PHYSICIAN FEATURE
Dennis Weiner, MD By Alex Strauss A
SETTING THE PACE FOR PEDIATRIC ORTHOPEDICS AT AKRON CHILDREN’S
KRON HAS A long reputation for orthopedic excellence, having been home to several of the nation’s first ortho-
pedic surgeons in the early part of the 20th century. The region owes its reputation, in part, to physicians and surgeons who cared for injured workers from the rubber factories, children affected by the polio outbreak (which gave rise and momentum to Akron Children’s Hospital), disabled World War II veterans returning home and, more recently, to pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dennis Weiner, MD. Dr. Weiner is the long-time chair
Dennis Weiner, MD, is chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, director of Pediatric Orthopedic Research, and founder and director of the Skeletal Dysplasia Center at Akron Children’s Hospital.
of Akron Children’s Department of Or thopedic Surgery, director of Pediatric Orthopedic Research, founder and director of the Skeletal Dysplasia Center, and teacher and mentor to hundreds of medical students and residents (including his two sons — Scott Weiner, MD and Brad Weiner, MD, who are orthopedic surgeons). Dr. Weiner has been helping children with musculoskeletal problems for more than 30 years, which is quite impressive, considering that fellowship training in pediatric orthopedics did not exist in the late 1960’s when he finished his orthopedic residencies at Akron General Medical Center and Akron Children’s. “Because there were no formal
fellowships at the time, I spent a year traveling to different centers, study- ing children’s orthopedics,” recalls Dr. Weiner, who now teaches what
20 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS MDNEWS.COM JULY-AUGUST 2011
PHOTO © JOE SMITHBERGER, SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON
