In his 58 years of life, Kenneth Warren Volker, MD, made a difference.
A big difference.
The co-creator of the McCarus-Volker FORNISEE SYSTEM, one of the most used surgical devices in women’s hysterectomy healthcare -- in 2013, it was a winner in the prestigious Medical Design Awards -- Dr. Volker used his own foundation to create an internationally renowned minimally invasive surgery fellowship.
On and on his resume goes -- as a clinician, researcher, academician, and medical entrepreneur.
A Las Vegas medical professional who was comfortable lecturing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on advances in high tech medical care, Dr. Volker was on the volunteer community faculty of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine and one of the first doctors to teach at the school when it opened in 2017. He also served as vice-chairman of the medical school’s community engagement board.
His sudden death at the age of 58 in late November is tragic for his family, the medical community and society at large. In examining just a few of his accomplishments -- no doubt indicative of societal and medical contributions that were to come -- there is no question that he helped transform the delivery of healthcare not only in the U.S., but also around the globe.
And he did it, in the words of Robert Frost, by often following the road “less traveled by.”
“Warren was an inspirational leader whose presence and generous spirit will be missed for many years to come,” said Marc Kahn, MD, dean of the Kirk Kerkorian school of Medicine. “He was a true leader in the medical community.”
Dr. Volker, who long lobbied in the state capitol for an allopathic medical school in Las Vegas, grew up in a family of seven children in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Even while he was at the University of North Dakota in his hometown, it was by no means a sure thing that he would become a physician.
“For a long time, I really thought I was going to follow my father into the automobile business,” Dr. Volker told Making the Rounds in 2019.
He decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in finance, but after much deliberation, also decided to pursue a second major in natural science, a subject he loved. His love for science would ultimately win out over his fascination with finance -- he was awarded a National Science Foundation Scholarship so he could earn both a medical degree and PhD in molecular biology -- yet his business acumen would play a pivotal role in his medical career development.
His PhD dissertation, which dealt with the molecular structure of genes leading to breast cancer, led him to pursue an OB/GYN residency in 1997 through University Medical Center and the University of Nevada, Reno Medical School.
“Many people expected me to go to a well-known academic center, but I wanted to go somewhere where I’d be immersed in clinical care,” Dr. Volker said. At UMC, Volker said doctors did 500 deliveries a month. “It gave me the important experience I needed.”
He so impressed the Reno medical school that he was asked to join the faculty after finishing his residency, and he also directed research in the OB/GYN department.
