With heavy hearts, ACOG mourns the passing of Cornelius O. “Skip” Granai III, MD, who passed peacefully at home on June 28, 2020, surrounded by his loved ones. 

Dr. Granai was a poet, humanitarian, leader, and friend. His achievements are numerous. He founded the Program in Women’s Oncology at the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, where he was part of the hospital’s family for more than 30 years. He was a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He developed a leading innovative and patient-centered program that emphasized the importance of the arts and the heart in equal parts with medical knowledge in the practice of medicine. 

In 2016, ACOG honored Dr. Granai with  the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award for his dedication and commitment to programs that not only encompassed the treatments and protocols for addressing the disease but also the array of services that patients, caregivers, and family members need when the patient is fighting cancer. He has also been honored by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics for teaching and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Cancer Society. 

“Dr. Granai was a dear and treasured colleague, mentor, and friend to me for almost 30 years,” said Maureen G. Phipps, MD, MPH, CEO of ACOG. “His personal motto was “What would you want done for your loved ones under those circumstances?” and we believe that that principle should serve as a guide for everyone working with patients.” 

Dr. Granai leaves behind a legacy of compassion, conviction, and caring. Read his full obituary for more.