Jacquelyne Holdcraft, MD: A Legacy of Clinical and Ethical Excellence
Trailblazing otolaryngologist forged through systemic barriers to leave an enduring legacy of clinical excellence, ethical leadership, and mentorship.
Rohit Nallani, MD, Heather K. Schopper, MD, Hannah J. Brown, MD, Alexandra M. Arambula, MD, Alex Welborn, MLIS, and Shannon M. Kraft, MD
2003 KUMC professional photo of Dr. Holdcraft. Courtesy of KUMC Archives from the Clendening Library.
Pioneers in the Field: Early Women Surgeons Shaped Otolaryngology
Ever since Alice G. Bryant, MD, first donned a head mirror in the late 1890s, women have been helping to shape otolaryngology into the specialty that it is today.1 Chevalier Q. Jackson, MD, the “father of bronchoesophagology,” championed and mentored several talented women surgeons who went on to advance the field into the early 20th century.2-4 Emily Van Loon, MD, worked closely with Dr. Jackson to develop early bronchoscopes,1,5 and Margaret F. Butler, MD, and Dr. Bryant not only invented some of the early instruments used for tonsil and nasal surgery, but were leaders in otolaryngology education.5
The landscape for women in otolaryngology, however, changed abruptly after the 1910 Flexner Report. The report deemed many schools previously enrolling women or people of color as having inferior training, resulting in the closure of all but two schools for people of color and one school for women.6 Over 30 years passed before E. Maxine Bennett, MD, became the first woman to join the otolaryngology ranks post-Flexner.4 Dr. Holdcraft was among a small cadre of trailblazing women who forged through these systemic barriers to build a successful career in otolaryngology. Here, we highlight Dr. Holdcraft’s path to otolaryngology and the impact of her compassion, integrity, and clinical excellence on KUMC and the specialty.
Early Life and Career
Dr. Holdcraft was born on August 19, 1936, in Monroe, Louisiana. Extremely bright and hard-working, she graduated as valedictorian of her high school class of 1954. She subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine from Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge. As a medical student at LSU-New Orleans, she began her professional membership through the Alpha Epsilon Iota professional fraternity for women in medicine. After completing a general surgery residency at Menorah Medical Center near Kansas City, Missouri, she pursued an otolaryngology-focused pathology fellowship at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC, before becoming the first woman accepted into the otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency training program at KUMC in 1967, some 40 years after the program’s inception. As the only woman, she excelled in training, scoring “Superior” or “Satisfactory” grades in all evaluations, and was noted to have exceptional character. Dr. Holdcraft moved to New Mexico after residency in 1971, but ultimately decided to return to Kansas City in 1973. Despite being a single mother, she served at multiple community hospitals and led a successful private practice for more than 25 years.
KUMC OHNS 1968 Residency photo. Courtesy of KUMC Archives from the Clendening Library. A yearbook photo of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residents at KUMC in 1986. Dr. Holdcraft is the second from the left on the top row.
United States v. Daniels
Among Dr. Holdcraft’s greatest strengths, as shared by her colleagues, were her ethical standards and her leadership. Both were tested during the latter part of her career, shortly after a new otolaryngologist joined her group in 1990. Dr. Holdcraft noticed irregularities in her partner’s practice and began an internal investigation. Over the course of two years, she collected information and evidence of fraudulent billing and questionable surgical decision-making, ranging from claims of performing septoplasty and bilateral sinus surgery in under 30 minutes to performance of inappropriate operative laryngoscopies.7
The FBI became involved in 1995 and approached her for comment and evidence of wrongdoing. It is unclear from historical records whether Dr. Holdcraft presented her initial findings to the Bureau or if they caught wind of the fraudulent practice by other means. Her efforts played a critical role in what would become a high-profile judicial case on healthcare fraud (United States v. Daniels, 2000). As her own investigation occurred from 1990–1992, predating the FBI investigation, the court decided not to prosecute the evidence provided by Dr. Holdcraft but rather used the information in support of the FBI’s case to show a history of fraud and tendency to commit fraud.8 Risking her reputation, her medical practice, and even her own safety, Dr. Holdcraft testified against her former partner.
Although the case never went to trial, the defendant was ultimately convicted of multiple counts of healthcare and mail fraud, as well as perjury, and was sentenced to six years in prison. For her contributions to the case, Dr. Holdcraft was awarded the Louis E. Peters Award by the FBI in 2003. This recognition is awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies selflessness and courage in service to the FBI and the nation.
A Life Spent in Service
Newspaper clipping from the Kansas City Star, January 7, 1992. An announcement of Dr. Holdcraft’s election as the first woman president of the Kansas City Society of Ophthalmology & Otolaryngology.
Shortly before her retirement in 1999, Dr. Holdcraft was honored as the first woman recipient of the prestigious KCSO&O Hal Foster Award, given to a physician for exemplary dedication and service to the local community. Only two other women have received the award since.10
Dr. Holdcraft decided to leave private practice in 1999, but she continued her service to the community through a church-sponsored program, acting as a minister for patients in need of spiritual support. After spending some time as a locum tenens otolaryngologist in North Dakota and Georgia, Dr. Holdcraft realized she was not quite ready to hang up the head mirror. She returned to the KUMC OHNS department in 2003 to work as a clinical educator.
She served an important role as a mentor for a new era of women in otolaryngology while serving in clinics and emergencies at Truman Medical Center, a county safety-net hospital for under- and uninsured patients. A current Truman clinic nurse remarked that “nothing got past [Jackie], and she didn’t let anyone intimidate her!”
Legacy
Dr. Holdcraft was revered by residents and colleagues alike for her strong clinical skills, authenticity, and perseverance in overcoming the challenges of being one of a few women in otolaryngology. Prior to her retirement, she endowed an award that recognizes a fourth-year resident at the KUMC OHNS residency program. Recipients of the award not only are recognized for their clinical excellence and exceptional patient care but also receive funding to attend the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting as a chief resident. Prior award-winners can be found serving as leaders and educators among the most highly esteemed academic and community practices in the nation.
Leaving a Legacy
While largely unknown to the greater otolaryngology community, Dr. Holdcraft was a woman who impacted the specialty in numerous tangible ways. From paving the way for female otolaryngology trainees at KUMC to leading the charge against Medicare fraud in her community, she set a precedent as a talented physician and leader in Kansas City. She leaves a legacy of clinical excellence, integrity, and mentorship that has changed the specialty for the better.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their thanks to the colleagues of Dr. Holdcraft for sharing their memories and perspectives for this article.
References
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- History of Women in Otolaryngology Exhibition. YouTube; 2020.
- Hall of Distinction. American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Accessed December 5th, 2023. https://www.entnet.org/about-us/awards-lectures/awards/hall-of-distinction/
- Konstantinidou S, Adams M. Women in otorhinolaryngology: a historical perspective. J Laryngol Otol. Aug 2018;132(8):670-672. doi:10.1017/S0022215118001214
- Barkin SL, Fuentes-Afflick E, Brosco JP, Tuchman AM. Unintended consequences of the Flexner report: women in pediatrics. Pediatrics. Dec 2010;126(6):1055-7. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2050
- United States v. Daniels, 159 F. Supp. 2d 1285 (D. Kan. 2001). JUSTIA US Law. Accessed December 5th, 2023. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/159/1285/2384814/
- United States v. Daniels, 117 F. Supp. 2d 1040 (D. Kan. 2000). JUSTIA US Law. Accessed December 5th, 2023. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/117/1040/2450183/
- History of AAO-HNS/F - American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). Accessed September 1st, 2024. https://www.entnet.org/about-us/legacy-history/history/#early-academy-history
- Awards & Endowments. The Kansas City Society of Opthalmology and Otolaryngology. Accessed December 5th, 2023. https://www.kansascitysoo.org/awards-and-endowments
