William H. Lipshutz, Penn professor and retired head of gastroenterology at Pennsylvania Hospital, has died at 82
The American College of Physicians recognized his “outstanding teaching prowess, exemplary characteristics of care and concern for patients, and service as a role model and mentor.”
William H. Lipshutz, 82, of Philadelphia, retired chief of gastroenterology at Pennsylvania Hospital, award-winning clinical professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, veteran, and mentor, died Monday, Nov. 4, of complications from heart disease at his home in Center City.
Beginning in 1974, Dr. Lipshutz served for more than 30 years as section chief of gastroenterology at Pennsylvania Hospital. He cofounded Pennsylvania Hospital Gastrointestinal Associates in 1978 and was an attending physician at Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals until his retirement in 2019.
Former patients called him “extremely caring and compassionate” and “generous with his time and wisdom” in tributes. “He was the person and doctor we aspire to be,” a colleague said in a tribute. A former patient said: “He had great common sense, intelligence, and a good sense of humor. He was the best.”
Dr. Lipshutz rose to clinical full professor of medicine at Penn in 1985 and actively mentored young doctors until recently. He was also clinical professor of medicine at Jefferson from 1994 to 1997. “Nothing would make him happier than interacting with young inquisitive minds,” his family said in a tribute.
He earned a dozen awards for his instruction and research on gastrointestinal disorders and treatments from the American College of Physicians, Pennsylvania Hospital, and other organizations. His 2013 Outstanding Volunteer Clinical Teacher Award from the ACP noted his “outstanding teaching prowess, exemplary characteristics of care and concern for patients, and service as a role model and mentor.”
His spoke about colitis and other digestive diseases on local TV shows, and his research papers were published in the Journal of Gastroenterology, Contemporary Gastroenterology, Practical Gastroenterology, and other publications. He served in the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and was an assistant professor of medicine in 1973 at George Washington University in Washington.
He was a fellow at the ACP, American Gastroenterological Association, and American College of Gastroenterology, and a member of other medical groups. For years, he was listed among the area’s top doctors by local publications.
“He served as a role model for generations of physicians,” a colleague said.
William Herman Lipshutz was born March 1, 1942, in Philadelphia. He was an exceptional student and football player at Central High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree at Swarthmore College in 1963 and medical degree at Penn in 1967.
He was an intern and resident at Pennsylvania Hospital and a fellow at Penn in the 1960s, and an assistant professor and a clinical associate professor at Penn in the 1970s and ’80s.
He married Andrea Edelsohn, and they had a daughter, Amy, and a son, Jonathan. His first wife died in 2005. He met Ilene Liss through mutual friends, they married in 2007, and he welcomed her sons, Derek and Jonathan, and their families into his family.
Dr. Lipshutz played college football at Swarthmore and was active with other alumni. He was especially proud that his wife’s grandson was attending the college and playing lacrosse.
He and his wife traveled often, and they toured China, Africa, Europe, and elsewhere. He also liked to chat with old friends in Margate.
He played basketball with friends and had a self-deprecating sense of humor. Everybody said that he never said a bad word about anybody. His family said: “He had a strong desire to do the right thing.”
Friends called him a “gentle man” and praised his “sharp mind” and “amazing intellect.” His family called him a “star human.”
“He was the most generous, warm, and kind person I know,” Derek Liss said. “He was selfless.”
In addition to his wife and children, Dr. Lipshutz is survived by a granddaughter, a sister, and other relatives. A brother died earlier.
Services were held on Nov. 10.
Donations in his name may be made to Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107.