C. Wright Pinson, MBA, M.D., deputy vice chancellor for Health Affairs and CEO of the Vanderbilt Health System, is the recipient of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA) 2015 Distinguished Service Award.
He received the award recently at the AHPBA’s annual gathering in Miami “in recognition of his outstanding research and contribution in the field of Hepatobiliary Surgery and longstanding dedication to the AHPBA.”
The AHPBA was inaugurated in 1994 and serves as the American chapter of International Hepato-Pancreato- Biliary Association.
Its mission is to raise the standard of care for patients with diseases affecting the liver, pancreas and biliary system. Through annual meetings and ongoing educational opportunities the AHPBA helps foster research and keep surgeons abreast of rapid advancements in patient care. Pinson has served as president of both organizations.
The Distinguished Service Award is the pre-eminent award of the AHPBA. It was established to recognize physicians who have provided leadership and made significant contributions in the field of hepato-pancreatobiliary surgery.
As a founding member of the AHPBA, the organization elected to honor Pinson in recognition of more than 20 years of service, during which time he has held essentially every leadership role, including treasurer and president. In addition to serving in these roles he has also led membership and development committees and helped transform the organization’s journal, the HPB Journal, into a top-rated educational resource.
In addition to serving in successive administrative leadership roles at VUMC, Pinson, a liver transplant surgeon, led the Vanderbilt Transplant Center for 18 years.
Under his leadership the center grew exponentially in size and surgical volume to become one of the Southeast’s and nation’s largest transplant centers, offering all forms of solid organ transplantation.