NAAC Board Members

Richard K. Spence, MD


President

Medical Officer, Infonalé - a Haemonetics Company
Specialty: Vascular Surgery
Richard Spense

Richard K. Spence is the Medical Officer for Infonale - a Haemonetics Company based in Braintree, MA. Dr. Spence received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed a surgical internship and residency in general surgery, followed by a fellowship in vascular surgery, all at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Spence is board-certified in both general and vascular surgery, and he is currently pursuing a master's degree in health care administration.

Dr. Spence's interests focus on transfusion alternatives in surgery, vascular disease, and surgical education. Early involvement in 1982 in the care of patients without blood transfusion led to both a lifelong interest for Dr. Spence and his development of one of the first bloodless medicine and surgery centers in the world. Dr. Spence is the only surgeon to have been awarded a Transfusion Medicine Academic Award grant from the National Institutes of Health. He chaired the committee responsible for the development of surgical transfusion guidelines that were published in 1995 in the American of Journal Surgery. His interest in venous disease as one of the "step-children" of vascular surgery also began early in his career. Dr. Spence has devoted much of his clinical work to the treatment of chronic venous wounds, varicose veins and post-phlebitic syndrome. He is the author of over 230 publications in these areas. He co-edited the 2nd edition of Perioperative Transfusion Medicine, a leading text in the field.

Dr. Spence is the founding President of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management and a former president of the Association for Surgical Education and of regional vascular societies in New Jersey and Delaware Valley. He has been recognized both nationally and internationally for his work in these fields and is a sought-after speaker.

Dr. Spence is a fellow of the American College of Surgery and a member of many surgical and transfusion-related societies, including the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery, the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, the American College of Phlebology, the American Venous Forum, and the AABB. He serves as an ad hoc reviewer for the American Journal of Surgery, SABM, and the Journal of Vascular Surgery.

Last Updated: January 26, 2009