W. Kenneth Riland Memorial Lecture

Dr. W. Kenneth Riland, D.O. (1912–1989) was born 7 August 1912, in Camden, New Jersey. His patients included Richard M. Nixon and Nelson A. Rockefeller, he was the cofounder of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Old Westbury, Long Island, New York.

"Personal physician to Nelson A. Rockefeller for more than 30 years, Dr. Riland treated a number of nationally known figures. He provided osteopathic manipulative treatment(OMT) to Richard M. Nixon for several years and even traveled with the President on his world trip in 1969 and his trip to China in 1972. Dr. Riland also provided OMT to Henry A. Kissinger during his stint as Secretary of State...Dr. Riland graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1936. Soon after settling in Manhattan, he began working part-time for the US Steel Corporation. He later became US Steel's chief physician in New York, a position he held for more than 20 years. In 1974, he became a consultant to the company. He was still practicing in Manhattan at the time of his death."

Dr. Riland was a cofounder and chairman of the board of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYCOM) of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in Old Westbury, NY. He was also a founder and the first president of both the New York Academy of Osteopathy and the Academy's Foundation for Research. Dr. Riland delivered the 1969 Andrew Taylor Still Memorial Address, an annual lecture presented at the AOA House of Delegates in memory and honor of the founder of osteopathic medicine; it is considered as one of the profession's highest honors. Dr. Riland was board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and was a Fellow of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) and the New York Academy of Osteopathy. He served the AAO as a Trustee and as a member of its Board of Governors, and he was the 1963 recipient of the Academy's Andrew Taylor Still Medallion of Honor. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Postgraduate Institute of Osteopathic Medicine & Surgery which is now affiliated with NYCOM. Dr. Riland received an honorary doctorate of science from Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine a doctor of laws degree from the New York Institute of Technology. He waited also received a distinguished service award from the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society and O.J. Snyder Memorial Medallion from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Riland was known to be a Manhattan socialite. He kept a journal of his life's events, which is now at the Rockefeller Archive Center at Rockefeller University in New York City, NY. He died of complications from lymphoma on 13 March 1989 at New York Presbyterian Hospital (formerly New York Hospital). At the time, he was 76 years old.

Today, the W. Kenneth Riland Memorial Lecture & Medal presentation is a key feature at the annual mid-year conference of the American Osteopathic College of Occupational & Preventive Medicine (AOCOPM). Dr. Riland was a pioneer in the field of occupational & environmental medicine, a longtime member and fellow of the AOCOPM. Established in 1983 by the Board of Trustees, this prestigious lecture is presented by an individual, member or nonmember, who has demonstrated a desire to see the practice of occupational & preventive medicine excel for the public good.

Past Recipients include:

1983 W. Kenneth Riland, DO, FAOCPM

1984 The Way Forward - Loren L. Hatch, DO, PhD, FAOCPM

1985 The Changing World of Occupational Medicine - Ellis Siefer, DO, FACOS

1986 Murray Goldstein, DO, MPH, FAAN, FAOCPM

1987 George W. Northrup, DO, FACGP, FACOS

1988 Don E. Ramney, DO, FACOS

1989 A Review of Recent Literature Supporting the Role of Osteopathy in
Preventive Medicine - Irvin “Kim” Korr, PhD

1990 Trauma and Injury Prevention in Professional Dancers - Richard M.
Bachrach, DO, FAOASM

1991 An Economic Analysis of the US Healthcare System - Douglas A. Fraser, UAW
President-Retired

1992 100 Years of Osteopathic Medicine - Steve Mahalich, DO, FAOCOPM

1993 AOCOPM's Place in History - Ward E. Perrin, DO, FACOI

1994 Occupational Psychiatry- David Jones, MD, MPH

1995 Unexplained Desert Storm Veteran's Illnesses - Honorable William Brewster,
US Representative from Oklahoma

1996 Occupational Medicine Update - Douglas A. Swift, MD, MSPH, FACOEM

1997 Complacency Denied: The Changing Face of Medicine Howard S. Teitelbaum,
DO, PhD, MPH, FAOCOPM

1998 Emerging Healthcare Issues - Rear Adm. Joyce M. Johnson, DO, MPH

1999 Edward B. Kinports, Jr., MD

2000 Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity -
Roy L. DeHart, MD, MPH, FACOEM

2001 Hydrogen Bromide Pneumoconiose - Earl D. Miller, DO, FAOCOPM

2002 Evidence Based Medical Practice - Thomas A. Quinn, DO, FAOCOPM

2003 Uphill and Against the Wind-Living with Disability - Clifford Brubaker, PhD

2004 Advanced Technologies for Disaster Response - Daniel Berry, DO, PhD, MS,
FAOCOPM

2005 Asbestos Exposure in Vermiculite Mining - Vikas Kapil, DO, MPH, FACOEM

2006 Interventional Pain Management - Dennis J. Courtney, MD, FAOCOPM

2007 The Ergonomic Process - E. Robert Wanat, II, DO, MPH, FAOCOPM

2008 Corporate health Promotion - Stanley Miller, DO, MPH, FAOCOPM

2009 Welding Fumes, Manganese, and Parkinsonism - Homer Jack Moore, MD

2010 Healthcare Reform Under the Obama Administration - Jean Slutsky, PA, MSPH

2011 Head Injury: Treatment & Disability - David Romine DO, MPH

2012 Protecting and Promoting Total Worker Health, a New NIOSH Initiative,
L. Casey Chosewood, MD

2013 Global Public Health: An Overview of Chevron Efforts, Huma Abbasi, MD, MPH

2014 Compliance Drug Screenings in Workers Compensation, Stephen E. Popper,
DO, PhD, MPH

2015 Public Health Ethical Principles, Joanna Drowos, DO, MPH

2016 History of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Mary Hanley, DO

2017 Impacts of Environmental Pollutants on Health, Sean Richards, PhD

2018 Ethical Issues in Correctional Health Care, John Mills, DO, MPH, FAOCOPM

2019 Current Medical Legal Issues in Occupational Medicine, Paul Fowler, DO, JD, FAOCOPM

2021 Mariner, Oilfield, Remote Worker – Fitness for Duty, Robert Bourgeois, MD, MPH, FACOEM

2022 Dealing with Difficult People, John G. Mills, DO, MS, MPH, FAOCOPM-d

2023 Opioid Use Disorder: An Evidence-Based, Public Health-Oriented Approach, Benjamin Grin, MD