Shearwood J. McClelland
Shearwood J. McClelland (August 1, 1947 – August 13, 2023) was an American orthopedic surgeon, military physician, and academic clinician known for his work in total joint arthroplasty and his tenure at Harlem Hospital Center in New York City. He served as Director of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harlem Hospital Center from 1993 to 2018 and held an academic appointment as associate professor emeritus of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Biography
He was born in Gary, Indiana, and was raised in a working-class family; his father worked in the steel mills and his mother was a school crossing guard. He graduated as valedictorian of Tolleston High School before attending Princeton University, where he was active in student organizations including the Woodrow Wilson Society, Orange Key, the Association of Black Collegians, and Harlem in Princeton. He was a member of the Class of 1969 and resided in 1937 Hall during his undergraduate studies.
Following his undergraduate education, McClelland earned his Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (New York Orthopaedic Hospital) and later obtained an Executive Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. During his early career, he also completed a fellowship in joint implant surgery at The Ohio State University.
McClelland served as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy Medical Corps at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he held the position of Chief of Total Joint Surgery.
Career
McClelland spent the majority of his clinical career at Harlem Hospital Center, where he served as Attending Surgeon from 1983 and as Director of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery from 1993 to 2018. He also held an academic appointment as associate professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University.
At Harlem Hospital, McClelland held multiple administrative leadership roles, including Chair of the Case Management Committee, Vice President and Secretary of the Medical Board, and member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Harlem Hospital, Inc. He also served in external professional governance roles, including nine years on the New York State Board of Professional Medical Conduct and 25 years as a Senior Oral Examiner for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
In 2005, he was selected as a Health Policy Fellow of the National Association of Public Hospitals.
Research and scholarly work
McClelland's academic work focused on orthopedic trauma, prosthetic joint surgery, and complications associated with total hip and knee arthroplasty. His publications addressed topics including porous ingrowth prostheses, revision arthroplasty techniques, fracture management, and postoperative complications in joint replacement surgery.
Awards and honors
McClelland received the “Pioneer Award” from National Medical Fellowships on May 9, 2018.
He was also selected as a Health Policy Fellow of the National Association of Public Hospitals in 2005. In that same year, he was the recipient of the Columbia University Alumni Medal for Distinguished Service.
He was a Ten-Year Biographee in Castle Connolly’s “Doctors: New York Metro Area” (2010) and was included in editions of Who’s Who in Medicine & Healthcare, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World.
McClelland was a Life Member of Mensa, the Society of Sigma Xi, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He was also a senior fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.
Personal life
He married physician Yvonne S. Thornton in 1974, and the couple maintained a long professional and personal partnership in medicine and public health.
McClelland died on August 13, 2023, after a long illness. He was 76 years old. He is survived by his wife, his two children, and his granddaughter.