Here are four things to know about Dr. Apgar:
1. Dr. Apgar graduated fourth in her class from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and switched into anesthesiology after her surgical residency.
2. She held a number of leadership positions throughout her lifetime, including director of the anesthesia division at New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for 11 years. She also became the first female full-time professor at Columbia University in 1949.
3. In 1952, Dr. Apgar created the Apgar score, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The scoring system evaluates newborns’ health according to five factors: heart rate, respiration, skin color, muscle tone and reflexes, and is conducted within the first five minutes of birth. The system went on to be adopted by hospitals nationwide and is credited with lowering infant mortality rates globally, CNN reports.
4. Dr. Apgar died of liver cirrhosis in 1974 at the age of 65. In 1995, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
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