Dr Irvin O Kanat, DPM was considered one of the key leaders in the development of the profession in the USA and has left a substantial legacy for the profession, serving with the American Podiatric Medical Association for over five decades. He passed away on September 1, 2012, aged 79.
Dr. Kanat graduated from the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and then practiced in the Detroit area. He then was involved in setting up the very first Podiatric hospital and residency training in the world at the Civic hospital. Dr Kanat participated in the training of over 400 Podiatric residents while serving as director of Podiatric education and residency director at Kern. Dr. Kanat has served as an adjunct faculty member at all the podiatric medical colleges in the USA and has lectured extensively at national and local meetings.
He is a past-president of both the APMA and the MPMA. He was a founding father of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. He was awarded the first ABPS certificate, number 0001. Dr Kanat was a driving force in getting podiatrists defined as physicians in the Medicare entitlement program in 1965. He served as the Chief delegate from Michigan to the APMA House of Delegates since 1957.
Dr Kanat is the recipient of a number of prestigious honors including Presidential citations from Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton. He earned the APMA distinguished service citation in 1981; the alumnus of the year from the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine; and was inducted into Podiatry Management magazine’s Hall of Fame in 1998.
I was just notified that Irvin Kanat, DPM passed away today. In my opinion, he was one of the five most important figures in the world of podiatric medicine. His contributions to the residency training of podiatric surgeons lasted for over five decades. He will be dearly missed.
Lowell Scott Weil, Sr., DPM, Des Plaines, IL (Source)
Podiatry lost a giant when Dr. Irv Kanat passed away this week. Irv was truly a scholar and a gentleman. He taught generations of podiatrists. He sculpted young men and women into what we can proudly call “Today’s Podiatrist.” I did not have the good fortune to be trained by Irv, but envy those who were. I learned from Irv the power of the spoken word, the importance of advocating for ideas you believe would help our profession, and the obligation we all have to participate by representing our states at the APMA House of Delegates, serving on national and local committees and helping students and young members who are the next generation of podiatrists.
Anyone who attended an APMA House of Delegates in the past few decades witnessed a skilled orator in action whenever Irv went to a microphone. He calmly and politely presented facts and his opinions so persuasively that many delegates changed the way they planned to vote after listening to what Irv had to say. He never spoke in anger, and was never disrespectful; he just told us what he felt was best for our profession. Irv, your wit and wisdom will be sorely missed. The House of Delegates will never be the same. Goodbye, my friend.
Mark Schilansky, DPM; Speaker, APMA House of Delegates(Source)
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