Lynell Klassen, M.D., professor and chairman of the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Internal Medicine, has been inducted as a master of the American College of Physicians (ACP).
There have only been about 1,150 masterships awarded in the 96-year history of the ACP. It’s an honor which only five other Nebraskan physicians have received.
Masters comprise a small group of highly distinguished physicians, selected from among fellows, who have achieved recognition in medicine. Criteria includes exhibiting preeminence in practice or medical research, holding positions of high honor, or making significant contributions to medical science or the art of medicine.
“Lyn is a master of the art of diagnosis and treatment and an accomplished scientist,” said Rod Markin, M.D., Ph.D., interim dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. “Among his many accomplishments at UNMC, this is a richly deserved reward.”
A rheumatologist, Dr. Klassen joined UNMC in 1982 and served as vice chair of medicine and chief of rheumatology and immunology at UNMC, where he initiated the Experimental Immunology Laboratory, co-directed UNMC’s Bone Marrow Transplant Program and founded the HIV Clinic.
He also served as chief of rheumatology and associate chief of staff and research at the Omaha Veterans Administration Medical Center. He has a long-standing interest in the role the immune system plays in alcoholic liver disease.
He serves on the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Advisory Council. He also held key posts with the American College of Rheumatology and ACP. He directs the ACP Midwest Internal Medicine Board Review Course.
Other Nebraska physicians to receive the master honor are John Benson, M.D., Fred Paustian, M.D., Robert Recker, M.D., and Rowen Zetterman, M.D.
The American College of Physicians is the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 130,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists and medical students. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection and treatment of illness in adults.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.