6 minute read
Dr. Mira Irons, President and CEO of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
FEATURE
Dr. Mira Irons, President and CEO
of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
by Karen L. Chandler
Leading The College of Physicians of Philadelphia since August 2021, Mira Bjelotomich Irons, M.D., FACMGG, FAAP, FCPP, talks of her past, the journey which brought her to her current role, and her hopes for the future of The College.
As the first woman leader in the College’s history, Dr. Mira Irons is inspired to bring her skills to both the organization and the surrounding area to both address current issues and share the impacts of medicine.
“Women like to be collaborative,” Irons said. “We like to bring groups of people together to work together. There are many organizations in the Philadelphia area: medical schools, and hospitals, the county medical society and specialty societies, in addition to cultural institutions. Identifying ways that the College can work with some of the other groups in Philadelphia to advance their mission and convene around important issues is one thing that benefits from being able to bring people together. I’d like to be able to do that.”
A Chicago native, Dr. Mira Irons was the only child of World War II refugees from the former Yugoslavia. Irons’ upbringing focused on the importance of education and the breadth of opportunities available in the United States.
The emphasis on education impacted Irons’ early life, as she remained an engaged student who committed to a career as a physician during her high school years.
Irons was accepted into a six-year medical program at Northwestern University, an event which decided her future. She graduated from medical school at age 23 and entered a threeyear pediatric residency at Children’s Memorial Hospital, the Northwestern pediatric program in Chicago, followed by a threeyear fellowship in medical and biochemical genetics in Boston. Her move to Boston set in place the next thirty years of Irons’ career in medicine. The years in Boston were spent in a fellowship in Genetics at the Boston Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by caring for patients as a pediatric geneticist at Tufts Medical Center, and a return to Boston Children’s Hospital where she served as the clinical Chief of Genetics and Metabolism. Irons also acted as program director for the Harvard Medical medical genetics and laboratory training programs, continued a busy clinical practice, and remained active in research during her time in Boston.
A job opportunity arose for Irons to become the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the umbrella organization of medical certifying boards, and allowed Irons to move back to Chicago to be nearer to her parents.
“I had participated in a lot of national leadership work in genetics and medical education, so when this opportunity came up it was really to do something different. It was to impact medical care on a national basis as opposed to only within my specialty,” Irons said.
A position as the Chief Health and Science Officer for the American Medical Association followed the ABMS. Irons describes the role as giving her a deeper understanding of how to work with advocacy groups at the AMA at both the state and national levels to support physicians and help protect patients.
“The pandemic hit while I was there and given my role, I became the point person to provide the necessary thought leadership with regard to the pandemic, to work with all the groups across the AMA
and inform their efforts. It was COVID, 24/7, all COVID all the time. We were all going through it together,” Irons said. “I can’t tell you how much I learned from the advocacy group at the AMA about really advocating for physicians to be able to care for their patients in the manner they should be cared for and to be sure people are cared for appropriately.”
Almost two years later, Irons decided to accept her role at the College of Physicians, a historic institution she describes as sitting at the intersection of medicine, public health, and the public, serving to convene important conversations that are not just within medicine, but impact public health and the public.
Physicians have always been aware of history, according to Irons, and she believes that this understanding of the progression of science and how that informs new diagnoses and new therapies positively impacts health and provides hope for many people.
“It’s important that we are reminding people of medical progress and making them aware of the human stories of newly characterized diseases and new therapies,” Irons said of the mission of the College.
The College of Physicians also has a history of inspiring young people to careers in medicine, according to Irons. She speaks with pride of the programs which target historically underrepresented students from the Philadelphia community and focus on stimulating interest in STEM and health care careers.
Irons said, “I’d love to expand our educational programs and be able to provide more programs for other young people who may not have a clear path to medicine. There were no doctors in my family, so I had no idea how to follow that path, but fortunately I had a guidance counselor who helped, and I asked a lot of questions. We could be that resource for young people. “
Looking toward the future, Irons hopes the College can provide both enhanced exhibition spaces and public events to continue sharing the history of medicine in Philadelphia, stories of innovation and the impacts of medicine, plus providing a place for the public to ask questions or raise concerns.
Irons is enjoying her life in the Philadelphia area, noting how she loves the diversity, the people, and the history of the city.
“You can’t escape history when you walk around the city and how history is juxtaposed with innovation and learning and moving toward the future. You see it in the architecture, and you see it in the educational systems,” she said.
Currently a resident of Moorestown, New Jersey, Irons has a daughter who is following in her footsteps toward a career in medicine and a son who is a teacher.
The importance of her role at the College of Physicians and its place in Philadelphia is not lost on Irons as she reaches a year in her position as its president and CEO.
