at the forefront - Department of Neurology

AT THE
FOREFRONT
A PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Medicine and BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
november 2012
Laidback Approach Suits Young
Patients in Oncology Program
amy alderman
STAFF Writer
There is a calm hush in Comer 2
that is refreshing for Brandon Allmon,
who over the past year has visited
various other wings at the University
of Chicago Medicine while undergoing
treatment for leukemia.
special
CANCER
issue
After becoming a patient in the newly
established Adolescent and Young Adult
Oncology Program, based in Comer 2,
he noted the difference. “This is more
tailored to somebody my age,” the 27-yearold Chesterton, Indiana, resident said.
The AYA Oncology Program’s quiet rooms,
lack of waiting lines and emotional and
clinical support have helped him be a
better advocate for his health. “It’s very
laidback. I much prefer it over here.”
The AYA Oncology Program was created
to fill a gap in cancer care by drawing
together physicians and researchers from
multiple medical and scientific fields to
cross the boundaries between pediatric
and young adult patients with leukemia
and lymphoma.
Welcome to our special issue,
“The Good Fight: At the Forefront of
Cancer Treatment and Research,”
which explores how the University
of Chicago Medicine is turning basic
research from the lab into
groundbreaking treatments for
our patients. Our track record of
success is one reason we are the
top-ranked cancer program in
Illinois, according to U.S.News and
World Report, and carry the
National Cancer Institutes’ top
designation as a Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
Headed by pediatric and adult cancer
experts and supported by social workers
and counselors, this new program, for
patients ages 15 to 30, makes multiple
resources available in a single stop at the
Comer Center for Childhood Cancer and
Blood Diseases at the University of
Chicago Medical Center. It is one of only a
handful of programs in the county specifically designed for this age group.
“The program centralizes care in one place,
where patients can receive additional
support services,” said Wendy Stock, MD,
professor of medicine and co-director of
the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology
Program. “We are able to boost the
Employee Preview Launches Grand Opening
Events for Center for Care and Discovery
kevin barrett
STAFF WRITER
Medical Center and University employees
will have a chance to tour the Center for
Care and Discovery on December 4 as
part of the grand opening events for the
new hospital pavilion.
The near-complete Center for Care and
Discovery hosts a preview for employees
on December 4. Photo by Tom Rossiter
The all-day preview will offer a more
comprehensive look at the 10-story, 1.2
million-square-foot state-of-the-art
facility than the Employee Sneak Peek
could offer last August, said Kathy
DeVries, vice president of Marketing
and Communications.
With construction wrapping up and more
of the equipment and furnishings installed,
Grand Opening Events for the
Center for Care and Discovery
Tuesday, December 4
Employee and University Preview
Thursday, December 6
Opening Celebration Dinner
(by invitation only)
Saturday, December 8
Chicago-Area Community Open House
Monday, January 14
Dedication and Ribbon-Cutting
psycho-social support dramatically, which
is crucial for this age group.”
“The program centralizes care in one place,
where patients can receive additional
support services,” said Wendy Stock, MD,
professor of medicine and co-director of the
Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology
Program. “We are able to boost the psychosocial support dramatically, which is crucial
for this age group.”
Unlike children, who gladly accept the
benefits of having a family close by to
support them, “young adults are often
independent from their parents and
without partners or spouses,” Stock said.
“So their support system for facing the
years of challenging treatment ahead may
be inadequate. They need support from us
to help them gain independence through
their treatment.”
In this program, physician-scientists whose
studies have helped to improve the treatments for young patients with leukemia
and other cancers work together to tailor
protocols and services to the needs of
each patient. In the program’s new, stateof-the-art outpatient clinic and infusion
suite, leukemia, lymphoma and stem
cell transplantation experts collaborate
with specialists in fertility, gynecology and
psychiatry to provide comprehensive
solutions for patients and conduct research.
“Our hope is that sharing different
perspectives and expertise in pediatrics
and the adult world will provide us with
a more comprehensive and effective
treatment of these cancers,” Stock said.
The care he’s received throughout the
Medical Center has been “awesome,”
Allmon said. “The nurses and physicians
made me feel like I was their only patient,”
he said.
the Center will look and feel much like it
will on opening day.
“We want employees to get better
acquainted with our new hospital and to
feel energized and excited as we prepare
to welcome our first patient,” DeVries said.
The tour includes stops in pre- and post-op
areas, procedure rooms and ORs on
the 5th and 6th floors, patient rooms and
nursing stations on the 8th floor,
and the chapel, boardroom and food court
in the Sky Lobby on the 7th floor.
“Everyone will also get a chance to take in all
the stunning views again,” DeVries added.
All Medical Center and University faculty
and staff are invited to the preview.
That event will be followed by an
invitation-only Opening Celebration
Dinner on December 6, a Chicago-Area
Community Open House on December 8
and the official Dedication and RibbonCutting on January 14. Register via the
Intranet or call 2-2130.
Nov. 28: “Piloting a Church-Based,
Self-Management Intervention for
Mexican-Americans with Diabetes:
Preliminary Results,” a lecture by
Arshiya Baig, MD, MPH, assistant
professor of medicine, is part of the
ongoing Outcomes Research Workshop
series at the University of Chicago’s
Center for Health and the Social
Sciences. Free, 8:30 a.m. at Billings
Hospital, Room H-300, 950 E. 59th St.
For more information, call (773) 7028600 or visit chess.bsd.uchicago.edu.
Dec. 4: “Wellness Talk: Stress &
Migraines,” a presentation on causes
and treatments, is hosted by Elizabeth
Kieff, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Richard P. Kraig, MD, PhD,
director of the Migraine Headache Clinic.
Free, 4 p.m. at the Biological Sciences
Learning Center, Room 240, 924 E. 57th
St. Co-sponsored by Pritzker Medical
School and the University. For more
information, e-mail Candi Gard at
[email protected].
Talking
Turkey
Happy Thanksgiving!
All University of Chicago Medicine &
Biological Sciences employees scheduled
to work on Thanksgiving are invited to
enjoy a free turkey dinner in the
Billings cafeteria.
Hours are 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. November
21 and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to
6:30 p.m. November 22. Bring your ID and
appetite. Visitors can enjoy the meal for
$7.99 per person.
Please contact Chandra Ross at
2-5757 for more details.
Countdown to the
Center For Care
and Discovery
Months
SAVE THIS HOLLY-JOLLY DATE:
DECEMBER 10
All University of Chicago Medicine
and Biological Sciences employees
are invited to a Holiday Party in the
DCAM atrium (4th floor). Hours are
4 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight.
This free event includes food, nonalcoholic beverages and fun.
Follow us on Twitter
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Advancing our missions
PATIENT CARE
education leadership
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
An Accurate Diagnosis is
Critical in Treating Cancer
Comer Nurses Double as
Diabetes Educators
Gobble Turkey (Not Steak)
On Thanksgiving
Stroke Patient Beats the Odds
eileen norris
Staff Writer
Megan E. DOHERTY
Staff Writer
matt wood
Staff Writer
Warren Bratton and his wife, Eugenia,
were taking a leisurely drive along Lake
Michigan when “that feeling” came on
again. He felt like he was about to pass
out in the passenger seat. His wife drove
straight to the University of Chicago
Medicine emergency department.
Bratton, who had been suffering from
episodes of chest pain and feeling
faint, did not have heart disease or
vertigo, as physicians at a local hospital
had suggested.
Tests revealed that a large growth in
Bratton’s chest had wrapped around his
aorta and was cutting off the blood
supply to his brain. The Aurora resident
also had a mass on his neck. Sonali
Smith, MD, director of the lymphoma
program, diagnosed a rare and aggressive
form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
For the most effective treatment, an
accurate diagnosis is critically important.
The Medical Center’s multidisciplinary
lymphoma team has the experience and
expertise to help identify even the most
difficult to diagnose of the approximately
60 types of lymphoma. Physicians from
around the world consult with the team’s
renowned hematopathologists.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month,
and Monica Gonzalez’s goal is to teach
nurses to be guides to parents and children
grappling with the chronic disease for the
first time.
“A new diabetes diagnosis is overwhelming,” said Gonzalez, APN, MSN, a
pediatric clinical nurse specialist who
recently received a $3,520 grant to
fund the training of diabetes resource
nurses. “Nurses spend the most time with
patients, so we need to provide them
with diabetes education to empower them
on this topic.”
The University of Chicago Medicine
Comer Children’s Hospital has seen a rise
in the number of diabetic patients, increasing demand for nurses trained to deal with
the condition. Eight nurses, representing
the areas of Comer Children’s Hospital
where diabetic patients are treated, have
been selected to receive specialized training
under Gonzalez’s grant.
“We’ll develop a core group of nurses
with increased knowledge about diabetes,
which will both enhance the care of
diabetic patients and allow them to be
resources for other nurses on the floor,”
Gonzalez said.
These nurses — two from the Emergency
Department, one from the Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit, three from Comer 5
and two from Comer 6 — will take a
month-long, self-guided diabetes education course. Each will then spend an
additional eight hours shadowing an
endocrine physician.
His local physician proposed that Warren
Bratton (above) was suffering from
vertigo or heart disease. Sonali Smith, MD,
director of the lymphoma program,
diagnosed a rare and aggressive form of
“With diabetes, there are so many ups
and downs,” said Sarah Gibson, RN,
BSN, who has enrolled in the course.
“We need something like this on Comer 5
to provide a backbone for the family.”
non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A clinical drug
trial at the University of Chicago Medicine
saved his life.
Lymphoma patients at the University of
Chicago Medicine also have access to
clinical trials of promising new drugs.
That’s what saved Bratton’s life. He was
enrolled in a trial and began receiving
chemotherapy, which shrunk the
tumors. Five years later, the retired
locomotive engineer, 69, feels great
and is considered cured.
“I literally owe my life to Dr. Smith and
her team,” Bratton said.
“Where you are treated first can make a
difference,” said Smith. Along with
access to new chemotherapy drugs and
targeted therapies, patients may benefit
from seeing a specialist and a team
of physicians who treat a high volume of
patients with their disease.
“It’s important that the expertise all be in
one place — the best team to get the
curative approach we’re after,” said
oncologist Ezra Cohen, MD, associate
director for education at the University
of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
Red meat consumption has been
linked to increased risk of heart disease
and diabetes. Now University of
Chicago Medicine researchers have
found more evidence that it might be
linked to cancer, as well.
Brisa Aschebrook-Kilfoy, PhD, research
associate and assistant professor in the
Department of Health Studies, and Brian
Chiu, PhD, associate professor of
Epidemiology, compared the eating habits
of a group of patients newly diagnosed
with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of
cancer of the immune system. They found
that red meat consumption is associated
with higher risk for the disease.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
That’s not the case with red meat,
associated with a higher risk for nonHodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the
immune system.
Patients completed a survey on how much
meat they ate, what types (beef, pork,
chicken, etc) and how it was cooked.
Then researchers calculated the amount of
nutrients and mutagens, or potential
cancer-causing agents, in the meat. Based
on these calculations, they found evidence
that different components of meat were
linked to different subtypes of lymphoma.
Chiu said that an epidemiological study
like this should only be used as a guide
for further research on the actual
mechanisms that might be causing the
cancer. But, he said, there are some
possible explanations.
“We know a higher amount of animal fat
will impair your immune function. When
your immune function is suppressed that
puts you at higher risk of developing
lymphoma,” he said. “A high amount of
protein also induces chronic stimulations
to the immune system.
Diabetes is the new elephant in the
hospital room. Monica Gonzalez, MS, APN,
left, and Sarah Gibson, RN, BSN, with
Eleanor the Elephant on Comer 5, are
teaching parents and children how to
cope with the disease. Photo by Megan
E. Doherty
The program will complement the current
education model and expand off-hours
resources when certified diabetes educators are not available, said Elizabeth
Littlejohn, MD, assistant professor of
pediatrics and the associate clinical
director of the Kovler Diabetes Center.
The one-of-a-kind project “will further
our ability to educate family and staff
about Type 1 diabetes mellitus in the
hospital,” Littlejohn said.
“Once your immune system is chronically
stimulated it makes you less responsive to
challenges. That’s why some researchers
think high protein also puts you at higher
risk of lymphoma.”
He said carcinogens in the meat from the
way it was cooked could also contribute
to the higher risk of lymphoma, as could
chemicals like pesticides that the animal
may have ingested.
Nevertheless, Chiu said they’re not ready
to make recommendations about the
number of servings of meat you should
eat, or how often. But given the evidence,
he said it might be wise to follow an old
rule of thumb.
“Just do what Mom says: ‘Everything
in moderation.’ ”
Jeffrey Bishku-Aykul
Staff Writer
Des Plaines contractor Marian Zych, 57,
was building a porch last August behind a
house on 63rd Street when he collapsed.
“He just fell on the floor, he was paralyzed right away and he could not speak,”
said Zych’s wife, Grace. A colleague
called an ambulance, which rushed Zych
to the University of Chicago Medicine’s
Primary Stroke Center.
Zych’s experience is not uncommon.
Roughly 795,000 Americans suffer a
stroke annually, and, according to the
American Stroke Association, approximately 137,000 Americans die each
year from strokes.
Zych, whose condition continues to
improve, was fortunate to be brought
to the Primary Stroke Center, where
University of Chicago Medicine
doctors are prepared to administer the
immediate care needed to save lives
and prevent permanent damage.
The Stroke Center exists to treat cases
“rapidly and efficiently,” says James
Brorson, MD, the Center’s medical
director. The multidisciplinary team
of nurses, pharmacists, physicians and
staff work hand-in-hand to treat
patients, constantly updating protocols
to ensure leading-edge care.
Among the best treatments for ischemic
stroke is intravenous tissue plasminogen
activator (tPA) — commonly called a
“clot-buster.” To be effective, the drug,
which carries some risk, must be administered within hours of a stroke to
prevent irreversible death of brain tissue.
James Brorson, MD, left, heads the Primary
Stroke Center, where his team’s swift,
multi-disciplinary approach saved the life
of construction worker Marian Zych,
right, of Des Plaines.
Without intervention, “Most of the brain
that stops working will within several
hours die or become destined to die so
that it’s irreversibly lost,” Brorson said.
Despite the dangers of ignoring warning
signs, ischemic stroke victims — who may
experience only mild symptoms, such as
numbness — often pass up emergency
care, said Cedric McKoy, MSN, APNC,
coordinator of the Stroke Center.
“When people are in pain, they rush to
the hospital,” he said. “When people
have subtle deficits, they don’t go to
the hospital.”
Months after his stroke, Zych and his
wife are thankful for the treatment he
received at the Medical Center.
“He can move his hands, he can move
his legs,” Grace Zych said. “I keep
telling him: ‘Just keep doing whatever
you’re doing.’ ”
special CANCER issue: The Good Fight
Q&A with
Cancer Center Chief
Michelle Le Beau
Michelle Le Beau, PhD
When it comes to cancer centers, the
word “comprehensive” isn’t just an
adjective. It’s a national distinction for
excellence. The University of Chicago
Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
is one of just 41 hospitals in the nation
— and only two in Illinois — to earn
this designation from the National
Cancer Institute.
Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD, director of
the University of Chicago Medicine
Comprehensive Cancer Center and a
leading authority on cancers of the blood,
explains what “comprehensive” means for
patients and families.
What is a Comprehensive Cancer Center?
A Comprehensive Cancer Center is
distinguished by its scientific excellence
and its efforts to translate new discoveries
from the laboratory into improved
cancer care and cancer prevention.
Physicians and scientists work together
to find new approaches for cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and
survivorship, and for reducing cancer
disparities across different ethnic populations. We have 210 physicians and
scientists studying cancer from every
angle to bring new hope to our patients.
How does an institution earn the
NCI “comprehensive” designation?
The standards are rigorous. We must
conduct research that spans the fields of
basic, clinical and population science.
The goal of this research is to uncover the
underlying causes of the disease, and to
use this information to discover and
develop the newest treatments for cancer
through clinical trials. We must also
demonstrate accomplishments in cancer
education and outreach to our community.
What are the advantages for a patient?
We have the best minds in cancer research
working to solve the challenge of our
patients’ specific cancer. We bring together
experts from multiple medical disciplines
to develop the most effective treatment
strategies. We also focus on preserving the
patient’s quality of life. We have 320
cancer clinical trials offering the newest
treatment options to our patients.
What else sets the University of
Chicago Medicine Comprehensive
Cancer Center apart?
We are transforming the routine practice
of medicine by developing personalized
therapies for each individual patient.
We take into account a patient’s genetic
makeup, the biology and behavior of the
patient’s tumor, as well as the patient’s
social and environmental factors. Our
1200 Patients Project is collecting genetic
information that will help physicians
predict which individuals are most likely
to respond to a specific treatment with
the fewest side effects. Such efforts put
the University of Chicago Medicine
Comprehensive Cancer Center at the
forefront of cancer care.
Tiny
Creatures
Deliver
Big Results
in Cancer
Research
In the wild, C. elegans are practically
invisible. Barely a millimeter in length,
these tiny worms burrow in soil and
compost heaps. Yet in lung cancer specialist
Ravi Salgia’s laboratory at the University
of Chicago Medicine, they’re helping to dig
up more personalized cancer treatments.
“C. elegans turned out to be a very powerful tool,” said Salgia, MD, PhD, the vice
chair for translational research in the
Department of Medicine. For the past
decade, he and his team have been
pinpointing genetic abnormalities that
occur in patients’ lung cancer tumors.
As the first researchers to implant human
cancer mutations into the worm, which
has an extremely fast lifecycle, and observe
its effects, his team can more quickly
determine which genes make promising
drug targets. It’s a pioneering approach
that often takes only a few weeks, versus
gretchen rubin
Staff Writer
Juicing up drug benefits
A glass of grapefruit juice a day won’t keep
the doctor away, but it lets patients gain
the same benefits from an anti-cancer drug
as they would get from more than three
times as much of the drug by itself. In a
study published in the August issue of
Clinical Cancer Research, researchers at the
University of Chicago Medicine showed
that 8 ounces a day of the citrus drink
slows the metabolism of a drug called
sirolimus, which has been approved for
transplant patients and also may help many
people with cancer. Study director Ezra
Cohen, MD, says this combination could
help patients avoid side effects associated
with high doses of this drug and reduce
the cost of taking the medication.
The aspirin effect
We've all heard that taking a daily aspirin
can lower the risk of heart attack and
stroke. Now researchers at the University
of Chicago Medicine believe it also may
prevent the development and progression
of prostate cancer. A research team directed
by Stanley Liauw, MD, recently explored
the association between aspirin use and
prostate cancer in 6,000 men undergoing
treatment. The results of the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,
showed aspirin users were less likely to die
from disease, especially those patients
with high-risk disease. Liauw cautions that
further studies are necessary before the
anti-coagulant should be routinely suggested
for prostate cancer patients.
Exploring an essential vitamin
Vitamin D is well known for its part in
promoting calcium absorption and
forming and maintaining healthy bones.
Researchers now suggest the vital nutrient
also may help prevent and treat disease,
including cancer. At the University of
Chicago Medicine, Yan Chun Li, PhD,
and his colleagues recently identified how
cellular and molecular mechanisms in
vitamin D suppress cancer in genetically
engineered mice. In collaboration with
Marc Bissonnette, MD, Li is preparing a
preclinical study to determine if vitamin
D supplements will reduce colon cancer
tumor growth in animal models. A
parallel clinical trial will evaluate whether
the supplements can prevent colon polyps
in African-Americans, a group that has
low levels of vitamin D and high incidences of colorectal cancer.
A Trojan horse against
brain tumors
Treating brain tumors is tricky. They often
are difficult to remove surgically without
causing serious damage to surrounding
tissues. Radiation produces side effects
and only holds the tumor back for so long.
And the blood-brain barrier thwarts
chemotherapy agents from reaching the
brain. Looking for ways to overcome these
obstacles, scientists at the University of
Chicago Medicine and the City of Hope
Comprehensive Cancer Center in
California designed a sneak attack against
brain tumors in animal models. The battle
plan, according to University of Chicago
Medicine neurosurgeon Maciej Lesniak,
MD, involved loading an army of customized, tumor-killing viruses into an
unusual vehicle: neural stem cells. These
stem cells have the natural ability to seek
out and target invasive brain tumor cells
while leaving normal tissues unharmed.
Study results, published in Molecular
Pharmaceutics and Molecular Therapy, are
extremely promising and the therapy is on
track for clinical trials in humans within
the next two years. The NIH has committed more than $5 million for the
development of this therapy.
More than 300 Clinical Trials Offer Hope to Patients
eileen norris
Staff Writer
Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD, in his lab
Brooke O’Neill
Staff Writer
Imagine That
the year or more required for more
traditional experiments.
“What we want are better answers faster,”
said Salgia, who also is the associate
director for translational sciences for
the University of Chicago Medicine
Comprehensive Cancer Center.
That means not only speeding up the
research process with novel experimental
models like C. elegans, but also bringing
the latest genetics-based findings directly
to cancer patients through more personalized therapies and clinical trials.
“From years of research done at the
University of Chicago and elsewhere, we
have learned that each person’s tumor is
unique,” said Richard L. Schilsky, MD,
hematology-oncology section chief. “Our
goal is to understand what makes a
patient’s tumor tick at the molecular level
and, based on that knowledge, deliver the
best available therapy for that individual.”
therapy for renal cancer. That therapy now
is the approved, ongoing standard of care.
“She got it as part of a clinical trial years ago
and continues to do well today,” he said.
Clinical trials often are the best way to
develop new targeted therapies for cancer
patients, especially those who have a
The University of Chicago Medicine has
serious or life-threatening diagnosis. The
320 open clinical trials testing the safety
University of Chicago Medicine
and effectiveness of new medications,
Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of
procedures and devices for just about every
the few institutions in the nation where
type of cancer. Patients enrolled in clinical
patients have access to Phase 1, Phase 2
trials benefit from being closely followed
and Phase 3 clinical trials sponsored by the
by an expert team of caregivers, including
National Cancer Institute.
physicians, researchers and other specialists,
“Besides getting the best standard of care, Stadler said. Many patients also are pleased
there’s also the potential for getting
that their involvement in a clinical trial is
tomorrow’s standard of care,” said Walter likely to benefit future patients with the
M. Stadler, MD, associate dean for
same type of cancer.
Clinical Research at the University of
Stadler suggests patients ask their physiChicago Medicine and director of the
cian if a clinical trial is available for their
genitourinary program.
type of cancer, especially if the disease is
Stadler recently examined a patient who was advanced. For more information, visit
in a clinical trial six years ago for a new
uchospitals.edu/clinical-trials.
The University of Chicago Medicine:
Cancer Care by the Numbers
#1 cancer center in Illinois
in U.S.News & World Report’s
2013 rankings
210 laboratory and clinical
scientists focusing
their efforts on cancer
320 cancer clinical
trials under way
10th floor of our new
hospital devoted to cancer
care, including a Bone
Marrow Transplant unit
The MD Behind the ‘Scav Hunt’
megan e. doherty
STAFF WRITER
Chris Straus was destined for surgery.
His family tree includes a grandfather and
an uncle in the field.
But his penchant for visual thinking did
more than prompt a last-minute switch to
radiology as a medical student at the
Pritzker School of Medicine. It proved
an inspiration when, as an undergraduate
here, he founded the world’s largest
scavenger hunt.
In his second year, Straus wanted to spearhead a fun, creative event for his dorm.
Unfortunately, the dorm’s council vetoed
his idea for a scavenger hunt. “They thought
it was a dumb idea,” he recalled. “I didn’t.
I thought it was a great idea.”
He persisted, and with the help of some
friends, Straus organized the first-ever
University of Chicago “Scav Hunt” in 1987.
Since then, this annual tradition has
outgrown all expectations, inspiring two
documentaries, at least two marriages
and setting a Guinness world record in
2011. This year, the Hunt’s contribution
to the University of Chicago’s “rich
‘I’ IS FOR INTEGRITY
campus life” helped push the school up
to a tie for the No. 4 spot on U.S.News &
World Report’s annual rankings of
top colleges.
“From day one, we got national news
coverage and the University embraced it,
realizing it was organic and came from
students’ curiosity and ability to do things,”
said Straus, MD, an associate professor
of radiology and associate director of
clinical operations at the University of
Chicago Medicine. “I didn’t know if it was
going to be a one-off. But by the second or
third year, we realized this had potential
and would live on after us.”
The hunt, open to any student organization,
takes place every spring over the course
of four frenzied days. Teams tackle a list of
300-odd items to find or to build.
Feats of ingenuity performed over the
decades include procuring a live elephant
on the Midway and, more recently, constructing 3-D zoetropes, juggling robots
and a re-creation of the Battle of Jericho.
But the best item that was never to be?
“One year we almost got an El car,” Straus
recalled. “The Chicago Transit Authority
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even
when no one is watching.” – C.S. Lewis
As we focus on our PRIDE values each
month, let’s examine “I” for Integrity
in November.
Scav Hunt lists are famous for over-thetop items like live elephants, El cars and a
troop of U.S. soldiers (pictured), who
reported for duty to Ida Noyes Hall in the
mid-1990s. Photo courtesy of University of
Chicago Photographic Archive, (apf7-06017),
Special Collections Research Center,
University of Chicago Library. Copyright by
the Chicago Maroon.
was willing. They had one on a truck
ready to deliver, but Chicago Streets and
Sanitation refused to give them permission
to deliver it to the Midway. They said it
would collapse the pipes under the street.”
Although Straus hasn’t served as a judge
since his college days, he may reconsider.
He hopes to reunite his original team of
eight organizers for the next hunt. “We’ll
create our own list-within-a-list of items in
our own way, which we’ll judge,” he said.
“The current organizers are very welcoming.
Once a judge, always a judge.”
Ironically, he’s never gone “scavving” in his
own hunt. But he makes himself available
to next-generation scavengers by telling
stories, sharing insights and, yes, helping
teams track down items.
This value is at the core of all that
we do, as it defines our individual
character and collective spirit.
Consistently “doing the right thing”
is how we demonstrate our personal
integrity, whether it’s by maintaining
patient privacy and dignity,
ensuring patient care is first priority,
taking pride in our work or supporting
our community.
Ask yourself “What is the right thing
to do?” and your gut will usually
tell you, even if that route is not the
easy one. Let each of us make a
personal commitment to live by our
principles, to practice honesty and to
operate according to our moral
compass. As Rosa Parks said, “You
must never be fearful about what you
are doing when it is right.”
For more information, contact:
Debbie Stock
Director, Organizational Development
2-5262, [email protected]
“I’m still trying to get back an X-ray from a
teaching file that I used in class,” said
Straus. “This was four years ago.”
Chris Straus, MD, is a respected associate professor of radiology and a pop culture hero.
The camaraderie and sense of belonging
the Hunt inspires, plus the chance to show
innovation and creativity, guarantee this
tradition a long future. “It’s fun to see it
still happening,” said Straus. “That brings
a smile to my face.”
Around the Medical Campus
Photos by MEGAN E. DOHERTY
What is your favorite
Thanksgiving Tradition?
As a student at the University of Chicago in 1987, he founded the “Scav Hunt,” the world’s
Sheri Joscelyn
Psychiatry extern
largest scavenger hunt, to liven up campus life. The four-day scramble has evolved into a
rite of spring and inspired two documentaries. Photo by Megan E. Doherty
Watching the parade.
‘Ms. Bea’ Served as Volunteer for
More Than a Quarter-Century
molly woulfe
STAFF WRITER
The University of Chicago Medicine’s
oldest and longest-serving volunteer
died October 9.
Beatrice Myers, a beloved fixture on the
medical campus for four decades, was 91.
group dubbed “The Breakfast Club” — by
clapping when they entered their lounge.
Ms. Bea was unshy about making her
own entrances. Until last year, she drove
herself to work every Tuesday and Friday,
speeding through Hyde Park in an oversized Buick, “a big boat of a car,” said Leif
Ms. Bea, as she was affectionately known,
arrived here in 1970 and worked in Central
Supply. She retired at 65 in 1986, but soon
returned as a volunteer, delivering mail and
visiting patients in Geriatrics and Oncology.
“Just because I’m older, doesn’t mean I can’t
do anything,” the South Sider would say.
She also was a fashion plate, donning
spectacular hats and elegant outfits for work
banquets. “She was always dressed to the
nines and tens,” said administrative assistant
Rajya Karipineni of Volunteer Services.
Piero Naranjo
Housekeeping assistant
Getting together with
all of my family.
One of Ms. Bea’s passions was serving
as president of the Birthday Club, delighting in surprising fellow volunteers with
birthday cards and goodies on their
birthday. In later years, when she was
less mobile, she sat and collated information packets for surgery patients.
Katie Bialobok
Audiology extern
We start watching all
our favorite Christmas
movies at Thanksgiving.
Her friends, and employees who met her
high standards, were treated to cookies
and pie.
“She was just like a grandmother to me,”
said Mike Thompson, a 30-year employee
and lead porter for Environmental Services.
“She gave advice like a grandparent.”
The pastor’s daughter was true to her word,
logging a record 18,012 hours of service
over the next 26 years. Her faith, independence and salty wisdom, coupled with
her grandmotherly presence, made her a
favorite with patients. Many drew strength
from her counsel.
A bout with throat cancer in 2001 limited
her speech, but did not slow her down.
After undergoing chemotherapy here,
Ms. Bea returned to work, greeting her
fellow senior volunteers — a tight-knit
Elsmo, executive director of Community
and External Affairs. “She was a leadfoot.”
Ms. Bea was born in Martinsville,
Virginia, to the late Pastor James Wade
and Olivia Ziegler Wade. She moved to
Chicago in her teens, where she attended
Englewood High School. Although she
did not complete school, she was determined to complete her education and
received her high school diploma at age 61.
Beatrice Myers
Caroline Guenette
MS, APNC
Occupational Medicine
Sharing the cooking.
Question
what is your new year’s
resolution? Send your thoughts
to [email protected] and Include
your phone number.