Alumnus of the Year

Established in 1990, this honor is bestowed upon Scholl alumni who have distinguished themselves in the profession and exemplified consistent commitment and dedication to the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and the Scholl College Alumni Association.

2011 Recipient

Richard G. Macdonald, DPM, has dedicated his professional life to the practice and advancement of podiatric medical care. Following his graduation in 1960, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, taught at West Point, and was the first commissioned podiatrist to receive the Army Commendation Medal in 1964.

Board certified in podiatric surgery, Dr. Macdonald operated a private practice in Peoria from 1965 until his retirement in 2007. He helped pave the way for podiatrists across the country who struggled to gain hospital and surgical privileges. After joining the podiatry department at rural Hopedale Hospital, he continued to foster relationships with the hospitals that denied podiatrists credentials, eventually pursuing his cause in a successful federal court case.

Dr. Macdonald worked to educate administrators of employer-based health plans and hospitals on the value of podiatric care and its ability to lower medical costs, particularly in the treatment of diabetes. He developed a medical algorithm for wound care, using techniques he helped to foster during visits to a now-closed hospital for the treatment of leprosy in Carville, La.

An early architect of value-based purchasing, Dr. Macdonald documented both the clinical and economic outcomes of his work with patients and provided that data to both providers and purchasers of health care in his city. He also authored several peer-reviewed articles highlighting those benefits.

Dr. Macdonald served as a clinical instructor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Illinois’ College of Medicine at Peoria and he has worked as a consultant and independent contractor for national health care systems.

An avid writer, Dr. Macdonald has authored popular articles for podiatric medical journals. In 2010, he published Inside the Gates: The Nazi Concentration Camp at Ebensee, Austria, a true account of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp and the role played by his father, Lt. Col. Hugh Macdonald, MD.

Dr. Macdonald has lectured widely. He is a member of numerous community and professional organizations and has held leadership roles with the Scholl College Alumni Association Board of Directors, the APMA Podiatric Research Advisory Committee and the Illinois Podiatric Medical Association. He also served as president of podiatry staff at Hopedale Hospital and chairman of podiatry, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.

A fellow of the American College of Podiatric Physicians, Dr. Macdonald is the father of three adult children and grandfather of two.