankly, the tenacity and longevity of Dr. Weiner’s vision for excellence is primarily responsible for this remarkable growth and history. During that half-century of service and leadership, Dr. Weiner served as Director of Education, Director of Research, Department Chair (32 year tenure), Director of Regional Skeletal Dysplasia Center, and Medical Director of the BioInnovation Institute of Akron. Fruits of his leadership have flourished in each of these roles. 

In education, Dr. Weiner consistently prioritized the importance of resident education. His longstanding passion for education is well evidenced–he is recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching. Currently over 45 residents from seven residency programs rotate annually at Akron Children's Hospital. Our institution is now entering year 5 of a co-fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics and scoliosis and our department hosts a large, internationally attended annual pediatric orthopaedic resident review course. Perhaps the most credible validation of Dr. Weiner’s educational mentorship is the fact that over 30 pediatric orthopaedic surgeons are practicing today secondary to the inspiration and mentorship provided while rotating with him as residents. All of us who shared the privilege of training under Dr. Weiner recall with great fondness his frequent informal resident lunches–opportunities to share life, share vision, talk about his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes, and persevere mockery for the inadequacies of our appetites. 

In research, Dr. Weiner had a productive career marked by numerous contributions to our specialty—92 peer-reviewed publications, 10 review articles/book chapters, hundreds of podium and poster presentations, and over $270K in research grant awards. Most importantly, Dr. Weiner utilized each of these research endeavors as an opportunity to mentor surgeons-in-training, offer academic opportunity, and stimulate interest in our subspecialty. 

Additionally, Dr. Weiner’s contributions reach beyond the sphere of Northeast Ohio. His career is marked by 15 invited visiting professorships, national service as journal manuscript reviewer and meeting moderator, national recognition for expertise in skeletal dysplasias, and authorship of the 1^st and 2^nd Edition of the textbook, Pediatric Orthopaedics for the Primary Care Physician. He has cultivated numerous close and collaborative relationships across our specialty via the 70+ colleagues invited to Akron as Visiting Professor and via his involvement in IPOTT. A great validation of Dr. Weiner’s lifetime of service was evidenced by his receipt of the 2007 AAP Distinguished Service Award recognizing his contribution to the Academy’s mission of excellence in patient care, research, and teaching.

In conclusion, Dr. Weiner’s 50-year contribution has made an extraordinary impact on his patients, his trainees, our Institution, and our subspecialty. Frankly, his legacy and impact are irreplaceable and will have lasting benefit. We count ourselves extraordinarily blessed to have been graced with his presence in our lives, and we will miss him dearly.

—Todd F. Ritzman, MD, FAOA, FAAOS