Vert Mooney, MD
1931 – 2009
A Tribute
Thomas E (Ted) Dreisinger, PhD

“Be and not seem” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vert Mooney was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1931.  Like most of us, the beginning of his journey was auspicious only in the eyes of his parents Voigt, an orthopedic surgeon, his mother Naomi, family and friends.   His entry was the same as all of ours’, starting with an abrupt and rude awakening into the brash light of a new and completely foreign world.  For most, the pathway from beginning to end is unremarkable - yet for some it is more than remarkable.  Vert Mooney’s life was surely the latter.

Dr. Mooney had a drive from the beginning to understand the world into which he had been thrust.  Like us, he had not requested his birth, nor had he chosen his parents, the color of his eyes, the height of his stature, nor the intellectual curiosity with which he had been so richly blessed and would so earnestly exercise during the 78 years he labored on this earth.  He, as we, simply found himself en-route to a destination unknown…unknown in the context that life is the untested mystery that lies ahead of all of us.

As a youth he attended Shadyside Academy in Pittsburgh where he learned the discipline of writing.  As it often is with the rigors of discipline, what began as work turned into something else.  He learned the love of writing as he became more accustomed to laying out thought to paper.  Later he would major in English at Princeton, medical school at Columbia University, and continue to place thought to word, word to exposition and exposition to the world of scholarly work.  This training would serve him well over his professional career, as he would publish over 225 journal articles and present almost as many papers at professional meetings. 

One would not have imagined reading his first publication on “shoulder pain in pulmonary tuberculosis” in 1963 as prescient of his contributions to spine.  Indeed, his early work included papers on neurocirculation of the foot, the medical application of biocarbons for NASA, and diabetic neuropathy – not the common fare of the orthopedic surgeon – but then, he was far from the common orthopedist.  His first paper related to spine would not come until 1975 when he participated in two publications on the psychological evaluation and treatment of chronic back pain patients.  It would not be until the mid-eighties that he would more fully focus his intellectual energies on spine and the importance of objective functional measurement that would carry the balance of the rest of his career.  He would say echoing Lord Kelvin, “Without objective measurement, one knows little meaningfully.” He felt one experience leading to the next would produce unexpected results.  He described this journey as a series of ‘…unguarded moments…’ for which one would need to be prepared to move and accept what emerged.  And, so it was one paper at a time, one event at a time, each having its own purpose - all drawing him closer to the major contributions of his life’s work.

It was this work as well as his genuine people skills, which gave him such prominence and international access.  He was a bridge builder who understood the importance both of differing points of view and compromise. He had the skill to infuse those around him with energy and curiosity.  He would use his increasing depth of knowledge, not to belittle nor demonstrate what he knew, but rather to encourage excellence in others. His open mindedness and balanced hand with his colleagues, staff and friends caused them to respond and produce their best work.  This came from the day-to-day example of his work ethic that, if one were around him for long, would demand respect.  He created an example worthy of emulation – “…a workman who does not need to be ashamed…” as the New Testament scripture expresses.

In 1985 he became President of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS), and in 1987 President of the North American Spine Society (NASS).  He had been instrumental in the development of both these societies.  During his tenure as President of NASS he was on 15 scholarly papers, four of which he was primary author.  This was an exceptional year for publications, but in two more years (1988 and 1992), he was on eleven papers where he was primary author on three and eight respectively.  Indeed, in the last year of his life he was primary author on two presented abstracts (ISSLS and NASS), had one paper accepted for publication, and one paper submitted as primary author. He felt the best view always came from the bow of the boat, but also understood this position could only be earned through hard work and diligence. He simply lived the axiom, ‘…live your life and work…’  He was, in the expression of goodness and greatness - a ‘galloping horse.’

There was more, however, than simply prolific scientific work.  He was an authentic and independent thinker, an iconoclast who accepted little on face value, but questioned almost everything in order to satisfy an almost insatiable desire to understand.  When asked what got him going in the day, what drove him, what led him to examine the things around him, he would simply say, “…curiosity...”  He saw his curiosity as both a gift and the means to which understanding came into his life. Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher would say:

“Early in the morning when you…get up, let this thought be at hand: I am rising to do the work of a human being…I am going out to do that for which I was born and that for which I was brought into the Cosmos.”

It is one thing to be able to simply get up and work in the day, it is something else entirely to understand one’s purpose, and so execute life in this manner.  While most of us, in the honesty and depth of our hearts, understand little about our true purpose in life, those who accomplish much understand that large bodies come from small bodies; they understand that while the horizon might lack true clarity, it is satisfaction with each small accomplishment, each step along the way, that leads to the creation of something of greater substance and meaning.  Dr. Mooney understood it was necessary to make each experience in front of him meaningful so as to give the body of work meaning.  Many of us look at events as means to the end, true intellect sees each event as one of purpose and meaning in and of itself.  This is the way he saw life.

And so as his life began, with an abruptness into a foreign and new world, on October 13th, 2009 his journey ended.  Unlike his birth, it was not anticipated, but was rather unexpected and for those who knew, respected and loved him, it was too soon.  It was said by one of the ancient prophets: 

“A man’s true wealth hear after is the good he does in the world to his fellow man. When he dies people will say, ‘What property has he left behind him.?’ But the angels will ask, ‘What good deeds has he sent before him?”

There is little doubt Dr. Mooney left much before him.  And so it seems fitting to finish these brief words with some of his, as he closed his autobiography: 

“So where has the unguarded moment taken us?  It has been a wonderful learning process and I feel I have a significant edge in knowledge in a specific area of treatment over my colleagues [value of objective functional measurement in spine]….The unguarded moment here now at the end of the trail has become the unexpected moment.  Now I am searching for opportunities to move the concept along. Opportunities constantly emerge and the trail will not end here….Hopefully somebody will continue to do it in the future.  Perhaps he/she is reading this book now.” – Vert Mooney, MD, The Unguarded Moment.