PHILIP A. TUMULTY, Med 1940, served on the faculty for nearly 50 years, heading the Department of Medicine’s inpatient and outpatient services for 17 years and helping to found the Division of Internal Medicine, of which he was the first director. Known as an unequaled diagnostician and a champion of the humanistic approach to medicine, Dr. Tumulty focused his scholarship on the study of the natural history of disease. The author of many clinical papers on infectious diseases, he also wrote The Effective Clinician, His Methods and Approaches to Diagnosis and Care. In honor of his excellent teaching, research, and patient care, he received many awards and much recognition, including election to the Association of American Physicians. Before his death in 1989, Dr. Tumulty was honored by colleagues and patients who established the Tumulty Endowment Fund for the support of internal medicine, an area Dr. Tumulty felt important in an age of increasing specialization. (He is pictured in front of his portrait.)
HELENA HENDRICKSON left a substantial bequest in 1997 to supplement the endowment of this professorship. Miss Hendrickson was a teacher and a biochemist with the U.S. Army, continuing her employment there as a civilian after retiring from military service.
Held by Stephen D. Sisson
STEPHEN D. SISSON is the consummate physician and educator in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins in the tradition of Philip A. Tumulty. Dr. Sisson graduated with honors from Tufts University School of Medicine, and came to Johns Hopkins in 1990 as an Osler medical intern and resident. Although Dr. Tumulty was chief resident for two years, Dr. Sisson was assistant chief of service for only one year; following that outstanding year of leadership, he joined the faculty as assistant professor and was soon promoted to associate professor of medicine. This promotion recognized his pioneering work in creating a broadly employed, internet-based educational program for medical housestaff (the Johns Hopkins Ambulatory Curriculum). He is the co-developer and director of the Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Internet Learning Center. In 2009 he became vice chair of the Department of Medicine for Clinical Affairs but has continued his outstanding career of individualized instruction and mentoring residents. In his role as vice chair, he has directed the department in meeting challenges imposed by the advent of the electronic medical record, increased demands for documentation, and improving both quality of care and efficiency.
Dr. Sisson’s excellence has been recognized by the Johns Hopkins medical school, the Department of Medicine, the Society of General Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians, the Osler Medical Housestaff and now by the leadership and Board of Trustees of The Johns Hopkins University in appointing him to the Philip A. Tumulty Chair.