Dr. Shields to receive national award

Philadelphia-Jerry A. Shields, MD, director of the Wills Eye Ocular Oncology Service, has been named to receive the National Physician of the Year Award in Clinical Excellence. The Awards recognize and honor five exemplary physicians and are given to physicians who are nationally recognized leaders and contributors in their specialties.

 For 40 years, Dr. Shields has diagnosed and treated countless patients with ocular tumors and has led clinical research to improve methods for the diagnosis and treatment of eye cancers, including tumors of the eyelids, conjunctiva, intraocular structures, and orbit. He is also professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

“Dr. Jerry Shields, along with Dr. Carol Shields, his partner both personally and professionally, are among the exemplary Wills models of the best minds and caring hearts in medicine today,” said Wills Eye Ophthalmologist-in-Chief Julia A. Haller, MD. “We are so lucky to have Jerry at Wills, where he trained and started his remarkable career path that ultimately changed the world of ocular oncology. The Shields' practice has built our exceptional training program in ocular oncology and set the paradigm for fighting eye cancer.”

Dr. Shields has served on the editorial boards for numerous ophthalmology journals and was selected as the first president of the International Society of Ocular Oncology, representing all ocular oncology specialists worldwide. He has authored or co-authored more than 1,200 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, written more than 500 textbook chapters, and has authored or co-authored 11 major textbooks related to ocular tumors.

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