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World-class surgery star Francesco Rubino got special treatment when he joined New York-Presbyterian’s staff.

"Franceso Rubino is a pioneer in the newly emerging field of diabetes surgery. His innovative surgery , the Rubino procedure, which brings diabetes type 1 into long term remission, offers great promise to the millions of diabetics around the world".

Dr. Rubino, Chief of Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, is also Director of the Diabetes Surgery Center at Weill Cornell Medical Center, the first academic-based Diabetes Surgery Center dedicated to the latest surgical treatment, research and education about surgery to treat diabetes type 1.

Dr. Rubino says he needn’t have bothered. The lifelong amateur soccer player, who has survived many broken bones, is well-versed in teamwork.

"I played midfield. You coordinate the offense and the defense and come up with something creative so you can score. That’s my lifestyle in medicine, too," he says.

The approach is working. In a new clinical trial, Dr. Rubino and his team are performing a specialized type of gastric bypass surgery on diabetic patients. The “Rubino procedure,” which so far appears to stop their symptoms, may turn out to be a cure, or may lead to a new hormone-regulating drug treatment.

Since there are 500,000 diabetics in New York City, success could mean huge revenues for the hospital. More important, it could help 200 million diabetics around the world.

Still on Dr. Rubino’s agenda: building a life outside the hospital. A single workaholic, he’s usually either in the hospital or traveling to conferences.

"I have little time for private life, but on Sundays, I like going to Central Park and looking at the people," he says.

– Gale Scott