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C. Ronald MacKenzie, MD

Rheumatology, Internal Medicine, Perioperative Medicine
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Dr. C. Ronald MacKenzie is an attending physician at Hospital for Special Surgery and Professor of Clinical Medicine and Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College.  Named The C. Ronald MacKenzie Chair in Ethics and Medicine at Hospital for Special Surgery, he has practiced rheumatology, general internal medicine and has provided perioperative care at this institution and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for the last 40 years.

Originally from Canada, he received his Bachelor of Science at the University of Western Ontario and his medical degree from the University of Calgary. He was trained in Winnipeg and New York at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell) and Hospital for Special Surgery. He subsequently joined the medical staff of these institutions later adding an appointment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where he is a consulting physician (Rheumatology). With his selection as faculty scholar in the Ethics Division at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (02-04), he began his formal training in medical ethics, an interest culminating in the above mentioned Chair as well as his appointment to the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Committee of the American College of Rheumatology, his primary professional association, chairing the committee from 2010-2013. He is currently Co-Chair of the HSS Ethics Committee, and he also chairs the Institutional Review Board, a committee the responsibility of which is to ensure the safety of patients participating in clinical research at HSS. Further he is an active member of the Weill Cornell Medicine Division of Medical Ethics participating in their Ethics Committee and its teaching activity.

Dr. MacKenzie’s interest in the intersection between medicine and the humanities is demonstrated through a number of activities. He is a member of the American Osler Society, an organization devoted to the history of medicine with particular reference to life and enduring contributions of William Osler as well as the Charaka Club, an organization founded in 1898 by physicians with a shared interest in the historical and literary aspects of medicine. In addition he is serves on the Editorial Board of The Pharos, the journal of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, an organization whose focus is the promotion of humanism through gifted teaching, leadership development and service to others. In 2020, he was honored to present the Life in Medicine Lecture of the David Rogers Health Policy Colloquium at Weill Cornell Medicine.

In addition to these professional responsibilities, Dr. MacKenzie has served on the Board of the Health Care Chaplaincy of New York, an organization devoted to the spiritual support of people coping with the distress and suffering of severe illness. He was honored to receive their Wholeness of Life award in 1993. He is a long-standing member of the Board of Trustees of The Osborn, a senior living facility in Rye, NY where he lives with his wife with whom he has raised four children. In 2014 he joined the Board of the Newport Festival Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of America’s music and the famed Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals. He was also appointed to the medical staff of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. In his spare time Dr. MacKenzie is a musician (clarinetist) with the Westchester Symphonic Winds. In his 29-year association with this organization he has performed at Avery Fisher Hall and the Caramoor Music Festival. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.

Dr. MacKenzie regularly lectures on matters pertaining to the rheumatic diseases, medical ethics and medicine in general. He has published numerous peer reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters. The second edition of his book, entitled The Perioperative Care of the Orthopedic Patient, was published in 2020.

Departments

Specialized Centers

Special Expertise

Rheumatology
General internal medicine
Perioperative medicine
Medical ethics

Patient Stories

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Insurance

If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.

Credentials

Appointments

Attending Physician, Hospital for Special Surgery
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Professor of Medical Ethics, Weill Cornell Medical College
Consulting Physician (Rheumatology), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Affiliations

Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, 1981
Fellow, American College of Rheumatology, 1991-present
Fellow, American College of Physicians, 1992-present
Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine, 2003-present
Member, American Osler Society, 2014-present
Member, American Clinical and Climatological Association

Non-Institutional Affiliations

Board of Trustees, The Osborn, 1999-present
Board of Directors, Sterling Home Care, The Osborn Inc., 2000-present
Board of Trustees, The Health Care Chaplaincy, 2008-2010
Newport Festivals Foundation, 2014-present

Certification

Rheumatology
Internal Medicine
Medical Ethics: Montefiore-Einstein Certificate in Bioethics and Medical Humanities 2001

Awards

Castle Connolly Top Doctor, 20 Years
Castle Connolly America's Top Doctor, 2010-2020
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2002-2022
Wholeness of Life Award, The Health Care Chaplaincy New York, 1993
New York Magazine Top Doctors, 2002, 2008-2018, 2021-2022
Life in Medicine: David Roger Health Care Policy Colloquium, Weill Cornell Medicine, 2020

Education

BSc (Physiology), University of Western Ontario, London Ontario, Canada, 1974
MD, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 1977

Residency

Family Medicine, Calgary General Hospital, Alberta, Canada
Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba Affiliated Hospitals, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Fellowship

  • General Internal Medicine, New York Hospital
  • Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY
  • Faculty Scholar Program in Medical Ethics NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, 2004

State Licensure

Languages

English

Publications by

Selected Journal Articles

Editorial Appointments

Deputy Editor, HSS Journal, 2005-2012
Editorial Board, The Pharos of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, 2015

Selected Books/Chapters

MacKenzie CR and S Paget. Perioperative Care of the Rheumatic Disease Patient. In Rheumatology, Hochberg MC, Silman AJ, Smolen JS, Weinblatt ME,and M HWeisman (Eds), 2010, 2013 (In press) Elsevier.

MacKenzie CR and S Paget. Ethics in Clinical Trials. In Rheumatology. Hochberg MC, Silman AJ, Smolen JS, Weinblatt ME and MH Weisman (Eds), 2010, 2013 (In press) Elsevier.  

MacKenzie CR and M Urban. Perioperative Cardiac Evaluation of the Patient Connective Tissue Disease. In: Mandell B. Perioperative Management of the Patient with Rheumatic Disease. 2012 Springer.

MacKenzie CR. Perioperative Care in the Patient with Rheumatic Disease. In: Lubin M and N. Winawer. Medical Management of the Surgical Patient. Cambridge University Press 2013.

Perioperative Care of the Orthopedic Patient. MacKenzie CR, Cornell C and Memtsoudis Eds. 2014.

Research

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.

As of May 31, 2023, Dr. MacKenzie reported no relationships with the healthcare industry.

HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.