Meet Dr. Donald Palmisano

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD, FACS, is a clinical professor of surgery and clinical professor of medical jurisprudence at Tulane University School of Medicine and an adjunct professor at The Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, in the department of Health Systems Management.  Dr. Palmisano is Board certified in Surgery by the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, as well as an Honorary Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the latter awarded for his national advocacy for patient privacy and medical record confidentiality.

Dr. Palmisano is the founder and president of Intrepid Resources®/The Medical Risk Manager Company, which is devoted to patient safety, risk management, and advancing leadership.  Prior to that, and for more than 35 years, Dr. Palmisano was part of a six member surgical team that served the people in eastern New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina destroyed the area in 2005, including the hospitals, where he and his surgical partners worked.

In 2003-2004, he served as the 158th president of the American Medical Association (AMA).

Dr. Palmisano is the author of the book, On Leadership – Essential Principles for Success and he has authored and co-authored numerous articles on a wide range of topics including general and vascular surgery, medical liability reform, patient safety, risk management and health system reform.  He has testified before Congress many times and has appeared on dozens of news shows including Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Capitol Gang, Nightline World News Tonight, Talk Back Live, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Crossfire, and Fox News with Tony Snow.

Dr. Palmisano serves on the Board of Governors of the National Patient Safety Foundation, the Board of Governors of Tulane University Health Sciences Center, the editorial boards of The Journal of Patient Safety, and The Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society as well as the Board of Governors of The Doctors Company.  He previously served as a Commissioner on the Board of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  In 2007, he joined the Louisiana ArtWorks Board and in 2008 was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Tulane University Center for Health Care Simulation to advance patient safety. He also serves on the Tulane Medical School Dean's Advisory Council.

He served as president of the Louisiana State Medical Society from 1984-1985, and was elected to the society's Hall of Fame in 2000.  New Orleans Magazine featured him on its cover in August 2001, after his selection by his peers as one of the top doctors in New Orleans for 2001. In 2005, Dr. Palmisano was awarded Loyola University New Orleans President's Medal. In August 2005, The Doctors Company named him the "Recipient of Award for the Advancement of Patient Safety". In 2007 Dr. Palmisano was awarded the Dr. Edward Annis Medical Leadership Award.

He completed his internship and surgery residency at Tulane and Charity Hospital and is a graduate of Tulane Medical School and Loyola Law School and he served for two years in active duty in the United States Air Force as a Major and Chief of Surgery for the 821st Medical Group.

Dr. Palmisano and his wife, Robin, currently reside in Metairie, LA, and have three children and six grandchildren.