School of Medicine Honors International Pain Expert

Gabor Racz, M.D., chair emeritus of the Department of Anesthesiology, was honored for his contributions to pain medicine and the School of Medicine. The School of Medicine hosted a reception to announce the Stella Traweek, M.D./Gabor Racz, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Pain Research.

>Miles Day, M.D., medical director of pain management and Pain Fellowship Program director, was named the recipient of the professorship.

The professorship will focus on facilitating research and education to reduce the pain and suffereing of elderly patients through gaining and distributing knowledge.

Racz also was recognized by his peers with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York and New Jersey Societies of Interventional Pain Physicians Symposium.

According to the New York and New Jersey Societies of Interventional Pain Physicians, Racz’s history of innovation and caring for patients in pain is unsurpassed by any clinician in the U.S. and the world. He has done so much to educate other clinicians to emphasize and address patient's underlying pain pathologies, innovate new techniques and devices where there has been a need and also educate policy makers on guidelines and best practices to insure the best patient care, access to care and safety in practice.

In 1996, Racz was honored by TTUHSC with the first Grover E. Murray Professorship recognizing his distinguished achievements at the institution and internationally. In 1998, UMC Health System named Racz the recipient of a $1 million endowment. He served as organizing chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology from 1977 to 1999 and as director of Pain Services from 1977 to 2006.