Scott Zuckerman, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, takes time to let his colleagues know they matter regardless of how busy his day is or how many hours he has worked.
The affirmation that he gives received recognition with a Credo Award at the September 2024 VUMC Leadership Assembly. Melissa Cox, lead administrative assistant for Neurological Surgery, nominated him.
“Dr. Zuckerman has always taken time out of his incredibly busy schedule to acknowledge, clearly communicate and thank me and all of his colleagues for all our hard work, both with emails and in person,” Cox stated. “He always expresses positive communication effortlessly using our Credo and in particular, AIDET communication (Acknowledge; Introduce; Duration; Explanation; Thank), even when he has had many surgical days in a row or a heavy patient clinical load.”
Zuckerman is co-director of both the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center and the Vanderbilt Spine Outcomes Lab. He treats patients with spinal disorders, scoliosis, spinal tumors, spinal trauma, sports-related concussions, traumatic brain injury and peripheral neuropathy.
“In a world that’s very cold, I’m grateful and humbled to work for such a wonderful team of surgeons, and he’s one of the best,” Cox stated. “I don’t get to see many of my team or providers due to my office location at The Village at Vanderbilt, and Dr. Zuckerman always makes me feel like a valuable member of the team with graceful and humble kindness.”
Zuckerman received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his neurological surgery training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, while also obtaining a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. He completed enfolded rotations in spinal oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He then spent six months in Tanzania where he implemented a spine trauma protocol at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute to decrease the time from hospital admission to surgery. To finish his training in complex spinal disorders, he completed a comprehensive adult and pediatric spinal deformity fellowship at Columba University Irving Medical Center in New York City.
He readily shares the knowledge and expertise he has gained.
“I’ve seen him move schedules continually for students, meetings about important administrative needs, adding on surgical cases with peers and a huge amount of time from interns and residents — and that’s just what I see from an administrative standpoint,” Cox stated. “His patients rave about his attention given to each and every one of them, including incredibly successful surgical outcomes and outstanding patient care, and it shows in his ratings.”
Each surgery is a team effort, said Zuckerman.
“For us to do these major spine surgeries for people, it takes 40 to 50 people providing care and other support from the clinic, to the OR, to postoperative care, and then back to clinic again,” Zuckerman said. “Managing all those balls in the air is a really hard job, and I am so fortunate to work with some amazing colleagues — administrative assistants, nurses, advanced practice providers, residents, scrub techs, X-ray techs, physical therapists, case managers — the list goes on. The care we deliver in surgery is simply not possible without this army of devoted individuals.”
Reid Thompson, MD, chair of Neurological Surgery and the William F. Meacham Professor of Neurological Surgery, noted Zuckerman’s drive to go beyond expectations.
“He is exceptionally deserving of this award,” Thompson said. “He is humble and constantly striving to improve himself. Scott also makes time to serve in the Navy Reserve and for a time during the COVID pandemic was stationed on the (United States Naval Ship) Comfort hospital. Pre-COVID, Scott traveled with me to Tanzania when he was chief resident for a 12-day, intense medical trip. He was so inspired after the trip that he and his wife, Autumn, decided to defer Scott’s spine fellowship for a year, and they moved to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where he spent six months working with the neurosurgeons there to develop a rapid spine protocol to care for patients with acute spinal cord injuries.”
Sharing knowledge is a means for helping more people, Zuckerman said.
“I consider it an incredible privilege to do what we do as neurosurgeons and spine surgeons and to help people in such impactful and life-changing ways,” he said. “Given that privilege and unique skillset, I try to, in turn, help the most people possible — patients, their families, and also students and residents through research and education.”
