Dr. Donald Palmisano, former president of the American Medical Association, dies at 83 - NOLA.com

Dr. Donald Palmisano, a lad of the Irish Channel who became president of the American Medical Association, died connected Nov. 23 successful Passages Hospice successful New Orleans of complications from a autumn astatine his home, his wife, Robin Spencer Palmisano, said. He was 83.

“He was a fantastic feline with endless curiosity,” said Dr. Ronald French, a person since their undergraduate days astatine Tulane University. “What made him tick was his unthinkable curiosity for cognition and the information and justice.”

Palmisano became the American Medical Association’s president successful 2003 aft climbing the organization’s powerfulness ladder arsenic a trustee, a subordinate of the enforcement committee, secretary-treasurer and president-elect.

He was a wide and vascular surgeon. In summation to that full-time job, helium earned a pilot’s licence and a instrumentality degree, took up quality photography, acceptable up a concern to merchantability his pictures and was elected president of the Louisiana State Medical Society.

“He was precise bright, precise inquisitive and precise deliberate,” said Dr. Daniel H. “Stormy” Johnson Jr., a section radiologist who preceded Palmisano arsenic an AMA president.

Palmisano earned the instrumentality grade aft being sued for malpractice by a diligent helium hadn’t operated on — the suit was dropped — due to the fact that helium said helium wanted to larn however specified cases are litigated. He was determined to bash it, adjacent though it meant taking classes astatine nighttime aft operating successful the greeting and squeezing successful a fewer innings of a son’s Little League games successful the afternoon. He ne'er practiced law, but helium said successful a 2003 interrogation that the grooming helped him signifier his presentations and make statement strategies.

“I ever enjoyed challenges,” helium said.

Palmisano grew up successful an flat atop Caronna’s Restaurant and Bar, which his grandparents ran astatine Magazine and Josephine streets. A voracious reader, helium devoured comic books, which helium bought successful the drugstore crossed the thoroughfare because, helium said successful an interview, “they could instrumentality maine to faraway places.”

Spider-Man was a favorite. In summation to his quality photographs, a poster of the superhero bearing this connection adorned the walls of Palmisano’s office: “No 1 ever said redeeming the satellite would beryllium easy.”

Palmisano successfully lobbied for a 1978 measure successful the Louisiana Legislature that capped malpractice awards astatine $500,000 and acceptable up diligent compensation funds and reappraisal panels, French said.

A postgraduate of De La Salle High School, wherever helium edited the schoolhouse insubstantial and was connected the statement team, Palmisano earned undergraduate and aesculapian degrees astatine Tulane, adjacent though helium came adjacent to dropping retired of aesculapian schoolhouse aft flunking an anatomy exam. When helium told his father — Dominic Palmisano, a New Orleans policeman — what helium intended to do, his begetter wouldn’t perceive of it and gave him 3 bits of advice: Do your homework. Have courage. Don’t springiness up.

Friends said that was capable to imbue Palmisano with the determination that characterized his life. He had a residency astatine Charity Hospital and served 2 years successful the Air Force arsenic main of country for the 821st Medical Group, receiving the Air Force Commendation Medal for his enactment aft a B-52 crash.

"He’s astir a Renaissance man," said Donna Klein, a health-care lawyer and longtime friend. "Everything he’s done successful his life, he’s done with specified passion. He thinks helium tin prevention the world, but helium takes it 1 measurement astatine a time."

In summation to his wife, survivors see a son, Donald J. Palmisano Jr. of Oak Park, Illinois; 2 daughters, Mary Ellen Palmisano and Donna Palmisano Schmidt, some of Metairie; a brother, Leonard Palmisano of Metairie; a sister, Marylyn Haddican of Metairie; 7 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.

A ceremonial volition beryllium held Dec. 30 astatine 10 a.m. successful Our Lady of Peace Chapel astatine St. Paul’s School, 917 South Jahncke Ave., Covington. Visitation volition statesman astatine 9 a.m.

Burial volition beryllium private.

Serenity Funeral Home of Covington is successful complaint of arrangements.