Pediatrician of the Year Award
This Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes a Pennsylvania Pediatric Fellow who exemplifies the ideals of the pediatric profession and participates in the type of activities that are the foundation of the PA AAP.
2020 Pediatrician of the Year
D. Holmes Morton, MD
Dr. D. Holmes Morton is a combination of community doctor and research physician whose model for diagnosis and treatment of hereditary metabolic disease is redefining research, prescriptions, and outcomes in the field of pediatric genetics. Through establishing his Clinic for Special Children, a primary care facility in a farming community in Strasburg, Pennsylvania and more recently, his Central Pennsylvania Clinic, A Home for Special Children and Adults, in Belleville, PA, Dr. Morton treats Amish and Mennonite children afflicted with genetic diseases. He has successfully reduced child mortality in this isolated community by combining state-of-the-art medical care with dedicated, personal attention and extensive follow-though. Through his efforts, he has established care for Amish children and adults that never would have been available at the time anywhere. His research findings have influenced the work of many in the mainstream medical community. Morton's research has become an international resource for diagnosis and treatment of populations experiencing similar genetic diseases across the world. Additionally, Morton has systematically investigated and treated genentically based maladies not specifically concentrated in Amish and Mennonite communities, including autism, seizure disorders, and mental retardation, with the aim of understanding better how these more common ailments present in highly isolated groups. In demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of a specialized model of clinical care for treatment of rare diseases, Morton has expanded the possibilities for customized medicine in the service of small communities while simultaneously advancing mainstream modern medical discovery.
D. Holmes Morton completed an Individualized Degree Program at Trinity College in 1979, received an M.D. (1983) from Harvard Medical School, and completed his residency at Children’s Hospital in Boston. He also conducted biochemical genetics research at Johns Hopkins University and at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He has been the director of the Clinic for Special Children since he co-founded the organization with his wife in 1989, as well as the director of the more recently established Central Pennsylvania Clinic, A Home for Special Children and Adults.
D. Holmes Morton completed an Individualized Degree Program at Trinity College in 1979, received an M.D. (1983) from Harvard Medical School, and completed his residency at Children’s Hospital in Boston. He also conducted biochemical genetics research at Johns Hopkins University and at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He has been the director of the Clinic for Special Children since he co-founded the organization with his wife in 1989, as well as the director of the more recently established Central Pennsylvania Clinic, A Home for Special Children and Adults.
Immediate Past Recipient
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Diego Chaves-Gnecco, MD, MPH, FAAP
Award Year: 2019 The PA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics congratulates Diego Chaves-Gnecco as the 2019 Pediatrician of the Year. This prestigious award is given annually to a Pennsylvania Fellow who exemplifies the ideals of the pediatric profession and participates in the type of activities that are the foundation of the AAP. |
Past Recipients
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