Winter 2015 Issue, Legacy

LEGACY
WINTER 2014|2015
ACHIE V EMEN T S IN HE A LT H C A RE, MEDIC A L SC IENCE A N D PHIL A N T H RO PY
B E T S Y W E R B E L L I G H T S U P N E W Y O R K S TA G E
F O R U N I V E R S I T Y H O S P I TA L S
from Thomas F. Zenty III, Chief Executive Officer, University Hospitals
C O N N E C T I O N , C O M PA S S I O N A N D C O L L A B O R AT I O N A R E
T H E R O O T S O F U N I V E R S I T Y H O S P I TA L S
In many ways, the complex uniqueness of University
Hospitals comes down to three simple words: connection,
compassion and collaboration.
UH reflects the tight-knit connection that Northeast
Ohioans feel toward one another: civic pride that
makes Clevelanders special. We represent and fulfill
this community’s compassion for those in need. And we
collaborate – working closely with a host of people and
institutions to advance the physical and socioeconomic
health of our region and its people.
These characteristics have been the soul of the UH story
since Clevelanders created this great civic institution
nearly 150 years ago. And they have never been stronger
or more far-reaching than today, as the stories in this
issue of Legacy demonstrate. Consider:
•
The Brian Werbel Memorial Fund brings together people from all across Northeast Ohio and as far away as Broadway to support the Brian Werbel Memorial Fund and advance clinical research at UH Seidman
Cancer Center. Brian’s family and friends remember
him through golf tournaments, concerts and other
fundraisers – including a gala revue of musical
theater’s hottest hits in Manhattan last summer. To
date, the Werbel fund has raised nearly $500,000.
•
New connections at the Harrington Discovery Institute
at University Hospitals underscore UH’s global scope
and support. Collaborations with Oxford University
in England and disease-specific foundations and
donors across the United States are adding new
abilities and urgency to our overarching goal:
getting important drug-development breakthroughs
to patients.
•
Physicians and providers across our UH system draw
together in innovative ways on behalf of our patients
and their families. Interior designer Nancy Benjamin
testifies to the teamwork of UH Neurological Institute
and UH Ear, Nose & Throat Institute. Skilled and caring
UH experts from many disciplines helped her beat a
brain tumor.
•
And Cleveland-based world traveler Roe Green’s
$5 million gift to expand travelers’ clinics at several
UH locations will help Northeast Ohioans enjoy safe
and healthy global travel experiences.
Technology makes our world smaller every day – and
yet true interpersonal connections seem rarer and more
precious. That’s why compassionate collaborators, and
the thousands of UH supporters who stand behind them,
inspire us by their examples. They embody the UH spirit
as we deliver on our promise of the highest-quality care,
personalized experiences and meaningful innovation.
We are grateful to them, and to all who trust and help
UH as we pursue our noble mission: To Heal. To Teach.
To Discover. U H
U N I V ER SI T Y
HOSPI TA LS
LEGACY
VOLUME22NUMBER02
WINTER 2014|2015
4
contents
10
8
COLLABORATING
FOR A CURE:
14
16 Hospital
UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s
and UH Seidman Cancer Center
Thomas F. Zenty III
20
Chief Executive Officer
University Hospitals
Fred C. Rothstein, MD
President
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
Sherri L. Bishop, Esq.
Chief Development Officer
University Hospitals
SAVE TH
February 22, 2015
February 25, 2015 –
Peter S. Brumleve
Chief Marketing Officer
University Hospitals
Judy Ernest
Managing Editor, Legacy Magazine
DEPARTMENT S
Dan Bomeli, Jennifer Dixon,
Catherine Gabe, Jessica Hagerty,
Sarah Hollander, Jim Nichols,
Lynn Novelli, Mary Ellen Peacock
Writers
Keith Berr, Dirty Sugar Photography,
Lori Lehue, Roger Mastroianni,
Dan Milner, Dasha Slobozhanina
Photographers
Parente-Smith Design Inc.
Design
Michele Brown
F rom the Chief
Executive Officer
4
Connection, Compassion
and Collaboration are
the Roots of University Hospitals 2
Highlights
8
Discover the Difference:
The Campaign for
University Hospitals
Advisor
14 Advances
On the Web
20 The Philanthropic Spirit
UHhospitals.org/Legacy
Legacy is published by Marketing &
Communications, University Hospitals,
11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
44106-5000. Telephone: 216-767-8500.
Postmaster: Send address corrections
to the above address. Copyright 2015,
University Hospitals. All rights reserved.
25
FE AT U RES
Reflections
Curing Cancer Every Day
Singing a Message of Love
A cabaret theater in New York City.
A summer evening. Inside, dim lighting
and a sold-out crowd.
10 Harrington Discovery Institute
Forges Partnerships
In 2014, Harrington Discovery Institute
at University Hospitals created significant
affiliations with the Foundation Fighting
Blindness and Oxford University,
Oxford, U.K.
16 Teaming Up to Save a LIfe
Nancy Benjamin leads with a smile. It’s warm and inviting. But in 2010, Nancy nearly lost that smile.
Among the nation’s leading academic
medical centers, University Hospitals Case
Medical Center is the primary affiliate of
Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine, a nationally recognized leader
in medical research and education.
on the cover
BETSY WERBEL/photo Dirty Sugar Photography
LEGAC Y M AGA Z I N E
BEST IN THE NATION
www.uhgiving.org WINTER 2014|2015
1
Highlights
NANCY TINSLEY NAMED PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY
HOSPITALS PARMA MEDICAL CENTER
UH Parma Medical Center’s integration into the University
Hospitals system got a major boost with the appointment
of its new president, Nancy M. Tinsley, RN, MBA. She is
an accomplished health care executive with 12 years of
experience at UH, including serving as Vice President of Clinical
Operations at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
She has a solid track record of driving innovation, enhancing
the patient experience and achieving organizational
success. During her tenure at UH, she has led initiatives to
improve clinical integration
and attain strategic goals.
She also developed and
implemented a systemwide
clinical-institute model that
is recognized as a national
model by the University Health
Systems Consortium.
“She hit the ground running
in her newest role and has
quickly inspired confidence
in those around her,” said
Richard Hanson, President,
Community Hospitals and
Ambulatory Network.
“Her talents and open,
personal style are guiding the
UH Parma Medical Center
Nancy Tinsley, RN, MBA
team as it builds on a longstanding tradition of providing
the highest-quality health care to Westside communities,”
he added.
“She hit the ground running in her
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED RAINBOW
PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY SERVICES EXPAND TO
WESTSIDE COMMUNITIES
There’s only one Rainbow, but its brilliant aura is extending
to benefit more children in Greater Cleveland’s Westside
communities. The familiar multicolored arc of the UH Rainbow
Care Network is gracing more and more UH facilities, signaling
to all that UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital’s expert
care is closer to home than ever before.
The UH Rainbow Care Network, blanketing Northeast Ohio,
coordinates efforts of primary care pediatricians, medical
and surgical specialty clinics and services, and urgent and
emergency care for babies, adolescents and young adults.
Westside families are now closer than ever to high-quality
Rainbow pediatric emergency services designed specifically
for babies, children and teens, with kid-friendly physicians,
nurses and facilities. Rainbow emergency services feature
board-certified emergency physicians experienced in pediatric
emergencies at eight convenient Westside locations in
Amherst, Avon, Brunswick, Elyria, Lorain, Middleburg
Heights, Oberlin and Westlake. They also offer immediate
access to the expertise and full resources of UH Rainbow
Babies & Children’s Hospital Marcy R. Horvitz Pediatric
Emergency Center, as well as advanced care from the
region’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, if a higher level
of care is required.
To find your nearest Rainbow Emergency Services location,
visit UHhospitals.org/Launch2015 or call 216-844-KIDS
(216-844-5437).
newest role and has quickly inspired
confidence in those around her.”
– Richard Hanson, President, Community Hospitals and Ambulatory Network
2 L E G A C Y
visit us online
Legacy Magazine was named best in the nation by the National Federation of Press Women
(NFPW) at the 2014 NFPW Communications Conference in Greenville, S.C. in September. The
magazine won first place in the nonprofit magazine category from Ohio Professional Writers
before becoming the Ohio nomination in the national contest. NFPW, founded in 1937, is a
national organization promoting the highest ideals in journalism for men and women.
To view current or archived issues of Legacy Magazine online, visit UHGiving.org/Legacy.
Summer
2013
LEGACY MAGAZINE NAMED BEST IN THE NATION
LEGACY
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BRIAN BUTLER WALKS APPALACHIAN TRAIL TO RAISE
FUNDS FOR PARKINSON’S DISEASE RESEARCH
Brian Butler knows many challenges await him as he prepares to
hike the 2,183-mile-long Appalachian Trail starting March 25. He is
driven, however, by a mission: “I hope to touch the hearts of one
million individuals and inspire them to sponsor me as I hike the
trail for Parkinson’s disease research.” Brian, a soon-to-retire UH
employee who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010, will raise
funds to support the work of Benjamin Walter, MD, the Penni and
Stephen Weinberg Master Clinician in Brain Health and Director of
the Parkinson’s & Movement Disorders Center at University Hospitals
and Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine. Dr. Walter’s efforts focus on neuro-imaging to better
understand brain dysfunction, plus studying ways exercise may help
slow the progression of Parkinson’s.
This makes Brian the ideal supporter – and test subject – as he
strides from Georgia to Maine along a slender path through dense
woods and over steep mountains. He will follow a special medication
schedule to determine how it affects his balance, and his intense
training regimen has already resulted in improved gait and fewer
leg tremors.
To read Brian’s Appalachian Trail journal or make a contribution to
UH, visit http://www.trailjournals.com/cw5. And if you travel anywhere
near the trail between March and September, send a personal
message and arrange to meet up with him. “Come and hike with
me for a day,” Brian encouraged.
ADDITIONAL ADULT/PEDIATRIC
SUBSPECIALTIES ARE AVAILABLE AT 26 UH
HEALTH CENTERS AND THREE SOUTHWEST
GENERAL OUTPATIENT LOCATIONS
Not so long ago, the road leading to a doctor
with advanced training and experience was long
and riddled with obstacles – literally. Patients with
complex illnesses or medical conditions often
traveled great distances and negotiated bewildering
facilities just to visit a subspecialty physician.
Today, patients can access the most specialized
care close to home by visiting one of 26 convenient
UH health centers and three Southwest General
outpatient locations across eight counties. The
health centers offer UH Rainbow Care Network
pediatric specialists, services from University
Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University
Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute
and more.
Similarly, a wide range of outpatient surgical
services are available at UH’s state-of-the-art
surgery centers in Lyndhurst, Mentor and
Westlake. The surgery centers provide a safe,
convenient alternative to inpatient hospitalization,
allowing patients to recuperate in the comfort
and privacy of their own homes.
For more information, visit UHhospitals.org/
HealthCenters2015 or call 1-866-UH4-CARE
(1-866-844-2273).
Brian Butler
UHh
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aM
essage of Love
A cabaret theater in New York City. A summer evening.
Inside, dim lighting and a sold-out crowd.
STAGE LEFT: singing. STAGE RIGHT: singing. A 40-voice choir fills the room
with lyrics about healing, about joy, about hope.
ENTER:
Betsy Werbel, mistress of ceremonies,
followed by a cast of Broadway stars from the
hottest shows – Jersey Boys, Book of Mormon,
Wicked, Kinky Boots, Motown The Musical,
and more.
Betsy, a Shaker Heights native and musical
theater actress, organized the one-night-only
concert to honor her late brother and raise funds
for cancer research at University Hospitals
Seidman Cancer Center. Making it to Broadway was Betsy’s dream come
true. She currently sings her heart out nightly in
Wicked. “My brother Brian’s dream was to help
find a cure for cancer,” she said. “I want to
help make that dream come true, too.”
“Imagine: A Concert of Hope,” gave UH a
unique opportunity to nurture Cleveland-New
York connections, said Kathy Coleman, chair of
the Seidman Cancer Leadership Council. The
more they searched, the more Kathy and other
members of the event committee kept finding
links: Cleveland natives who now live in New
York and vice versa, Clevelanders with work
connections in New York, New Yorkers who’ve
been treated at UH, Cleveland Broadway fans
and more.
Linda Rohler, a major event sponsor with her
partner, Jane Barber, remembers sitting at her
table during the concert, thinking about all the
connections. “It was like kismet,” she said. Kathy Coleman;
Nathan Levitan, MD, and
daughter Rosa
Cindy Werbel, event producer
Richard Blake, Larry Werbel
Event photographs courtesy of Dirty Sugar Photography
Betsy Werbel with cast
UHhospitals.org/Giving WINTER 2014|2015 5
N Y C
F U N D R A I S E R
B E N E F I T S
U H
S E I D M A N
C A N C E R
C E N T E R
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“I h
ro k e n h e a r t e d
Linda and the Werbel family watched their girls
grow up together in Cleveland-area theater. After high school, Linda’s daughter Courtney
(now Courtney Rohler Sullivan) and Betsy
rented an apartment together in New York to
pursue their careers, not realizing that they
would have a UH connection in the future.
Linda, a retired teacher, was diagnosed with
breast cancer last year. And her former
husband, Courtney’s father David Rohler, has
battled cancer over the past two years as well.
Both were treated at UH Seidman Cancer Center.
“This was a wonderful cause for so many
reasons,” Linda said. “It was quite a night of
coming together. It was just so special and
good, spine tingling really.” Since its creation several years ago, the Brian
Werbel Memorial Fund has raised nearly
$500,000 through concerts, golf tournaments,
silent auctions and other donations. The money gives handpicked medical fellows
a chance each summer to focus on clinical
cancer research at UH Seidman Cancer Center.
The fellows have researched everything from
breast, lung and brain cancer to promising
stem-cell innovations. It is what Brian would
have loved doing.
As a high school student, Brian worked as a
research and lab assistant at Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine. He later
went on to study stem cell research at the
University of Wisconsin. When Brian died in
2007 at age 29, Betsy and her parents, Larry
and Abby, were overcome with grief on one
hand and offers of support on the other. “We
had an overabundance of people wanting to
reach out and help us through our loss,” Betsy
said. But the family wasn’t sure how to channel
that support at first.
Larry talked with Stan Gerson, MD, Director
of UH Seidman Cancer Center, about a potential
golf fundraiser for UH. After the meeting,
Larry got into his car and checked voice mails.
A one-year-old message from Brian, saved to
hear his voice, played for no apparent reason.
“My dad took it as a sign,” Betsy said. “He and
his wife Cindy took charge of the golf outings,
which became an annual affair. Then here
comes Broadway Betsy who likes to perform
and make big productions.”
Seven months after Brian died, Betsy was cast
in the national tour of Wicked. “At the time,
it kind of saved my life,” she said. “It got me
out of a bad place financially and emotionally.
Being on the road, away from my family, was
certainly hard,” she said. “But the amazing
cast really helped me get through the worst
time of my life.”
Jane Barber, Linda Rohler
David Rohler, Lee Seidman
6 L E G A C Y
visit us online
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When the touring production of Wicked came
to Cleveland in 2009, Betsy decided it was her
turn to plan a benefit for Brian’s memorial fund.
She put together a small, successful cabaret
show at the Hanna Theater with other members
of the cast.
Later, when Betsy was offered a job with the
Broadway production of Wicked, she set her
sights even higher. “I thought, ‘Now I’m in
the Broadway community and can do a really
amazing show,’” she said. She enlisted the
talent of fellow performers in 2012 and
planned a large New York concert for the fiveyear anniversary of Brian’s death.
“I was just so tired of being sad all the time,”
Betsy said. “I wanted my family to remember
him in a positive way. That message came
across and it was therapeutic for everyone in
the room.”
The most recent concert, in September at (Le)
Poisson Rouge cabaret theater in Greenwich
Village, focused on the future. Betsy told the
volunteer performers to pick inspirational and
hopeful songs.
The Broadway Inspirational Voices, a gospel
ensemble comprised of actors performing
Penni Weinberg, Abby Werbel and daughter Betsy
on and off Broadway, started the show. The
group’s leader, musical actor and singer Michael
McElroy, another Shaker Heights native, chose
More Abundantly.
“I have come to heal the brokenhearted
And to give your heart a song…”
Richard Blake, who met Betsy in Wicked and
now stars in Jersey Boys, co-produced the
concert.
They couldn’t have done it, Betsy said, without
the help of Cleveland supporters, including
event committee members Penni and Steve
Weinberg, whose children grew up with Betsy,
and Char and Chuck Fowler.
“It’s so humbling for me and my entire family
that all these people care so much,” Betsy said.
Finding the right volunteer outlet, something
you feel connected to and are passionate
about, definitely helps with the grieving process,
Char said. The Fowlers lost their daughter,
Angie, to melanoma when she was only 14
years old. They started the Angie Fowler
Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute
at UH and funded a chair in adolescent and
young adult cancer research.
“We lost her 30 years ago, but our family is
still able to remember her in a significant way,”
Char said.
Kathy Coleman attended both of Betsy’s New
York concerts. The passion in the room was
palpable, she said. “Just when I thought it
couldn’t get any better, it did,” she said. “Betsy
just knocked the ball out of the park.”
Will there be another New York event? Betsy
hopes so, but said she’ll wait for a creative
spark to tell her it’s the right time. “I want to
do it because I feel inspired,” she said. “That’s
what makes a good show, one that’s deep
and heartfelt.” U H
Chuck Fowler, Shelly Adelman
UHhospitals.org/Giving WINTER 2014|2015 7
Roe Green
“ By supporting this program’s
expansion, it is my hope
that more people will have
the opportunity to see the
world and feel comfortable
that their health is in good
hands.”– Roe Green
From a young age, Cleveland native Roe Green has had a
passion for travel. She has visited more than 160 countries
and for many of these trips relied on the Travel Medicine
Clinic at University Hospitals to help her stay healthy. To
ensure others have the same peace of mind while exploring
the world, she made a catalytic gift to Discover the
Difference: The Campaign for University Hospitals in
November 2014 – $5 million to expand and endow the
newly named Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine at
University Hospitals.
Roe’s gift is one of more than 100 gifts of $1 million or
greater that have been made in support of Discover the
Difference, the $1.5 billion campaign that has raised
$1.25 billion to date. These gifts represent the unyielding
generosity of University Hospitals’ philanthropic donor
community and illustrate the importance of aligning a
donor’s passions with opportunities to advance patient
care throughout the health system.
“Travel has always been in my blood and I have been very
blessed to see so much of the world,” said Roe. “By supporting
this program’s expansion, it is my hope that more people
will have the opportunity to see the world and feel comfortable
that their health is in good hands.”
8 L E G A C Y
visit us online
At the Intersection of Passion and Need:
the Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine
Robert Salata, MD
Keith Armitage, MD
Growth in International Tourist Arrivals:
Actual Trend and Forecast 1990 – 2030
International Tourist Arrivals received (million)
Roe’s generous gift, which coincides
1,800
with a time of tremendous growth in
1,600
international travel, will enhance
1,400
patient access and strengthen UH’s
1,200
investment in travel medicine innovation,
1,000
discovery and quality. The new Roe
800
Green Center for Travel Medicine will
600
serve the community in three locations –
400
UH Case Medical Center, UH Chagrin
200
Highlands Health Center and UH
0
Westlake Health Center – and meet
1990
the special needs of children traveling
overseas through the travelers’ and
adoption clinic at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.
In addition to ensuring greater capacity to reach more travelers,
the center’s endowment will create ongoing funding to
support the work of world-renowned physician-scientists,
Robert Salata, MD, and Keith Armitage, MD, both of whom
are leading advanced research in emerging infectious
diseases at UH.
“Safe travel is more essential than ever in an increasingly
global world,” said Dr. Salata, Chief of Infectious Diseases
at UH Case Medical Center and Professor of Medicine
at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
“Thanks to Roe Green’s generosity and vision, this gift will
take our program to a new level and enable us to continue
to be at the forefront of emerging health issues globally.”
UHhospitals.org/Giving Actual
Forecasts
1.8 bn
Africa
Middle East
1.4 bn
Americas
Asia and
the Pacific
Europe
940 mn
Source:
UNWTO Tourism
Highlights, 2013
2000
2010
2020
2030
Roe Green’s gift to expand and endow the newly named Roe Green
Center for Travel Medicine at University Hospitals coincides with
an unprecedented level of growth in global travel that is expected
to continue for the next 15 years.
UH’s travel clinic was the first of its kind in the United States
when it opened in 1972, and has remained a leader in
travel medicine and international infectious diseases. For
nearly 45 years, the clinic has provided international travelers
with comprehensive pretravel preventive care and education,
as well as expert diagnosis and treatment of health problems
in returning travelers, foreign visitors and immigrants.U H
To support this program, visit UHhospitals.org/
LegacyDiscovery2014 or use the envelope in this issue
and mark it campaign.
WINTER 2014|2015 9
THE HARRINGTON DISCOVERY INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS
Harrington Discovery Institute Forges Partnerships
The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development, established by the
Harrington family in 2012 to accelerate drug discovery and development,
is dedicated to making a difference in patients’ lives. In 2014, Harrington
Discovery Institute at University Hospitals, part of The Harrington Project
for Discovery & Development, created significant partnerships with the
Foundation Fighting Blindness and Oxford University, Oxford, U.K. These
affiliations may impact the future for millions of people.
“I haven’t needed any
medication for about 10 years. Walter and Paula Schwartz
10 L E G A C Y
visit us online
1
Crohn’s Disease Is Focus of Inaugural Oxford-Harrington Scholar
When Walter Schwartz recalls his young adult years, two experiences stand out in
his memory – frequent bouts with gastrointestinal pain and problems and being
teased by his older sibling about being a hypochondriac because of them. It wasn’t
until he was 40 that physicians at a Cleveland hospital diagnosed his lifelong issues
as Crohn’s disease. Walter felt vindicated and, more importantly, he finally could
receive the treatment he needed.
Over the ensuing years, Walter took
medications to control intestinal
inflammation, adopted a special diet,
and underwent several operations that
removed diseased sections of his
intestines. For the past decade, he has
been under the care of physicians in
University Hospitals Digestive Health
Institute, and he and his wife, Paula,
happily report that his condition is now
well controlled.
It’s been a group effort, Walter explained.
Tall, lean and healthy-looking, “I haven’t
needed any medication for about 10
years,” he said. “With Paula’s help, I
am careful about what I eat, and the
team at UH has been great in taking
care of any problems that come up.”
He also credits Paula and their children
as his “personal support system.”
The Schwartzes feel fortunate that
they connected with UH Digestive
Health Institute where Walter receives
comprehensive care for his condition
from some of the country’s leading
With Paula’s help, I am careful
about what I eat, and the team at
UH has been great in taking care
of any problems that come up.”
– Walter Schwartz
UHh
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THE HARRINGTON DISCOVERY INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS
Crohn’s experts, including Conor Delaney,
MD, PhD, Murdough Master Clinician
in Colorectal Surgery; Chief, Division of
Colorectal Surgery; Director, UH Digestive
Health Institute; Interim Chair, Department
of Surgery; Director, Institute for Surgery
and Innovation, University Hospitals Case
Medical Center; and Professor, Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine.
Conor Delaney, MD, PhD
Alison Simmons, MD, PhD
Over the years, Walter and Paula have
become increasingly frustrated over
the lack of public awareness of Crohn’s
and the pressing need for some major
breakthroughs in treatment for a disease
that affects 700,000 Americans.
“Crohn’s disease just does not draw the
public attention and interest that diseases
like Alzheimer’s or cancer do,” Walter
noted. The inaugural Oxford-Harrington
Scholar, Alison Simmons, MD, PhD, is a
gastroenterologist and Crohn’s researcher,
and the Schwartzes hope her work will
move the disease into the spotlight.
With one of their sons, now 36, diagnosed
with Crohn’s, and four grandchildren
to consider, research for a cure has deep
personal meaning for the Schwartzes.
From the beginning of their relationship
with UH Digestive Health Institute, they
have been impressed with its commitment
not only to patient care but also clinical
research in Crohn’s disease. That, and
their desire to pay it forward to others
who are in need of help and guidance,
are reasons they co-chair the Digestive
Health & Surgical Innovation Leadership
Council.
Their hopes for a cure are further boosted
by the Oxford-Harrington Scholarship
Programme to support researchers at the
University of Oxford in translating their
scientific discoveries into medicines.
Dr. Simmons and her research team have
identified a biologic pathway that blocks
the normal protective immune response
to certain pathogens in people with a
specific genetic mutation, leading to the
development of Crohn’s disease. The
pathway may be a potential treatment
target.
12 L E G A C Y
Gordon and Lulie Gund
“As I got to know Ron,
I got excited about the
Harrington Discovery
Institute model of bringing best practices to translating research into cures.”
– Gordon Gund
visit us online
2
$50 Million Earmarked for Gund-Harrington Scholar Awards
Businessman. Philanthropist. Sculptor. Cleveland native Gordon Gund could choose
any or all of these roles to define himself. But the role he has never chosen to accept is
disabled, despite the fact that Gordon, now 75, lost his vision to retinitis pigmentosa
(RP) at the age of 31.
In the years since, he has accumulated an impressive
resume of accomplishments: Chairman and CEO of
Gund Investment Corporation, Princeton, N.J.;
commercial real estate investor; director of the
Kellogg Company and Corning, Inc.; former majority
owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and principal
owner of Cleveland-based Nationwide Advertising
Service. In Cleveland, he also is known for his philanthropy
through the Gund Foundation, established by his
father in 1952, in large part, to benefit the city and
its residents.
He also has made his mark in the artistic world.
Gordon is a noted sculptor, working primarily in
bronze to create flowing, contemporary sculptures often
inspired by the natural setting of the Gunds’ Nantucket
summer home. He was already totally blind when
a friend on Nantucket introduced him to woodcarving
more than 30 years ago. “He thought it might be
something I might like and, boy, was he right,”
Gordon recalled.
The loss of his physical vision has not impaired his
capacity to mentally envision forms and designs,
and tutored by professional sculptors, he progressed
from woodcarving to sculpting massive, contemporary
pieces. Today, Gordon’s work is in private collections
and on public display at venues that include the
Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Woods Hole
Marine Biological Laboratory, as well as on the
grounds of his Nantucket home.
Yet, the single accomplishment that would fulfill his
life eludes him – a cure for retinal diseases like RP
that cause blindness in millions of people worldwide.
He has been pursuing that dream since 1971 when
he and his wife, Lulie, established the National Retinitis
Pigmentosa Foundation. Now known as the Foundation
Fighting Blindness, it is dedicated to driving the
research into preventions, treatments and cures for
all retinal degenerative diseases.
Gordon is proud to note that the Foundation Fighting
Blindness has contributed to virtually all of the basic
scientific knowledge about retinal diseases that
has been uncovered in the past 40 years, including
UHh
go
i vs i pn i gt .aol sr g
. o r g / G i v i n g identifying some of the genetic mutations responsible
for these diseases. Still, his frustration comes through.
“The experience of laboratory studies coming to fruition
in patient trials is exhilarating, but it isn’t enough,”
he said.
Fateful Meeting Leads to
Gund-Harrington Partnership
When Gordon met Ron Harrington at a FasterCures event
in Washington, D.C., he quickly learned that Ron
shared his frustrations with the slow pace of medical
progress. As a result, the Harrington family had
established Harrington Discovery Institute in 2012 to
provide a structure for advancing scientific discoveries
more rapidly into treatments.
“As I got to know Ron, I got excited about the
Harrington Discovery Institute model of bringing best
practices to translating research into cures,” Gordon
recalled.
Last October, the two visionary leaders and their
organizations created the National Center for Excellence
in Fighting Blindness, the centerpiece of the new
national Gund-Harrington Initiative, based at University
Hospitals. Beginning this year, the center will provide
up to $50 million for 30 Gund-Harrington Scholar
Awards for innovators in North America whose research
has the potential to advance care in retinal diseases.
“The strength of the Gund-Harrington Scholar
Awards is that we will not work with just one institution –
we want to fund the best available in our field,”
Gordon stressed.
He believes that the Foundation Fighting BlindnessHarrington Discovery Institute alignment has unlimited
potential. Like building a successful business, success
in drug discovery and development is as much about
people and relationships as it is about finance, he
noted. “The key to collaboration is people. If you can
bring together passionate people who want to see
change happen, you can do almost anything.”U H
W I N T E R 2F0A1L4L | 22 0 10 59 13
At-Home Alternative to a
Colonoscopy Available at UH
UH-developed technology is the foundation
for a new at-home test for colon cancer
that serves as a simple, noninvasive
alternative to a colonoscopy. The FDA
has approved Cologuard, a screening
method that detects colorectal cancer
and precancerous growths. UH clinical
researchers, led by Sanford Markowitz,
MD, PhD, Medical Oncologist at UH
Seidman Cancer Center and Professor
of Cancer Genetics at Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine,
developed the technology that inspired
Cologuard.
Colorectal cancer primarily affects people
age 50 and older, and among cancers
that affect both men and women, it is
the third-most-common cancer and the
second-leading
cause of cancerrelated death
in the United
States, according
to the Centers
for Disease
Control and
Prevention (CDC).
The CDC
estimates that
if everyone
Sanford Markowitz, MD
age 50 or
older had regular screening tests as
recommended, at least 60 percent of
colorectal cancer deaths could be avoided.
Thanks to Cologuard’s FDA approval,
patients and physicians now have another
option to screen for colorectal cancer.
Fecal blood testing is a well-established
screening tool and data from a clinical
trial that screened 10,023 subjects
showed that Cologuard detected more
cancers than a commonly used fecal
occult test.
For more information or to schedule
an appointment, visit UHhospitals.org/
Colonoscopy2015 or call 1-866-UH4-CARE
(1-866-844-2273).
14 L E G A C Y
UH Surgeons Combine
Technology With Surgical
Skills to Restore Hearing
University Hospitals surgeons have
brought the hope of hearing to a
woman with profound deafness through
a sophisticated technology called an
auditory brainstem implant (ABI).
The woman underwent Northeast Ohio’s
first ABI operation at UH Case Medical
Center in March. In a complex procedure,
a team of surgeons placed the tiny
electronic device at the precise site in
the back of the patient’s brain responsible
for hearing.
The patient has neurofibromatosis
type 2 (NF2), a rare, inherited disease
characterized by the growth of
noncancerous tumors throughout
the nervous system. She had been
losing her hearing gradually since 2002
as benign tumors compressed and
destroyed the auditory nerves in both
ears. By the time she underwent the
ABI procedure, she was virtually deaf.
“It is not a miracle cure, but restoring
even partial hearing helps patients
enjoy their normal
life again.”
– Cliff Megerian, MD
“An ABI currently is the only available
means to treat patients who lose
their hearing due to NF2,” said Cliff
Megerian, MD, Chairman and Professor
of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck
Surgery, UH Case Medical Center and
Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine; interim President, University
Hospitals Physician Services; Director,
UH Ear, Nose & Throat Institute; and
Richard W. and Patricia R. Pogue Chair
in Auditory Surgery and Hearing Sciences,
UH Case Medical Center, who led the
surgical team. “It is not a miracle cure,
but restoring even partial hearing helps
patients enjoy their normal life again.”
UH
For more information or to schedule
an appointment, visit UHhospitals.org/
Hearing2015 or call 1-866-UH4-CARE
(1-866-844-2273).
visit us online
H
University Hospitals Establishes
New UH Fairlawn Health Center
Residents of Fairlawn and surrounding
communities now have access to University
Hospitals physicians and services close
to home at the new UH Fairlawn Health
Center. With an investment of more
than $4 million, UH transformed 35,000
square feet of an existing office building
located at 3800 Embassy Parkway just off
Interstate-77.
UH Fairlawn Health Center offers urgent
care, radiology, lab services, primary
care and pediatrics, as well as specialty
care including rheumatology, colorectal
surgery,
cardiology,
pediatric
endocrinology,
pediatric
gastroenterology,
pediatric
neurology and
pediatric sports
medicine. The
outpatient
center enables
UH Fairlawn Health Center
University
Hospitals to centralize services in the
northern Akron area at one convenient
location.
With the addition of UH Fairlawn Health
Center, the UH health system offers 14
hospitals, 26 health centers and three
Southwest General outpatient locations
and more than 100 physician locations
throughout Northeast Ohio. UH also
has outpatient health centers in nearby
Medina, Sharon and Hudson.
New Surgery for Glaucoma
Introduced at UH Eye Institute
University Hospitals Eye Institute continues
to make headlines through innovative
care and pioneering clinical studies.
UH Case Medical Center recently introduced
a first-of-its-kind surgical procedure in
Northeast Ohio for the management of
glaucoma. Douglas Rhee, MD, Chairman
and Professor of the Department of
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at
UH Case Medical Center and Case
Western Reserve
University
School of
Medicine and
one of the
world’s leading
authorities in
glaucoma,
performed a
minimally
invasive
outpatient
Douglas Rhee, MD
procedure
called trabectome. The new technique
lowers eye pressure with a lower risk
of infection compared to traditional
surgery. Trabectome is an effective option
for patients whose glaucoma is not
sufficiently controlled with eye drops
or laser treatments.
Physicians and other clinicians in the
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual
Sciences are ranked among the best in
the country and specialize in diagnosing
and treating diseases of the eye, as
well as providing advanced solutions
for vision care.
For more information or to schedule
an appointment, visit UHhospitals.org/
Eye2015 or call 1-866-UH4-CARE
(1-866-844-2273).
UH is First in Ohio to Offer
New Treatment for Patients
with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Millions of sleepy Americans, frustrated
with effective-but-cumbersome devices to
combat sleep apnea, are waking up to the
promise of a new tool to help them rest easy.
UH Case Medical Center is the first hospital
in Ohio to offer Inspire® Therapy, a new
FDA-approved treatment for patients
who cannot tolerate continuous positive
airway pressure (CPAP). A small implantable
system offers a minimally invasive,
mask-free alternative to 1980s-vintage
CPAP technology. When left untreated,
sleep apnea can contribute to an overall
diminished quality of life that can
include morning headaches, daytime
sleepiness or depression. Obstructive
sleep apnea may also lead to high blood
pressure, heart disease and stroke.
UH Ear, Nose & Throat Institute, in
conjunction with the Department of
Medicine’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical
Care and Sleep Medicine, is now certified
to offer FDA-approved Inspire Therapy.
UH Case Medical Center was one of
the sites for the Stimulation Therapy for
Apnea Reduction (STAR) Trial. Its findings
were published in the New England
Journal of Medicine, and co-authored by
UH sleep-medicine specialist and principal
study investigator Kingman Strohl, MD,
Pulmonologist, UH Case Medical Center;
and Professor, Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine.
For more information or to schedule
an appointment, visit UHhospitals.org/
Sleep2015 or call 1-866-UH4-CARE
(1-866-844-2273).
UH, with its nationally recognized
academic medical center – UH Case
Medical Center – provides access to
clinical research, leading-edge technology,
innovative practices and initiatives.
In addition, patients have access to
internationally recognized centers of
excellence such as UH Rainbow Babies
& Children’s Hospital and UH Seidman
Cancer Center.
For more information about UH Fairlawn
Health Center, visit UHhospitals.org/
Fairlawn or call 330-644-8000.
UHhospitals.org/Giving Kingman Strohl, MD
WINTER 2014|2015 15
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE
“We treat some of
the most complex
and difficult illnesses
that affect the
nervous system.
care
integrated • innovative • individual
And whatever the
patients’ point of entrée
in the UH system,
they have access to all
our Centers of Excellence
and some of the most
leading-edge care.”
– Warren Selman, MD
16 L E G A C Y
visit us online
“I had complete faith in my UH doctors. And they were all so caring that I always felt like
I was the most important
person on the team.” – Nancy Benjamin
Teaming Up to Save a Life
Nancy Benjamin leads with a smile. It’s warm and inviting and the very first thing
you notice. Her winning smile and vibrant personality immediately make you feel
at home. It’s a great skill for the interior designer, who has transformed homes
and businesses across the country.
But in 2010, Nancy nearly lost that smile. She
collapsed at a doctor’s office. A scan revealed
a large brain tumor, identified as an acoustic
neuroma. Within a short time she was in surgery
at University Hospitals Case Medical Center
with Warren Selman, MD, Chairman, Department
of Neurosurgery and Cliff Megerian, MD,
Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology –
Head and Neck Surgery.
UHhospitals.org/Giving The benign tumor was removed during a delicate
eight-hour surgery. Occupational, physical and
speech therapy followed. Today, Nancy is smiling
again. She suffered no facial paralysis, which
is sometimes a side effect when removing the
tumor.
Nancy, petite and dynamic, packs a lot of life
into every week. She’s back working full time
WINTER 2014|2015 17
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE
“Nancy said her goal was
to get back to what she
was doing and to return to
all the things she loves.
”
– Warren Selman, MD
Warren Selman, MD, Harvey Huntington Brown, Jr. Chair in Neurosurgery, Chairman
and Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, UH Case Medical Center and
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Neurosurgeon-in-Chief and
Director, University Hospitals Neurological Institute
at her company, N. Benjamin Interiors. She’s
getting ready for her daughter’s wedding and
she’s able once again to create lavish theme
parties for which she is the main chef. She
thanks UH every day for saving her life. “I got
very, very good care in a very short period of
time,” Nancy said. “To get the team together
on such short notice was wonderful.”
Teamwork is standard among the professionals
at University Hospitals Neurological Institute,
made up of 15 Centers of Excellence, said
Dr. Selman, Director of the institute. Each day,
institute doctors and staff see hundreds of
patients from infants to seniors. All of them,
just like Nancy, receive the best in integrated,
innovative and individualized care. The
comprehensive range of neurological and
neurosurgical services helps those dealing with
stroke, epilepsy, movement disorders, brain
health and more. Research and clinical trials
ensure doctors are on top of the latest
developments, which ultimately benefit patients.
“We treat some of the most complex and
difficult illnesses that affect the nervous system,”
Dr. Selman said. “And whatever the patients’
point of entrée in the UH system, they have
access to all our Centers of Excellence and some
of the most leading-edge care.”
18 L E G A C Y
UH Leads in Ohio with
Comprehensive Technologies
In fact, UH is the only facility in Ohio – and one
of the few in the country – offering patients a
complete array of comprehensive technologies
including the NeuroBlate® System, Gamma
Knife® and CyberKnife® – which can remove
tumors through minimally invasive and noninvasive techniques; an Autonomic lab that tests
nerve performance from the brain to major
organs; and the Electromyography (EMG) lab
that offered critical information before and
during Nancy’s surgery.
Acoustic neuromas like Nancy’s are slow-growing
tumors. The tumor grows around the nerves
governing hearing, balance and facial movement.
Hearing loss is often the first reported symptom.
In Nancy’s case, she felt anxious and out of
sorts. “I just wasn’t myself,” she said. The once
independent, confident, outgoing woman was
finding it more difficult to do things that once
came naturally.
“This is a very dangerous tumor,” said Dr.
Megerian, who was called in to be part of
the team because of the tumor’s location. “It
grows in a very confined area of the skull,” he
said. “People have complaints such as anxiety,
confusion, light-headedness, slow decisionmaking. The brain is not working right. It’s being
squeezed from the inside.”
visit us online
“Her enthusiasm for life and everything she does is manifest in her smile. It’s an indirect indicator that she is back in full bloom
of her life.”– Cliff Megerian, MD
Cliff Megerian, MD, Chairman and Professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck
Surgery, UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine; Interim President, University Hospitals Physician Services; Director,
UH Ear, Nose & Throat Institute; and Richard W. and Patricia R. Pogue Chair in
Auditory Surgery and Hearing Sciences, UH Case Medical Center
The surgery is complicated. “Removing this
type of tumor can result in permanent facial
paralysis,” Dr. Megerian said. “This was of grave
concern to her and her family once they realized
she needed surgery.”
Stellar Physicians Work Together
to Save a Life
So, before surgery, but while she was unconscious,
tiny electrodes were placed on her facial muscles,
tongue and vocal cords. The electrodes are
extremely reliable in detecting tiny motions of
the nerve, providing a road map for doctors to
safely remove the tumor while sparing nerves.
During surgery, a neurophysiologist carefully
monitored her facial and swallowing nerves.
Then, Drs. Selman and Megerian removed the
tumor. First, a small incision was made behind
her right ear, brain fluid released and the
cerebellum retracted allowing doctors to see
the tumor. Using an operating microscope, the
tumor was carefully removed. The result was
perfect: no facial paralysis.
Nancy appreciated their care. “I never felt like I
was one of many,” Nancy said. “The care was so
individualized.” Dr. Megerian continues closely
monitoring Nancy with twice-yearly visits. They
have a special bond, greeting each other like old
friends. “Her enthusiasm for life and everything
she does is manifest in her smile,” he said. “I
had at least some responsibility for preserving
that smile so that every time I see her, I am so
UHhospitals.org /Giving
thankful that smile is there. It’s an indirect
indicator that she is back in full bloom of
her life.”
Nancy always brings him some of her delicious
banana bread. “I always look forward to our
visits,” Dr. Megerian said. “Of course for me
there is that secondary gain: I get some food.”
Nancy’s story exemplifies “the reason we exist,”
said Dr. Selman. “There is nothing else that
gives you this sense of satisfaction – not only in
saving someone’s life, but giving them back their
quality of life. Nancy said her goal was to get
back to what she was doing and to return to all
the things she loves. That is the most gratifying
thing one could ever hope for.”
Her family weathered the crisis. “This was a
stressful time for our family, but the level
of communication from the staff allowed us to
feel comfortable that Nancy was being treated
appropriately,” said Nancy’s husband, Jaye
Benjamin, MD, a dermatologist in private
practice, who also teaches at Case Western
Reserve School of Medicine. They are UH fans
through and through.
To schedule an
appointment with
UH Neurological
Institute, visit
UHhospitals.org/
life2015 or call
1-866-UH4-CARE
(1-866-844-2273).
“I had complete faith in my UH doctors,”
Nancy said. “And they were all so caring that I
always felt like I was the most important person
on the team.” U H
WINTER 2014|2015
19
P hilanthropicS pirit
the
1866
SOCIETY OF
C E L E B R AT I O N
UH RECOGNIZES COMMITMENT
OF 2014 HONOREES
Every year, University Hospitals honors the
compassionate philanthropy and visionary
guidance of select individuals at the annual
Society of 1866 Celebration. In October, a
crowd of nearly 700 UH supporters gathered
at the Cleveland Museum of Art to recognize
the enduring commitment of the 2014 Samuel
Mather Visionary Award honorees – John
and the late Sally Morley, Richard (Dick) and
Patricia (Pat) Pogue – and 2014 UH Distinguished
Physician – George Thompson, MD.
20 L E G A C Y
from left: Fred Rothstein, MD,
President, UH Case Medical
Center; Richard (Dick) and
Patricia (Pat) Pogue; John
Morley; Janice and George
Thompson, MD; and Thomas
F. Zenty III, CEO, University
Hospitals.
Honorees John and Sally Morley moved to
Cleveland more than 30 years ago and, in
that time, forged a strong commitment to
the local community. Sally’s lifelong passion
for education and selfless devotion to serving
others helped advance the missions of many
area nonprofits. Meanwhile John, actively
engaged at UH, has provided invaluable
leadership on the UH Board of Directors
including leading the search committee
that appointed Thomas F. Zenty III as Chief
Executive Officer. Sadly, Sally lost her battle
with cancer early last year, but the Morleys’
legacy of giving will have a positive impact on
UH and Cleveland for many years to come.
visit us online
the
P hilanthropic S pirit
RAINBOW RADIOTHON INSPIRES
OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT
Honorees Dick and Pat Pogue have long
been recognized as devoted guardians of
the Cleveland community. A former UH Board
Chair, Dick has been an active and dedicated
UH director since 1975. His efforts to safeguard
the future of health care, supported by Pat’s
passionate drive to build a strong community,
include the creation of the Richard W. and
Patricia R. Pogue Chair in Auditory Surgery
and Hearing Sciences in 2008, an endowed
position currently held by Cliff Megerian, MD,
Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology –
Head & Neck Surgery and Director, UH Ear,
Nose & Throat Institute at UH Case Medical
Center; Interim President, University
Hospitals Physician Services; and Professor
of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery,
Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine.
The 2014 UH Distinguished Physician George
Thompson, MD, began his career at UH
in 1979. Over the decades that have since
passed, Dr. Thompson has dedicated his
efforts to building a reputation for excellence
in pediatric orthopaedics. Today, Dr. Thompson
is Director of Pediatric Orthopaedics at UH
Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and
a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and
Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University
School of Medicine. His expert surgical skills
and innovative techniques have advanced
patient outcomes and, in 2013, were recognized
by the Scoliosis Research Society when it
honored him with the prestigious Lifetime
Achievement Award.
UHhospitals.org/Giving Because of the extraordinary generosity of the
Northeast Ohio community, the 12th Annual Rainbow
Radiothon raised more than $305,000 for University
Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.
The 13-hour event was supported by radio partner
Cleveland’s New 102.1 FM and presenting sponsor
Petitti Garden Centers.
Rainbow Radiothon, a Children’s Miracle Network
Hospitals’ fundraiser broadcast in December, shared
inspirational stories of love, hope and compassion
featuring young patients, their families and the
dedicated staff who care for them.
Proceeds from Rainbow Radiothon benefit important
programs and services at UH Rainbow Babies &
Children’s Hospital. Since its inception in 2003,
Rainbow Radiothon has inspired more than
$3 million in giving from the community including
UH physicians and employees. Donations from
events like Rainbow Radiothon are vital to UH’s
efforts to provide the highest-quality care to
pediatric patients and their families.
Christian Ayala (front), a patient of UH Rainbow Babies &
Children’s Hospital, is with his parents Amy and Rich Ayala
and one of his favorite Family & Child Life Services assistants,
Stephanie Skrout (far left). Christian is holding a Care Bear
specially designed by American Greetings for patients at
UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and donated by
a “Miracle Maker” – a Rainbow Radiothon donor who
pledges $240 (or $20 per month for a year).
WINTER 2014|2015
21
the
P hilanthropic S pirit
GIFT SUPPORTS DISCOVERY,
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW THERAPY TO TREAT CANCER
A gift of more than $1 million from the Kathryn and Paul Miller Family Fund of the Cleveland Foundation will support the
Immunotherapy and Gene Therapy Cancer Research Fund at University Hospitals
Seidman Cancer Center. The gift,
Julian Kim, MD
recommended by the late Joyce Miller
Burke, daughter of Kathryn and Paul, will advance the clinical
discovery and development of new therapies to treat patients with
cancer. Julian Kim, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Chief of Oncologic
Surgery at UH Seidman Cancer Center, will direct the efforts.
Dr. Kim, the Charles A. Hubay, MD, Chair in the Department of
Surgery at UH Case Medical Center; and Professor at Case
Western Reserve University School of Medicine, leads a laboratory
developing a next generation of therapy that would use a patient’s
immune cells to treat the cancer. Mrs. Burke, a supporter of UH
and Dr. Kim’s patient, succumbed to a five-year battle against an
aggressive cancer last August. Her generosity will have a profound
impact on patients’ lives for generations to come.
FLORIDA EVENTS 2015:
FEBRUARY 22 AND 25
In February, representatives of University
Hospitals will make their annual visit to
Florida to host “Collaborating for a Cure:
UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
and UH Seidman Cancer Center.” This year’s
keynote speaker is Alex Huang, MD, PhD,
Theresia G. and Stuart F. Kline Family
Foundation Chair in Pediatric Oncology;
Program Director of Pediatric Hematology
and Oncology at UH Case Medical Center;
Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation
Scholar and Associate Professor of Pediatrics
and Pathology at Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine. Dr. Huang
will speak about patients confronted
with the diagnosis of cancer and how
leading-edge research discovery is bringing
patients of all ages renewed hope for a
healthier future.
Florida gatherings will be held on Sunday,
February 22 at the Naples Ritz-Carlton
Beach Resort and on Wednesday, February 25 at The Breakers
Palm Beach.
TING
COLLABORA E:
FOR A CUR Hospital
For information,
contact Institutional
Relations &
Development at
216-983-2200.
ren’s
Babies & Child
Center
UH Rainbow
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and UH Seidm
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22 L E G A C Y
visit us online
the
P hilanthropic S pirit
“ I A M T H R I L L E D T O PA R T I C I PAT E I N T H I S C U L I N A RY E X T R AVA G A N Z A
IN MY HOMETOWN BENEFITING UH SEIDMAN CANCER CENTER. IT
R A I S E S V I TA L F U N D S F O R S U C H A N I M P O R TA N T C A U S E A N D I S T R U LY
A S E N S AT I O N A L E V E N I N G . ” – Michael Symon
MICHAEL SYMON NAMED HOST CHEF OF UH’S FIVE STAR SENSATION
Cleveland’s premier benefit – Five Star Sensation – will have a new celebrity chef leader.
Renowned “Iron Chef” Michael Symon will serve as Five Star’s Host Chef in 2015.
Five Star Sensation has raised more than $16 million for University Hospitals Seidman Cancer
Center since its inception in 1987. This extraordinary celebration of food and wine will be
held on Saturday, June 27 at Cuyahoga Community College, Eastern Campus in Highland
Hills. Huntington Bank returns as presenting sponsor for the fifth time.
Five Star Sensation will be led by Co-Chairs Jackie Rothstein and Jane Seidman. Jackie is
a member of both Seidman Cancer Leadership Council and
National Art Leadership Council, and Jane is a member of Seidman Cancer Leadership Council.
Cleveland native and celebrity
chef, Michael Symon, has
been named as the new host
chef for Five Star Sensation, a
premier benefit for UH Seidman
Cancer Center.
“We look forward to building on the incredible legacy of Five Star Sensation and are so excited to work with Chef Michael Symon for yet another
extraordinary event,” said Jane.
For more than two decades, the biennial event was led by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and Chair Carole Carr. Under their leadership, Five
Star Sensation – the first event of its kind outside of Los Angeles – rose to become one of Northeast Ohio’s top benefits.
Chef Symon, a Cleveland native with acclaimed restaurants Lola and
Lolita in Cleveland, Roast in Detroit and several B Spots throughout the
Midwest, is renowned in the culinary world. He shares his exuberant, approachable cooking
style with viewers as an Iron Chef on Food Network and as a co-host on ABC’s The Chew.
“I am thrilled to participate in this culinary extravaganza in my hometown benefiting UH Seidman
Cancer Center,” said Chef Symon. “It raises vital funds for such an important cause and is
truly a sensational evening.”
At the event, patrons will dine on the finest delicacies prepared by internationally respected
chefs and enjoy wine from premier wineries around the globe. Also, some of Cleveland’s
most celebrated chefs will represent the best of the city.
Funds from Five Star Sensation support UH Seidman Cancer Center physicians’ innovative
work to identify promising new therapies, community cancer screenings, cancer information
services and many public education programs. UH Seidman Cancer Center is part of the
National Cancer Institute-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western
Reserve University – one of only 41 such centers in the country.
“Five Star Sensation provides incredible support to UH Seidman Cancer Center in fulfilling
its mission of rapidly translating scientific discovery to patient care,” said Nathan Levitan, MD,
President of UH Seidman Cancer Center. “As a result, our cancer patients and their families
have access to the nation’s most advanced technology, vast experience and promising treatments.”
For more information about Five Star Sensation, call 216-844-0448 or visit FiveStarSensation.org.
UHhospitals.org/Giving WINTER 2014|2015 23
the
P hilanthropic S pirit
HARRINGTON SCHOLARS PURSUE
THERAPIES FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
In June, the Harrington Discovery Institute at
University Hospitals and the Alzheimer’s Drug
Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announced the
recipients of the 2014 ADDF Harrington Scholar
Award. The selected researchers, from Emory
University and The Ohio State University, will
receive funding and benefit from the leadership
of the Harrington Discovery Institute Innovation
Support Center to support their recent discoveries,
which have the potential to slow the progression
of Alzheimer’s disease and improve the quality
of life of patients.
The awards mark the first class of ADDF
Harrington Scholars, funded by a partnership
between Harrington Discovery Institute and
the ADDF formed in late 2013. The program
will leverage the combined expertise and
resources of both entities to fuel the scientific
pursuit of innovative and novel therapies in the
treatment of Alzheimer’s disease that might
otherwise go unexplored.
To support the Harrington Discovery Institute
and the work of ADDF Harrington Scholars, contact
Laurel Price Jones at (office) 216-844-0426,
(cell) 202-510-5836.
COHEN SISTERS PAY TRIBUTE TO PARENTS WITH GIFT
FOR COLLABORATIVE GENOMIC DISCOVERY
Margaret and Joanne Cohen lost both their father and mother to cancer in 2009. Last year,
in a touching tribute to their parents’ memory, the sisters established the Rosalie and Morton
Cohen Family Memorial Genomics Fund with a generous gift of $1 million to support genomics
and genetic sequencing at both University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic. Stan Gerson, MD,
Director, UH Seidman Cancer Center and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and Asa and Patricia Shiverick – Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematologic Oncology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, will coordinate projects funded by this gift.
The Cohen sisters’ gift continues their family’s ongoing commitment to cancer research. In 2007, the late Morton and Rosalie Cohen made a $1.5 million gift to establish the Rosalie and Morton A. Cohen Chair in Lung Cancer at UH Seidman Cancer Center in recognition of the care Rosalie received while undergoing treatment for lung cancer.
the late Rosalie and late Morton Cohen
24 L E G A C Y
visit us online
Curing Cancer Every Day
Nathan Levitan, MD
President, UH Seidman Cancer Center
We Rally Around Every Patient
Once the initial shock passes, patients diagnosed with
cancer quickly identify two priorities: First, to seek care
where they are most likely to be cured; and second,
to connect with a care team that fulfills their unique
emotional needs.
The UH Seidman Cancer Center team focuses on both of
these important dimensions. We deliver state-of-the-art
care through leading-edge technology and innovation,
and we form solid connections with patients and their
loved ones during an emotionally challenging period. We
are confident our center’s dramatic growth over the past
several years is a direct result of our outstanding clinical
expertise and our personal touch. These efforts have
earned widespread attention and accolades, including a
top-20 national cancer-care ranking for three years in
a row by U.S. News & World Report.
In 2015, we will continue to improve the patient experience.
We are enhancing access and convenience by adding
services to our 16 locations across northern Ohio, from
Port Clinton in the west to Conneaut in the east. We
will also introduce proton therapy to Ohio this year. This
is an advanced type of radiation treatment that uses a
powerful beam of protons to precisely target a tumor while
reducing radiation to healthy tissues.
And we continue to push the frontier for innovative cancer
treatments, with more than 300 clinical trials that offer
our patients promising new therapies available at only a
few locations in the United States. Our physicians are at the
forefront of discoveries in cancer care. Examples of current
studies include evaluating new digital technologies for
breast cancer screening and DNA sequencing to help better
identify options for patients with colorectal cancer.
At UH Seidman Cancer Center, we rally around every
patient to ensure we’re attending to their one-of-a-kind
medical and personal needs. “I am just so amazed with…
the treatment I received,” a patient recently wrote to me.
“Everyone went out of their way to see that I was kept
informed, made comfortable and attended to. In a strange
way, I miss seeing them every day.”
Patients at UH Seidman Cancer Center place their trust in
us every day, and we take this responsibility very seriously.
I am honored to join my UH colleagues in delivering the
highest-quality cancer care for our community throughout
2015 and beyond. U H
“I am just so amazed with...the treatment I received.”
“In a strange way, I miss seeing them (my team) every day,”
...a patient recently wrote to me.
UHhospitals.org/Giving LEGAC Y M AGA Z I N E
NONPROFIT ORG
University Hospitals of Cleveland
Marketing & Communications
US POSTAGE
11100 Euclid Avenue
PAID
Cleveland, Ohio 44106-5000
CLEVEL AND OH
PERMIT NO 412
Home is where the
highest-quality heart care is.
At University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute,
our experts combine innovative technology, groundbreaking treatments
and leading-edge research to create a personalized care plan for each patient.
So you can rest assured knowing your heart is truly in the right place.
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The services of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute are available
at many convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio, including:
1. UH Case Medical Center
2. UH Ahuja Medical Center
3. UH Bedford Medical Center,
LAKE
UH Hospitals
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a campus of UH Regional Hospitals
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5. UH Elyria Medical Center
6. UH Geauga Medical Center
ERIE
To learn more and to access our expansive
network of hospitals and health centers across
Northeast Ohio, call or visit:
1- 866 -UH4 - C ARE
UHhospitals.org/Heart
A S H TA B U L A
UH Outpatient Centers
4. UH Conneaut Medical Center
7. UH Geneva Medical Center
7
LORAIN
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3
GEAUGA
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C U YA H O G A
TRUMBULL
8. UH Parma Medical Center
9. UH Richmond Medical Center,
P O R TA G E
a campus of UH Regional
H U R OHospitals
N
SUMMIT
MEDINA
10. St. John Medical Center
Among the nation’s leading academic medical centers, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a nationally recognized leader in medical research and education.
ASHLAND