Excerpt from article in American Medical News May 26, 2003

Focused on the presidency: Dr. Donald J. Palmisano He earned his pilot's license and practiced acrobatic flying in the 1970s when he was part owner of an airplane. Of all his pursuits outside of medicine, however, he is probably most well-known for taking pictures.

If you see Dr. Palmisano, 63, at a meeting or at another function, he's likely to have his digital camera out, capturing the smiles of almost everyone he meets, then showing them the image so they can decide whether they are happy with that shot or want to try another. But his work in photography goes well beyond those snapshots.

His mother, now 90, loves photography and has an eye for framing a shot just right. Dr. Palmisano got hooked himself, taking shots of wildlife at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans and elsewhere. He got particularly interested in macro photography, focusing on close-up shots of beehives, frogs, lily pads and other things found in nature.

People requested copies of his photos so often, he set up his own company, Nature's Reflections, in the 1980s and sold his artwork. His photographs, some of which have won awards, hang in numerous hospitals, including Methodist Hospital in New Orleans and in Florida Hospital Celebration Health, commonly known as Celebration Hospital, which borders Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

His busy travel schedule -- he was on the road 27 days in April -- keeps him from spending as much time taking photos as he would like, but he still finds the time to pass his love of photography on to his grandchildren. He spends time with them at the zoo or in the backyard searching for lizards to be their photo subject. Family is important to Dr. Palmisano. He says the strong support of his wife, Robin, has helped him accomplish so many things.