Gerald P. Tracy, MD

Biography

Gerald P. Tracy, MD, a beloved professor of medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, was recently named the 2017 recipient of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Distinguished Service Award. The award was first given in 1956 to Jonas E. Salk, MD. Since then, the society has honored just 26 Pennsylvania physicians and two non-physicians. It is considered the highest award a member can receive from the statewide organization.

A graduate of The University of Scranton, Dr. Tracy received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his residency in internal medicine and his fellowship in cardiology at SUNY Upstate Medical Center. He served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of captain.

A founding member of the Medical Education Development Consortium in 2004, Dr. Tracy, along with others, foresaw a need in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania for a medical college to help increase the number of practicing physicians in local and nearby communities as well as to improve patient access to care in the area. This grassroots effort led to the development of The Commonwealth Medical College, now Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, with the first class entering in 2009.

Dr. Tracy is a founding partner of Great Valley Cardiology and was the director of cardiovascular diseases and then president of the medical staff at Mercy Hospital in Scranton (now Regional Hospital of Scranton). He also served as president of the Keystone Chapter of the American Heart Association and was a member of the state research review committee and co-chair of the Heart Gala 2004. He served as a counselor, as well as vice president of the American College of Cardiology Eastern Pennsylvania and was director of its third-party relations committee.

He has been a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society since 1975 and was district representative to that society’s Political Action Committee; District 3 representative on the Pennsylvania Medical Society Board of Trustees; and a member of the Pennsylvania KePro Board of Trustees. He has been a member of the Lackawanna County Medical Society since 1976 and has served as co-editor for that society’s Quarterly Journal and on its board of directors. A proud graduate of The University of Scranton, he served as president of its alumni society, was a member of its advisory council and board of trustees, serving as vice chairman in 1994-1995 and chairman in 1996-1998. He is also founding president of the university’s Medical Alumni Council.

In addition to teaching at Geisinger Commonwealth, he has served as a clinical associate professor of medicine at Temple University School of Medicine.