Hippocratic tree and commemorative bust donated to USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

It's long been believed that Hippocrates, credited as the Father of Medicine, first taught his medical students under a plane tree 2,500 years ago on the Greek island of Kos. Now, a rare piece of that ancient history has taken root in downtown Tampa at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

A sycamore tree - its seedling believed to be a descendent of the Hippocratic tree - was planted in front of the Morsani College of Medicine's downtown campus. Donated by the International Hippocratic Foundation, the college joins a select group of prestigious medical schools to receive this distinguished honor, reflecting USF Health's rise to become one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.

USF leaders, faculty, staff and students were joined by representatives of the Consulate General of Greece, Tampa, and members of the local Greek community on Nov. 1 for a dedication ceremony for the Hippocratic tree and the installation of a commemorative statue of Hippocrates from Athens.

Speaking at the ceremony, Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, celebrated the enduring influence of Hippocrates and highlighted the continuity between his classical teachings and the values advocated by the medical school.

"By planting this seedling, we will be reminded to live these values and help instill them in our students, the future generation of physician leaders," Dr. Lockwood said. "These symbols help ensure our students value humanism in medicine, that they will always feel empathy for their patients, respect their privacy and revere the awesome responsibility and duty they have accepted in becoming a physician."

Alongside the tree, a commemorative bust of Hippocrates was dedicated in memory of Emmanuel Bilirakis, MD. A former internal medicine resident at USF Health, Dr. Bilirakis was beloved within Tampa Bay's Greek community and widely known for providing attentive and personalized care to his patients. He died in May 2023 due to complications he suffered from Parkinson's disease.

"Dr. Bilirakis was devoted to his family, his faith, his community and the patients he cared for throughout his 30-plus years working in private practice in Palm Harbor and at the New Port Richey VA Clinic," USF President Rhea Law said. "Dr. Bilirakis was widely known as a caring, respectful and passionate individual who was always prepared to help anyone in need. His legacy is an inspiration not only to our future physicians, but to all of us."

Bilirakis' disease inspired his brother, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, to propose the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson's Act, which was signed into law in July. The first-of-its-kind legislation will unite experts in a public-private partnership to advance a national project for the purpose of preventing, treating and curing Parkinson's.

"Emmanuel could be defined as a kind and dignified country doctor, the rare physician who still made house calls. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson's, he always put his own comfort and well-being aside to see his patients," said Bilirakis said. "I think he's with us in spirit and I know this would be a great source of pride for him."

The bronze bust of Hippocrates sits upon an approximately 1,110-pound marble column in the lobby of USF Health's downtown campus that houses the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Taneja College of Pharmacy and USF Health Heart Institute, where it will serve as a model of excellence and source of encouragement for students, faculty and staff.

Before unveiling the statue, Dr. Bilirakis' daughter, Stella, shared a few words about her father. Stella, a student at the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College, remembers her father as a man of faith and family, who always lived his life in service of others with humility, kindness and empathy.

"He was a model physician. But more importantly, he was a wonderful and humble human being," she said. "While Hippocrates was a historic figure, I hope this bust inspires the future physicians emerging from USF. I'm eternally grateful that my father's legacy may also inspire future physicians the same way he has inspired me."

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