Dr. Derek Jenkins, an orthopedic adult reconstruction surgeon with University Orthopedics this weekend became one of the youngest recipients of the Arthritis Foundation’s Dr. Hal Horwitz Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 44.
Dr. Jenkins received the Physician’s Excellence award during the Arthritis Foundation’s Commitment to a Cure Rhode Island Gala at The Graduate Hotel in Providence.
“[A]fter careful consideration, our nomination committee determined his many accomplishments in the innovation and treatment of arthritis merit this great honor,” the foundation said in a Facebook post. “A true innovator and thought leader in hip and knee reconstruction in Rhode Island, he was the first surgeon at The Miriam Hospital to use the direct anterior approach for total hip replacement on a specialized surgical table using real-time radiographic guidance, having successfully performed thousands of these operations since. The next generation of surgeons is following his example as this surgical approach is now the most commonly used in hip replacement at The Miriam Hospital.
When asked about the honor, Dr. Jenkins recently told Providence Business News, “These are life-changing operations, and I am grateful to have been and continue to be involved in the transformation of these surgeries and the impact they have on our patients’ quality of life.”
The foundation also recognized Dr. Jenkins as being the first surgeon in New England to use 3D-printed titanium technology for total knee replacements and his commitment to research in the field.
In addition to Dr. Jenkins, Former Congressman David Cicilline, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, was honored as a remarkable community leader, and David Drohlich, president and owner of DJD Medical, Inc., was recognized as a corporate champion.A
About Dr. Derek Jenkins
Dr. Jenkins specializes in adult reconstruction of the hip and knee, with a focused interest in primary surgery including direct anterior total hip replacement, gap balanced total knee replacement, and partial knee replacement; outpatient total joint replacement without the need for an overnight hospital stay; hip and knee preservation, young adult hip and knee, hip and knee arthroscopy, hip and knee osteotomies, treatment of avascular necrosis, fracture treatment of the hip and knee, and revision hip and knee surgeries including the treatment of infected, failed, or painful joint replacements.