On the evening of Friday, May 5, the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) at Mass Eye and Ear launched its year-long celebration of the hospital’s 200th anniversary at the Harvard Club in Boston. The celebration occurred against the backdrop of the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings (COSM) at the nearby Hynes Convention Center, drawing hundreds of trainees and faculty from the Department of OHNS at Harvard Medical School.
Ralph B. Metson, MD, Professor of OHNS at Harvard Medical School and Surgeon and Physician at Mass Eye and Ear, began the evening with a toast to every OHNS faculty member and trainee—past and present—who helped build Mass Eye and Ear into one of the world’s premier centers for otolaryngological care, research and training. To symbolize the longevity of their commitment to the hospital, Dr. Metson brought with him a piece of the cornerstone from Mass Eye and Ear’s current location, which was constructed in 1900.
“There is no Mass Eye and Ear without the extraordinary individuals who have contributed so much to this institution throughout these past 200 years,” Dr. Metson said. “Their steadfast commitment will forever serve as the cornerstone for a brighter future in our specialty.”
The reception culminated in the naming of three Honorary Chairs for the department’s year-long celebration. Alumni Celebration Co-Chairs Michael Rho, MD, FACS, President of the OHNS Alumni Association at Mass Eye and Ear, and Gregory W. Randolph, MD, FACS, FACE, the Claire and John Bertucci Chair in Thyroid Surgical Oncology at Harvard Medical School, bestowed the much-anticipated honor to Charles W. Cummings, MD; Eugene Myers, MD, FACS; and Herbert Silverstein, MD, FACS, each of whom completed their residency training at the Harvard Combined Otolaryngology Residency Program.
The Honorary Chairs are luminaries in the field of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. Dr. Myers served as Chair of the Department of OHNS at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for more than 30 years, and Dr. Cummings served as Chair of the Department of OHNS at the University of Washington and The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for more than 10 years at both institutions. Both have authored hundreds of publications, served in innumerable leadership positions within the specialty, and began their medical careers serving in the United States Military. Dr. Silverstein is President and Founder of the internationally acclaimed Silverstein Institute and the Ear Research Foundation in Sarasota, FL, where he has pioneered treatments for Meniere’s disease. He has authored more than 250 scientific publications, written six books and trained more than 50 fellows in otology and neurotology.
Each Honorary Chair will assist with the planning of a day-long 200th Anniversary Alumni Event and Gala in Boston on Friday, July 19, 2024. According to Mark A. Varvares, MD, FACS, Chair of the Department of OHNS at Harvard Medical School and Chief of OHNS at Mass Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital, the Alumni Event and Gala will not only commemorate the storied history of Mass Eye and Ear, but the faculty and trainees whose tireless efforts have allowed the hospital’s founding mission to stand the test of time.
“It’s awe-inspiring to think that 200 years ago, the bold vision, courage and compassion of our founding physicians would help forever change the fields of ophthalmology and otolaryngology as they knew it,” said Dr. Varvares, who also serves as an Alumni Celebration Co-Chair. “Were they alive today, they would be astonished by the monumental advances achieved in specialty care, the boundless promise of today’s research, and the far-reaching impact of our training programs.”