Eric Frykberg, MD, FACS, is known all over the world for the strides he made in vascular surgery, trauma care and disaster management.
He is legendary among former students not only for his brilliance as a surgeon, but also for his quirky sense of humor, endless knowledge of trivia and tenderness with his patients.
As a professor of surgery and chief of the division of general surgery, Frykberg was a key leader at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville for nearly 30 years.
The heart of his work was done in the UF Health Jacksonville Trauma Center, so it was the ideal location for a plaque honoring Frykberg, who died at age 62 in March.
"This is the place Rick’s star shined the brightest. This is where he stood and educated — literally — generations," said Joseph Tepas III, MD , FACS, UF professor and chief of pediatric surgery, and associate dean for clinical informatics, during the plaque’s dedication recently.
"He was an extraordinary clinician, educator, innovator and friend to our organization. We are a far better place because of his leadership," said Greg Miller, UF Health Jacksonville senior vice president and chief operating officer.
The plaque, placed on a wall in a busy hallway of the Trauma Center, will serve as "inspiration" to the staff, Tepas said.
Frykberg’s wife of 39 years, Patti Frykberg, predicted many of her husband’s go-to phrases will be repeated as his friends and students pass the plaque.
"We do it the same way every time," one person recalled him saying.
Frykberg’s daughter, Jessica Vogel, a recreational therapist, said she met one of her father’s former students in a hospital in Tennessee. The physician said he still hears Frykberg’s guiding words in his head when he operates, and he is a better surgeon because of it.
"He was a great teacher and a great person overall," Vogel said. "The patients and his family were always at the forefront of what he was doing."
Among the many physicians inspired by Frykberg, his daughter, Erica Glas, DO, an obstetrician/gynecologist, said she was "definitely inspired by my dad" to go into medicine.
His son Brett Frykberg, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon, also pursued a career inspired by his father.
Frykberg was active nationally and internationally. He was a founding member and past president of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma; a governor of the American College of Surgeons and a member of its Committee on Trauma; a fellow of the American Surgical Association; and a fellow of the Southern Surgical Association.
His academic interests involved not only trauma care and disaster management, but vascular injuries, general surgical problems and the management of breast cancer and breast diseases. His broad experience and knowledge were key attributes to his success as a master surgical educator.
In addition to his wife and children, he is survived by five grandchildren.
The plaque honoring Frykberg reads:
Eric Robert Frykberg, MD, FACS
1951-2013
Surgeon, Educator, Visionary
His commitment to better care of the injured patient revolutionized treatment of vascular trauma.
His concern for victims of major disasters forged new systems of training and preparation for mass casualty care throughout the world.
His dedication to all aspects of surgical care set the standard of excellence for generations of physicians in training and for many yet to come.