9/5/23 news article
Michael Albert, MD, named 2023 Wallace B. Taggart award winner
On Friday, August 26, Michael Albert, MD, chief, division of othopedics was awarded the prestigious Wallace B. Taggart Award. The award is Dayton Children's highest physician honor and recognizes an exceptional commitment to Dayton Children's, patient care and the Dayton community.
The award’s namesake, Dr. Wallace B. Taggart, worked alongside Dr. Alan Shafer and Elsie T. Mead to establish Dayton Children’s in 1967. Dr. Taggart set a lasting standard for serving the Dayton Children’s mission and delivering outstanding patient care.
This year’s Taggart award recipient, Dr. Albert, has led the orthopedic department at Dayton Children’s for nearly all of his 34-year career. He came to Dayton Children’s during his first rotation studying at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Albert didn’t hesitate to make Dayton Children’s his home.
Dr. Albert embodies the Daytonian spirit of innovation with his work to create cutting-edge, minimally invasive surgery options that get kids back to school or their sport quickly while preserving their long-term growth and development. Among his innovative achievements are pioneering the BandLoc spinal surgery and being one of 20 orthopedic surgeons approved to perform ApiFix surgery. Both procedures have greatly improved the efficiency of spinal surgeries for young patients.
While he has worked tirelessly to bring new technologies from around the world to Dayton Children’s, Dr. Albert has also helped to grow the orthopedics division to include seven talented surgeons and diverse providers that have trained in strategic fellowships around the country.
His efforts have elevated patient care at Dayton Children’s, achieving three “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings in orthopedics by the U.S. News and World Report. Dr. Albert has also been awarded a number of individual honors, including the 2015 Alan D. Shafer Distinguished Service Award and, most recently, being named a “Healthcare Hero” by the Dayton Business Journal.
Outside of his work at Dayton Children’s, Dr. Albert wears many hats – he is a father of five, grandfather of two, an avid golfer and assists with wheelchair basketball at Miami Valley Adaptive Sports. He has also published many journal articles that help doctors and surgeons nationwide better craft their orthopedics.
Dr. Albert’s dedication to his patients’ wellbeing, delivering the highest quality of care and bringing the newest innovative technologies to Dayton Children’s make him a very deserving recipient of the Wallace B. Taggart Award.
