NEW YORK – Dr. Panagiotis Manolas was elected President of Hellenic Medical Society of New York (HMSNY). Dr. Manolas is a trusted surgeon, who earned his medical degree from the University of Athens School of Health Sciences. He completed a residency in surgery at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and a residency in plastic surgery at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital to enhance his clinical abilities.

After Dr. Manolas‘s residency, he pursued additional fellowship training in pathology at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. He is also board certified by the American Board of Surgery and is multilingual in English, French, Greek, Spanish, and Italian. He is a member of the Athens Medical Association, the Greek Medical Association, and the International Union of Angiology.

Affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Lenox Hill Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital, he has been in practice for more than 20 years and is one of 61 doctors at Lenox Hill and one of 164 at Mount Sinai who specialize in General Surgery.

Dr. Manolas is highly regarded by his colleagues. He succeeds Dr. George Liakeas who made great contributions to the Society during his presidency. Dr. Liakeas spoke to The National Herald about Dr. Manolas’ election. He said that “we are very happy when there is a change and in this case there is a new president, and also some new members of the Board of Directors, too.”

Dr. Liakeas added that “as a former president, I will continue to be active” and pointed out that “the new president brings in new energy, new life, and new love for the Society. There is enthusiasm for a new era in the Society.”

Of Dr. Manolas, he said that “he is very dynamic, smart, and inclusive, that is, he includes everyone and he can inspire many young people we are trying to reach.”

Dr. Andreas Cosmatos, who was recently honored at the HMSNY 82nd Annual Gala with the Distinguished Colleague Award, said, “I have known Dr. Manolas for close to 30 years. He is one of the hardest working doctors I know. He will be a great leader for the Hellenic Medical Society. He has great leadership skills, is very organized, and has strong connections in the Greek community. I will be part of the executive board helping and aiding Dr. Manolas to steer this philanthropic group forward.”

The Hellenic Medical Society of New York, founded in 1936 is a professional organization of physicians. The Society is devoted to education and international outreach projects, granting scholarships, fellowships and awards, and also fostering strong ties to the community through conferences and symposia like the one held to honor the Distinguished Female Physician of the Year and the annual Scientific Symposium and Scholarship Award Ceremony.

The Hellenic Medical Society has its origins in the Greek-American Medical Fraternity, an organization co-founded by the renowned physician George N. Papanicolaou during the First World War. The organization officially registered with the New York State authorities in 1920. Drs. George N. Papanicolaou, Constantinos Carousos, and Constantinos Logothetis served consecutively as presidents of this fraternity. In 1936, Dr. Coryllos with other members of the Hellenic University Club formed The Hellenic Medical Society (HMS), a professional organization of physicians. The founders included the pediatrician Christos Bozes, the internist Alexander Alexio, the dermatologist Nicholas Pattakos, the gynecologist Avraam Soukouris, and the surgeon Constantine Psakis. The specific objectives of the HMS included creating a network of Greek-American physicians, cultivating fraternal relationships among its members, and promoting public health initiatives in conjunction with other medical societies.