In memoriam: Mark Dine, MD
Compassionate physician, inquisitive and productive researcher, inspiring teacher – these words only begin to describe Dr. Mark Dine’s remarkable career. For 60 years he contributed to the well-being of thousands of children and their families. But his contributions extended far beyond his offices on Winton Road. Dine passed away at his home in Cincinnati on August 16, 2017. He was 90 years old.
Born in Cincinnati, he received a BS in Liberal Arts and Medicine from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and graduated AOA with an MD from the UC College of Medicine. After two years as an intern and junior resident in Pediatrics at the University Hospitals in Iowa City, he completed two years as a pediatric resident at Cincinnati Children’s. From 1953 to 1955, he served as a captain in the United States Air Force, stationed at Lockland Air Force Base. Upon his return to Cincinnati, he established a solo pediatric practice.
After more than 20 years in practice, Dine attended a total immersion course in medical ethics at the Kennedy Institute at Georgetown University. When he returned, he was appointed the founding chairman of the Committee on Bioethics of the UC Medical Center. Five years later, he was appointed the founding chairman of the Biomedical Ethics Committee at Cincinnati Children’s.
In the early 1970s, the FDA established Institutional Review Boards whose primary responsibility is the protection of human research subjects. As a member of the IRB at Cincinnati Children’s for 28 years, he reviewed research protocols and actively participated at monthly meetings.
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides an annual award to a single pediatrician based on the excellence of their research in an office setting. In 1999, Dine received this award based on 26 publications, all of which appeared in major national peer-reviewed pediatric journals. This included a report that was the first to describe a case of what is now known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. In 1976 he was a member of a panel whose deliberations resulted in the publication on an important and controversial topic: the sterilization of the developmentally disabled.
In addition, he volunteered to serve as the pediatric consultant for the residency program in the newly established Department of Family Medicine at the University Medical Center, where he regularly attended Family Medicine clinics for 10 years. In 1991 the graduating class awarded him the Interdepartmental Specialty Teacher of the Year Award.
In 1972 Dine served as president of the medical staff at Cincinnati Children’s. In 1993 he was recognized as the Pediatrician of the Year by the Cincinnati Pediatric Society.
These activities were only possible because of the support of his long-standing associate, Dan Freidberg, MD, who was later joined by Drs. Marcie Strasser and Madhavi Delsignore.
Dine enjoyed music, theater, world-wide travel and gardening. He had a life-long interest in photography and had his own darkroom. He eagerly observed his religious practice and regularly set aside time to deepen his knowledge of Judaism. Despite his extensive professional achievements, Dine’s most important priority was always his family. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Esther, after 61 years of marriage. He is survived by his children, Michael (Melanie), Richard (Sarah), Jeffrey (Deborah), Karen, seven grandchildren, and Penina Frankel, a dear friend.
Dine’s significant contributions to the local medical community, to Cincinnati Children’s, and to the practice of medicine are a tribute to his curiosity, his enthusiasm, and his kindness.
-- Irwin Light, MD
