The Healio Lifetime Disruptor, given in collaboration with Women in Endoscopy, goes to a gastroenterologist or hepatologist who consistently pushed their field forward through innovative treatments, practice management, patient care or research, whether recognized previously or through a quiet career of achievement. The awardee mentors and fosters the next generation of leaders, guiding them in their own disruptive talents. They embody the core GI value of commitment – to our specialty, to their patients and to the future of care.
This year’s Lifetime Disruptor is Marla C. Dubinsky, MD. Dubinsky’s name is synonymous with determination in gastroenterology. Her career is characterized by her achievements, but also by her commitment to her patients and her determination to give them freedom in their lives.
When she began her GI career, Dubinsky saw an unmet need in children and women with IBD; they were struggling, being misdiagnosed, left without viable treatment options and suffering with debilitating flares. She invested herself into their care, into her research and into collaborative relationships where she could find solutions. She even had a New York Times essay written about her devoted care for a child.
Along the way, Dubinsky mentored the next generation of gastroenterologists, opened pediatric IBD centers, won a multitude of awards and has continued to pave the way for women in GI.
In the past few years, Dubinsky not only won the coveted Sherman Prize but she added CEO to her already impressive list of titles with the launch of Trellus Health®, a publicly traded digital health company that gives patients the tools to help manage their own conditions.