James T. Goodrich

James T. Goodrich
Born	(1946-04-16)April 16, 1946 Oregon, U.S.
Died	March 30, 2020(2020-03-30) (aged 73) New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Neurosurgeon
Known for	2004 and 2016 separation of conjoined twins
Spouse	Judy Loudin (1970–2020)

James Tait Goodrich (April 16, 1946 – March 30, 2020) was an American neurosurgeon. He was the director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Montefiore Health System and Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery, Pediatrics, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and gained worldwide recognition for performing successful multiple separations of conjoined twins.

Background

Goodrich was born in Oregon and received his undergraduate degree from University of California Irvine in 1974. He received his masters in 1978 and PhD in 1980 from Columbia University. He later returned to Columbia University to earn an MD. He did his medical residency at New York–Presbyterian Hospital. He served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

Career

Goodrich was a professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine from 1998 until the time of his death.

Goodrich was best known for his 2004 and 2016 separations of conjoined twins. He developed a multi-stage approach to separate craniopagus twins, like those of Jadon and Anias McDonald. In 2004, he gained attention when he operated on Carl and Clarence Aguirre, twins who shared brain tissue. During a 27-hour surgery, Goodrich led a team of 40 doctors to separate them when they were 13 months old.

Goodrich was also an historian of medicine, and distinguished collector of antiquarian medical and scientific books. In 1982, he was elected a member of the American Osler Society, an organization of physicians and historians devoted to the celebration of the extraordinary humanistic, scientific, and bibliophilic achievements of Sir William Osler, one of the founding members of John Hopkins University.

Awards and recognition

Goodrich was named to Best Doctors in America and was listed in the Guide to America's Top Surgeons by the Consumers Council of America and New York magazine. He received the New York City Mayors Award in Science and Technology. He also received the Bronze Medal from the Alumni Association of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He has also received awards including the Mead-Johnson Award, the Roche Laboratories Award in Neuroscience and the Sir William Osler Medal from the American Association for the History of Medicine in 1978. In 2018, he was awarded a Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement Award.

Death

Goodrich died in New York on March 30, 2020, of complications of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). He is survived by his wife, Judy Loudin, whom he married in 1970, and three sisters.