LSU Health Shreveport Receives Gift to Establish the Ronald B. George, MD Memorial Endowed CHEST Award

September 1, 2022

LSU Health Shreveport has received a $25,000 gift from Joan George Kane, sister of the late Dr. Ronald B. “Ronnie” George, to create the Ronald B. George, MD Memorial Endowed CHEST Award. The gift honors Dr. George’s legacy of dedication to the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the students, residents, and pulmonary fellows he trained as founder and chief of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at LSU Health Shreveport.

Dr. George was a beloved professor at the LSUHS School of Medicine and a nationally renowned pulmonologist known for diagnosing complex lung disease cases. He was appointed Chairman of the Department of Medicine in 1992 until his retirement in 2000, and served as Emeritus Chairman of the department until his passing in July 2021.

The award will be bestowed each year to a current LSU Health Shreveport fellow who has exhibited excellence in patient care, research, and service to the Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Division. The award will fund the fellow’s attendance at the annual CHEST conference.

Dr. George was a firm believer in the benefits of attending the annual CHEST conference. In 1993, he was elected president of CHEST. In 2001, he was selected as a Master Fellow of CHEST, an elite honor that has only been given to forty CHEST physicians in the past 42 years.

“I am deeply grateful for this gift honoring Dr. George and his lasting legacy at LSU Health Shreveport and the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care,” said Dr. Robert Walter, Division Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. “Dr. George was a dedicated physician and mentor to many in the pulmonology field. Through this endowment, newly trained pulmonologists will be able to expand their knowledge and learn from other experts in this field. It is an honor to present this award and support the next generation.”

Dr. George’s family, friends, and colleagues hope to inspire others who worked alongside or trained under him to support the endowment so it can benefit pulmonology fellows for years to come. Gifts in Dr. George’s honor can be made at lsuhsfoundation.org/georgechestendowment.