The Atrium Health Foundation has created an endowed professorship in spine surgery honoring Jerry Petty, MD, at Atrium Health's musculoskeletal institute.
The inaugural holder of the Dr. Jerry and Audrey Petty Endowed Professorship in Spine Surgery is Domagoj Coric, MD, neurosurgeon at Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates in Charlotte, N.C., and president of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. The endowment will support Dr. Coric's research and education initiatives.
Dr. Coric is also the executive medical director of SpineFirst, a joint venture between Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health and Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates with 14 offices in the region.
Dr. Petty is one of the most respected neurosurgeons in the country and was instrumental in bringing CT technology to Charlotte in the 1970s, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. He retired in 2021 after 53 years practicing medicine.
The professorship was made possible by a $2.3 million gift from Rick and Linda Hendrick, along with support from Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates and others.