Since 1989, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has acknowledged individuals who have distinguished themselves through their exemplary investments in the mission of the College and in philanthropy with the Distinguished Philanthropist Award.
The Board of Directors of the ACS Foundation will present the 2019 Distinguished Philanthropist Award to Christopher K. Payne, MD, FACS, at its annual Donor Recognition Luncheon Monday. The award recognizes Dr. Payne for his philanthropic endeavors, service to the surgical profession, and long-lasting contributions to the medical community and the ACS.
A valued ACS Fellow since 1996 and ACS Foundation donor since 1998, Dr. Payne’s generous philanthropic contributions have elevated him to the Fellows Leadership Society Legacy Circle—one of the top three giving tiers within the ACS Foundation Donor Recognition Program.
Nationally recognized as a leader on issues in female urology, Dr. Payne practices jointly with his spouse, Jeanette Potts, MD, at Vista Urology and Pelvic Pain Partners, San Jose, CA. Dr. Payne is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, and completed a urology residency at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
After completing a fellowship in female urology, urodynamics, and pelvic reconstructive surgery at the University of California Los Angeles in 1992–1993, he was recruited to Stanford University, CA, in August 1993 to initiate a new program in female urology and neurourology. As Stanford’s director of female urology, urodynamics, and neurourology, Dr. Payne worked with residents and fellows to improve the care of women with urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and other functional urinary tract disorders. He served as a principal investigator for several studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has traveled to Europe, Australia, and Kenya to train other health care professionals in care for women’s urology and to develop new surgical techniques for women struggling with vesicovaginal fistulas. He advanced to a tenured position as professor of urology and served continuously until his retirement from Stanford in 2014 as an emeritus professor.
Dr. Payne has a special interest in obstetric fistula and women’s health issues in the developing world. He is president of the board of the Worldwide Fistula Fund and has served on the Fistula and Developing World Committees of the International Continence Society.
His clinical interests include male and female urinary incontinence; urodynamics; interstitial cystitis; pelvic prolapse; genitourinary fistulas; neurogenic bladder; and all types of pelvic reconstructive surgery, with special emphasis on native tissue repairs.
No stranger to philanthropy, Dr. Payne has dedicated his time and work to various organizations, such as IVUmed, providing volunteer support for outreach in female urology in Kampala, Uganda; the Fistula Committee of the International Continence Society; and a trustee of the International Continence Society.
He has served on NIH advisory/oversight panels on urinary incontinence and interstitial cystitis. He received two NIH principal investigator grants focusing on treatment of interstitial cystitis. He has served three terms as chair of the NIH committee for research methodology for the international consultation on incontinence. He has authored more than 80 scientific publications. His latest article, “Vesicovaginal fistula repair,” was published in the International Urogynecology Journal in 2018. He also was the primary author of the “International Continence Society white paper regarding gential mutilation/cutting” published in Neurology & Urodynamics this year.
In addition, Dr. Payne is director and president of The BelleJAR Foundation. Based in San Francisco, BelleJAR has donated to various charitable organizations with a special focus on West Virginia high school programs developed to encourage students to consider medical careers in rural communities.