Robert Ira Lewy
Encyclopedia
Robert Ira Lewy, M.D., F.A.C.P. (born October 16, 1943) is an American
doctor who has conducted research on aspirin
therapy in heart disease
and allergic phenomena in recipients of silicone
breast implants.
, Pennsylvania
, majoring in Biology
. He was awarded the Roberts Prize in Biology, and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society
. He then matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After one year, he took a leave of absence and was selected as a PhD
candidate at the Princeton University
Department of Graduate Studies doctoral program in Religion. There he was selected as a Woodrow Wilson
scholar, and a William J. Fulbright Scholarship runner-up.
Returning to medical school, he graduated in 1971 from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a Doctor of Medicine degree. His Intern
ship was served at the Philadelphia General Hospital, now defunct, in Philadelphia, and his Residency at the Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia. He was then selected for a National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood grant, and began a two-year Clinical and Research Fellowship in Hematology
at the Cardeza Foundation for Hematological Research of the Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia. His original research on the effect of aspirin on heart disease led to a period of prolific publishing in the scientific literature. He also held many hospital committee chairmanships, including Chairman, Infectious Disease ad Pharmacy Review Committee of The Woman's Hospital of Texas
, Chairman, Credentials Committee, Women’s Hospital of Texas and Chairman, Tissue and Therapeutics Committee, The Woman's Hospital of Texas. He holds two board certifications (board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine as an internist and sub-specialist as a hematologist); he is a member of the American Board of Forensic Examiners (now known as the American College of Forensic Examiners, not a recognized board, but a membership organization), and a member, American College of Rheumatology
. He was accepted as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians
in 1983.
Lewy practiced clinical hematology and oncology
in Houston
, Texas
from 1979 until 2005, except for a brief period working for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Tulsa. During this time he was Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and the Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston. He served as a teaching physician at the St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
of Houston, where he was responsible for training interns, residents and fellows, and served the same function at the Ben Taub General Hospital
in Houston on the Baylor College of Medicine
Hematology service. His research on allergic aspects of silicone breast implants led to further scientific publications and book chapters during the mid 1990s as well as international scientific and governmental presentations, and peer recognition.
Silicone breast implants became a subject of much controversy in 1995, and Lewy was subpoenaed both as an expert witness in litigation, interviewed in the popular press and served as a court recognized expert in the Breast Implant Class Action settlement in what the New York Times referred to as a "medical rush to cash in." These implants were removed from the market by the United States Food and Drug Administration due to safety issues. Lewy's disagreement with the New York Times' characterization of the issue as a "rush to cash in" was published. In 1993, he lost his admitting privileges to The Methodist Hospital, while retaining full privileges at his other teaching hospitals including St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, as well as faculty appointments. The Methodist Hospital was the defendant in many breast implant cases, and the place where they were invented by Dr Frank Gerow, according to the article "Silicone City" in Texas Monthly magazine
In 1997, Dr. Lewy was reprimanded and required to pay an administrative penalty of $2,000 by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners. The board's order noted that in 1993, Lewy "was excluded from the medical staff of The Methodist Hospital
for inadequate medical record keeping." The Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision officially reprimanded Dr. Lewy in 2002 for "fraud obtaining license credentials". In the same year, Lewy agreed to a "censure and reprimand" and a $5,000 fine from the New York State Board for Professional Medical Conduct, stemming from the Texas and Oklahoma cases, although he had never practiced in New York. State medical boards are permitted to consider issues occurring in another state as a cause to fine licensees in their own states. His license remains in good standing in Texas
, California, Pennsylvania and New York, although currently they are inactive due to his retirement
in 2005. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
.
In 2006 he donated over $1 million dollars to Stuyvesant High School
, his high school alma mater
for the establishment of the Dr. Robert Ira Lewy Multimedia Center, to serve as the high school’s central academic research facility.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doctor who has conducted research on aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
therapy in heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
and allergic phenomena in recipients of silicone
Silicone
Silicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
breast implants.
Career
Lewy graduated magna cum laude in 1964 from Franklin and Marshall College in LancasterLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, majoring in Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. He was awarded the Roberts Prize in Biology, and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
. He then matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
The Perelman School of Medicine , formerly the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was founded in 1765, making it the oldest American medical school. As part of the University of Pennsylvania, it is located in the University City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is widely...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After one year, he took a leave of absence and was selected as a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
candidate at the Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
Department of Graduate Studies doctoral program in Religion. There he was selected as a Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
scholar, and a William J. Fulbright Scholarship runner-up.
Returning to medical school, he graduated in 1971 from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a Doctor of Medicine degree. His Intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
ship was served at the Philadelphia General Hospital, now defunct, in Philadelphia, and his Residency at the Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia. He was then selected for a National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood grant, and began a two-year Clinical and Research Fellowship in Hematology
Hematology
Hematology, also spelled haematology , is the branch of biology physiology, internal medicine, pathology, clinical laboratory work, and pediatrics that is concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases...
at the Cardeza Foundation for Hematological Research of the Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia. His original research on the effect of aspirin on heart disease led to a period of prolific publishing in the scientific literature. He also held many hospital committee chairmanships, including Chairman, Infectious Disease ad Pharmacy Review Committee of The Woman's Hospital of Texas
Woman's Hospital of Texas
The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is an HCA Affiliated Hospital established in 1976 by a group of physician’s who recognized a need in Houston for a facility focused solely on women in all stages of life. Its founders specifically chose to name the hospital Woman’s – not Women’s – in honor of each...
, Chairman, Credentials Committee, Women’s Hospital of Texas and Chairman, Tissue and Therapeutics Committee, The Woman's Hospital of Texas. He holds two board certifications (board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine as an internist and sub-specialist as a hematologist); he is a member of the American Board of Forensic Examiners (now known as the American College of Forensic Examiners, not a recognized board, but a membership organization), and a member, American College of Rheumatology
American College of Rheumatology
The American College of Rheumatology is an organization of and for physicians, health professionals, and scientists that advances rheumatology through programs of education, research, advocacy and practice support that foster excellence in the care of people with arthritis and rheumatic and...
. He was accepted as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians
American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is a national organization of doctors of internal medicine —physicians who specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illnesses in adults. With 130,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in...
in 1983.
Lewy practiced clinical hematology and oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from 1979 until 2005, except for a brief period working for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Tulsa. During this time he was Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and the Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
in Houston. He served as a teaching physician at the St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital serves as the lead hospital for St. Luke's Episcopal Health System, and is based at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. St. Luke's Episcopal Health System also includes St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital, St. Luke's Sugar Land...
of Houston, where he was responsible for training interns, residents and fellows, and served the same function at the Ben Taub General Hospital
Ben Taub General Hospital
Ben Taub General Hospital is a hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Opening in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris County Hospital District and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students from Baylor College of Medicine.Ben Taub is a...
in Houston on the Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
Hematology service. His research on allergic aspects of silicone breast implants led to further scientific publications and book chapters during the mid 1990s as well as international scientific and governmental presentations, and peer recognition.
Silicone breast implants became a subject of much controversy in 1995, and Lewy was subpoenaed both as an expert witness in litigation, interviewed in the popular press and served as a court recognized expert in the Breast Implant Class Action settlement in what the New York Times referred to as a "medical rush to cash in." These implants were removed from the market by the United States Food and Drug Administration due to safety issues. Lewy's disagreement with the New York Times' characterization of the issue as a "rush to cash in" was published. In 1993, he lost his admitting privileges to The Methodist Hospital, while retaining full privileges at his other teaching hospitals including St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, as well as faculty appointments. The Methodist Hospital was the defendant in many breast implant cases, and the place where they were invented by Dr Frank Gerow, according to the article "Silicone City" in Texas Monthly magazine
In 1997, Dr. Lewy was reprimanded and required to pay an administrative penalty of $2,000 by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners. The board's order noted that in 1993, Lewy "was excluded from the medical staff of The Methodist Hospital
The Methodist Hospital
The Methodist Hospital is a hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Established in 1919 as an outreach ministry of The United Methodist Church, Methodist is one of the most comprehensive teaching hospitals in the United States, with leading specialists in every field of...
for inadequate medical record keeping." The Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision officially reprimanded Dr. Lewy in 2002 for "fraud obtaining license credentials". In the same year, Lewy agreed to a "censure and reprimand" and a $5,000 fine from the New York State Board for Professional Medical Conduct, stemming from the Texas and Oklahoma cases, although he had never practiced in New York. State medical boards are permitted to consider issues occurring in another state as a cause to fine licensees in their own states. His license remains in good standing in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, California, Pennsylvania and New York, although currently they are inactive due to his retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
in 2005. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable blood cancer, which afflicts over fifty thousand Americans alone...
.
In 2006 he donated over $1 million dollars to Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
, his high school alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
for the establishment of the Dr. Robert Ira Lewy Multimedia Center, to serve as the high school’s central academic research facility.