The ACS Foundation recognized Raghuvir Gelot, MD, FACS, with this year’s Distinguished Philanthropist Award at ACS Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco, California. The award is the ACS Foundation’s highest and most significant honor.
Since 1989, the ACS Foundation has honored individuals with this award for their exemplary investment in the mission of the College to advance surgical practice, research, and patient care. Distinguished Philanthropist Award recipients, along with other philanthropic Fellows and friends of the ACS, have contributed more than $23 million to support ACS programs, including scholarships, research awards, and initiatives that promote lifelong learning for surgeons.
“Dr. Gelot’s generosity and commitment to the College inspire others to give, and his philanthropic spirit has left a lasting impact,” said H. Randolph Bailey, MD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Foundation. “We are honored to recognize him as this year’s Distinguished Philanthropist. His contributions have significantly furthered the College’s goals and initiatives.”
Dr. Gelot is an otolaryngologist and head-and-neck surgeon who dedicated his career to serving patients at East Carolina University Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie, North Carolina. An ACS Fellow since 1996, his philanthropy has had a significant impact on the surgical community and global healthcare.
In 2008, Dr. Gelot established the Baxiram S. and Kankuben B. Gelot Community Surgeons Travel Award, which provides funding for international physicians to attend ACS Clinical Congress. In 2013, he also created the Kankuben B. Gelot Scholarship. This award offers stipends for nurses or residents to participate in the joint annual meeting of the North and South Carolina ACS Chapters. Additionally, Dr. Gelot funds an annual award to support the resident poster/paper competition at the event.
Dr. Gelot’s commitment to advance surgical education through these scholarships has provided the opportunity for 15 international and 12 domestic scholars to attend Clinical Congress or ACS chapter meetings, and it has provided awards for 72 residents who have participated in the clinical poster/paper competitions at the combined chapter meetings.
“I have never thought or dreamed of receiving this prestigious award, and to be named alongside the giants of the American College of Surgeons for someone as obscure as I am is a great honor,” said Dr. Gelot.
“His words are a reflection of his modesty,” said Kenneth Sharp, MD, FACS, a member of the ACS Board of Regents and Liaison to the ACS Foundation Board. “Dr. Gelot is anything but obscure and deserves this recognition.”
The Impact Award, which acknowledges a commitment to advancing surgical education, also was presented at Clinical Congress 2024. Christina Hewes Corson received the award for establishing the John Duncan Corson Guest Scholarship in 2021, in honor of her husband John Corson, MD, a vascular and cardiothoracic surgeon. The award—organized by the ACS International Relations Committee—provides early career surgeons from the UK or the Republic of Ireland the opportunity to attend Clinical Congress and travel to academic medical institutions in the US to share and learn best practices regarding current surgical research.
For more information about the ACS Foundation and these awards, visit facs.org/foundation.
