Richard Macchia, MD

Richard J. Macchia, MD FACS-In June, 2009, Dr. Macchia was appointed to the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute at Cleveland Clinic Florida (CCF Florida) at Weston. His former student and resident, Dr. Lawrence Hakim, was then chief of service. In September, 2015 Dr. Fernando Cabrera, another one of his former residents, joined the Weston staff. From 2011-2018 he was Affiliate Professor of clinical Biomedical Science on the faculty of the Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. 

He has been listed more than 60 times in various "best doctor" publications in New York, Florida, and nationally. In May, 2013 at its annual meeting the American Urological Association presented him with one of its highest awards, the Distinguished Contribution Award, for his career long efforts on behalf of the education of students and urology residents. In its August, 2013 issue the Canadian Journal of Urology featured an article about him as part of its "Legends in Urology" series. Dr. Macchia served as Captain, US Army Medical Corps Reserve during the Vietnam war era. He received an honorable discharge and is a member of the American Legion and USO.

Dr. Macchia joined the faculty of SUNY Downstate Medical School in 1974. In 1982, Dr. Macchia he was appointed Professor, Chairman, and ACGME Program Director of the Department of Urology. He served in those capacities until 2009. During that period he was also Chief of Urology at University Hospital Brooklyn and Kings County Hospital Center. The Chancellor of State University of New York appointed him to the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor in 1997. From 2003-2009 he was Consultant for Education and Research, Department of Urology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

His undergraduate degree is a BS Physics. Following his graduation from New York Medical College in 1969, he underwent general surgical training at St. Vincent's Hospital Center in New York City. From 1971-1974 he completed his urology residency under Dr. Keith Waterhouse at SUNY Downstate and then joined the faculty. He was subsequently awarded the F.C. Valentine Fellowship of the New York Academy of Medicine. That fellowship was served under Dr. Willet F. Whitmore, Jr. at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City during 1975-76. He then re-joined the SUNY Downstate faculty.

Dr. Macchia served as the chairperson of the Section on Urology of the New York Academy of Medicine and a member of its Advisory Council for 6 years. He also served for 6 years on the selection committee for the NYAM FC Valentine award for career achievement in urology and chaired the committee for 1 year. He is a past chairman of the Academy's Edwin Beer Fund Committee. He was President of the New York Section of the American Urological Association in 1995-1996 and the Brooklyn-Queens-Long Island Urology Society. His memberships include the Florida Urological Society, Society for Urologic Oncology, the Society of University Urologists, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and many others. Dr. Macchia is a former associate editor of Urology, has served as manuscript reviewer for 6 major urology journals, a former member and team leader of the AUA Program Abstract Review Committee, and was a frequent moderator at scientific sessions for the annual meeting of the AUA. He has been a study section member for the California Cancer Research Program and the NIH. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Urology Chairpersons and Program Directors and the first to represent the NY Section - AUA.

Under his leadership the department was under constant revision and included 7 integrated hospitals and 17 core faculty members. Throughout his tenure the department held a full ACGME accreditation. While he was chair more than 130 students from SUNY Downstate entered urology training since the inception of the AUA Residency Matching Program 1985-one of the highest numbers for any chair in the country. He appointed the first African -American to the faculty and the first African-American as chief of urology at an integrated institution. He also appointed the first Puerto Rican American to the faculty and the first as vice-chair of the department. He also appointed the first woman to the faculty.

He and his colleagues were awarded second prize for research at the annual meeting of the AUA in 1980 and 1982 for their early NIH funded work on the relationship  of androgen receptors and prostate cancer. An early proponent of alternatives to radical cystectomy, he was guest editor of a special issue of Urology (Vol. 31, 1988) devoted to this subject. In 2008, he and colleagues were the first to publish a specific report on the increasingly important issue of post prostate biopsy fluoroquinolone resistant urinary tract infections. He has been a member of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and was a member of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). He has a special interest in urologic legal and ethical issues. Several decades ago the AUA initiated a Code of Ethics which, in part because of his long time efforts, includes a section on academic integrity.

Dr. Macchia has lectured at numerous academic institutions and meetings in the US, China, Europe, and Japan. He has also co-authored over 120 scientific articles and abstracts including 26 textbook chapters and proceedings. He was consulting editor of "The 5 Minute Urology Consult" series. He has also been co-investigator on multiple collaborative projects and held an NCI grant as site principal investigator for the SELECT clinical trial. During that trial he enrolled the 4th largest number of African -American men amongst 425 institutions in North America. He has served on the external advisory boards of several internationally renowned institutions. 

New York Magazine listed him as one of "The Best Doctors in New York City" in its inaugural listing in 1991. He was also routinely listed in Castle-Connolly's "Best Doctors in America", the "Guide to American's Top Urologists" by the Consumer's Research Council of America and "New York Super Doctors". In 1994, he was named an honorary alumnus of SUNY Downstate Medical School, received the New York Medical College Alumni Association Medal of Honor, the "Gender Equity Award" from the SUNY Downstate COM Alumni Association. In 1995, he was elected as a faculty member of the AOA medical honor society, In 1997, he received a recognition award from the Daniel Hale Williams Society, an organization of African-American and Hispanic medical students. In 1998, the NY Section -AUA awarded him the Russell Lavengood Service Award. In that same year, he was invited by his friend, Dr. Robert Furchgott, to Stockholm when Dr. Furchgott received the Nobel Prize. In 1998 and 2023 he was designated Master Teacher in Urology by the SUNY Downstate COM Alumni Association. Perhaps, the only professor to receive the award twice. In May, 2003 the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health presented him with its Leadership in Urban Medicine Award. In June, 2005 Dr. Macchia was presented with the very first SUNY Downstate College of Nursing Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award. In 2005, Maimonides Medical Center named him the 19th annual Immergut Lecturer. He was named as the physician honoree at the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of Kings County Hospital Center in 2006. In 2007, he became the first ever president of the Robert F. Furchgott Society. In March 2007, he received the first ever Golden Apple Teaching Award from the SUNY Downstate Medical School chapter of the AOA honor society. In 2008, he was named President of the MSKCC Whitmore Alumni Society, the first person to hold that title. In 2010, he received an award from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for 35 years of service to that institution. In May, 2011 Dr. Macchia received the Clark-Curran Award in Medical Administration from the SUNY Downstate COM Alumni Association. He established the Richard J. Macchia MD Flanigan Education award. In 2013, UROLOGY presented him with its Excellence in Reviewing award. In 2023, He received the Top Reviewer award from Urology Practice. Also in 2023, he received the Lifetime Achievement award from the SUNY Downstate Department of Urology. 

Dr. Macchia is most proud of his students and residents. As an early and vigorous proponent of fellowship training approximately 47 of his residents underwent fellowship training. Former residents are now or were recognized leaders in urology at such institutions as Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weill Cornell, ICSF, UCLA, NYU, Mt Sinai-NYC, University of Georgia, Duke, SUNY Downstate, SUNY Stony Brook, Harvard, University of Indiana, Beth Israel Medical Center-NYC, University of Illinois, Brown University, University of Florida, University of Connecticut, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ COM, University of Rochester, University of Minnesota and the Albert Einstein Montefiori COM. Many others are in successful private practices throughout the country. Similarly, many of his former students, over 130 of whom entered urology residencies, are on the faculties of medical schools across the US. 

Dr. Macchia is most grateful to his patients, students, residents, colleagues, mentors, family and friends, his brother, his parents, and his country.