Dr. Milton Hamolsky, a founding father of the Alpert Medical School so beloved that he became the namesake of the lifetime acheivement award of the Rhode Island chapter of the American College of Physicians, died Saturday, Jan. 18, at the age of 92. Hamolsky, professor emeritus of medical science, died at the Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center in Providence. In addition to being a leader and innovator among his colleagues in Rhode Island since coming to the state in the 1960s, Hamolsky excelled in teaching and research. He was instrumental in helping develop the Master of Medical Science degree program at Brown, a major step toward creation of the University’s medical school. He continued to relish his role as a teacher until he died. Daughter Deborah Hamolsky told the Providence Journal: “He loved his students. One of the joys — the only one — of [his] being sick and in the hospital was this plethora of young people who would come by and express gratitude.” Among Hamolsky's research accomplishments was his discovery in 1959 of the T3 uptake test, which is still in use today, as a means of measuring thyroid hormone levels. As a leader in clinical practice, Hamolsky was the first full-time physician-in-chief at Rhode Island Hospital and a member of the board of directors of Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island. For all that he did, Hamolsky was also known for his dedication to patients, even those who were terminally ill. In awarding him its Human Dignity Award last fall, HHCRI quoted Dr. Joseph Chazan as saying, “Above all, Dr. Hamolsky recognizes and respects the sanctity of the patient/doctor relationship and the need for humanism and compassion in the treatment of patients, especially those in hospice care.”