Cleveland Clinic Alumni Connection - Vol. XIX No. 1

Volume XIX No. 1 | 2009Cleveland Clinic Alumni Newsletter

You Can Get There From Here: Alumni Who Have Changed Their LivesStormy seas, or sometimes new opportunities over the horizon, can cause people to make a big change of plans in their career.

In the last issue of Alumni Connection, we discovered how H.Wendell Gray, Jr, MD (IM’68, S’72, PL/RS’74), re-tooled his life and obtained a degree in Tudor Reformation from Oxford (page 5, “Rugged Winters Don’t Stop Alumni From Loving Maine.”) Cleveland Clinic training is excellent preparation for whatever lies ahead for most physicians, and several other alumni recently shared their stories of reinventing their careers and letting their dreams take them down a new road.

If you have a successful tale of navigating through career change, we’d love to hear from you, too ([email protected]).

Finding the time to really careDavid Scott Madwar, MD (IM’98), wanted to be a guardian angel to his patients, to be there for all of their needs and really own their care. But such ideals are not possible in to-day’s insurance-driven Internal Medicine practices, where

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Tribute Project Honors Victor W. Fazio, MDFriends and colleagues of Digestive Disease Institute Chairman Victor W. Fazio, MD (S’73, CRS’74), honored him for his career achievements at the 29th annual Turnbull Symposium held in November.

Special tributes included the surprise announcement of $13 million in contributions from friends, former

patients, trustees, alumni and colleagues toward a $20 million project to create the Victor Fazio, MD Center for IBD and the Victor W. Fazio, MD Digestive Disease Institute Surgical Suites. The total now stands at $15 million.

A bust of Dr. Fazio’s head, which will be displayed in the new facility, also was debuted.

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David Scott Madwar, MD (IM’98), practices Concierge Medicine in Naples, FL.

Victor W. Fazio, MD, with his bust.

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“Medicare encourages patients to find a ‘medical home,’ and Concierge Medicine really allows that to happen,” Dr. Madwar says.

He says this is an appealing practice model for doctors in primary care, a field that is experiencing declining num-bers, because “no one wants to be a gatekeeper.”

There are about a dozen Concierge Medicine practices in Naples, and Dr. Madwar finds the community receptive to the concept. “It is an affluent town with an older popula-tion. It is easier to demonstrate the value of this service to older people than younger ones who are in excellent health,” he says.

He started his practice in 2007 and is currently at about two-thirds of his desired capacity. “It was slow the first year, but the practice tripled in size the second year,” he says. About 5 percent of patients per year will leave a Concierge Medicine practice due to death or relocation, but “few or none drop out for any other reason,” he says. “Once they are in, there is no going back.”

Dr. Madwar says his Cleveland Clinic training has been tremendously helpful in making this transition.

“My mentors did a fantastic job of creating an intimate environment for patients in an otherwise huge institution,” he says. He specifically credits Harry Isaacson, MD, and Richard Lang, MD (GL-1’80, IM’82), for their influence.

Helping others embrace changeGary L. Saltus, DO, FACOS (TS ‘80), of Columbus, specializes in helping people make transfor-mational changes in their lives through his work as a consultant at Creative Health Care Manage-ment of Minneapolis.

“I help them find out who they are and what their purpose is and what they want to do for the rest of their lives,” says Dr. Saltus. “It’s about taking the time to just be and reflect.”

He teaches the process of change from first-hand experi-ence. After he spent about 20 successful years as a cardiac surgeon, medical problems, including open heart surgery and two neck surgeries, forced him to stop. He had to find a new path for himself.

physicians have about 15 minutes for each patient. There is little time for adequately diagnosing problems and en-gaging the patient to fully participate in the care plan.

So Dr. Madwar decided to follow a different road – he launched a Concierge Medicine practice in Naples, FL. In Concierge Medicine, patients pay a flat annual fee, typi-cally around $5,000 for an adult and $8,000 for a couple, and in exchange get 24-hour access to a physician who always has time for them and who will see them in the of-fice or in the hospital, meet them in the emergency room or even make a house call if needed. They have his home and cell phone numbers and are welcome to call any time they have an urgent need.

They also receive a thorough physical every year and opportunities to discuss ways to actually improve their health, not just manage problems.

“There is a disconnect to the 15-minute model,” says Dr. Madwar. “It doesn’t allow us enough time to get patients fully on board for what is best for them. We always think patients respect our opinions and will follow our advice, but, surprise! They don’t always comply, and that is largely because we haven’t been able to fully educate them.

“Many physicians will respond by saying that they tried and it’s the patient’s responsibility to listen,” he contin-ues. “Concierge Medicine approaches things very dif-ferently. I own their care and I want us both to take the tremendous amount of time we need to gain knowledge about their condition and their goals.”

Most Internal Medicine practices have about 4,000 to 5,000 patients; Concierge Medicine practices cap out at about 300, he explains.

He says that patients are often accustomed to paying only premiums and co-pays for office visits, tests and prescrip-tions, and at first, the notion of paying a physician “re-tainer” seems odd. However, he emphasizes that a rushed doctor will often turn to “care surrogates” such as order-ing tests or referring to a specialist who may order even more tests, all of which costs more in the long run.

“That is engaging the health system in the wrong way without necessarily delivering better results,” he says. “I offer continuity to streamline their care and avoid dupli-cation of services or tests and reduce hospitalizations.”

There is no charge for anything done in his office – espe-cially no co-pays that discourage patients from accessing care in a timely way.

Gary L. Saltus, DO, FACOS (TS’80), helps people make transformational changes in their lives.

Making Changes (continued)

Alumni Connection | 3

He says that the hardest part of his own health problems and the changes he had to undergo was losing his concept of immortality. “This was something that happened to other people, not me,” he says.

“But my journey prepared me to do this work. I don’t have all the answers for people but I create a space for them to find their own new beginnings,” Dr. Saltus concludes. “It is very exciting work.”

Rejoining the Army – at age 65When Philip Caravella, MD (TRS’71), joined the military during the Vietnam War, he fully expected he would be sent to a combat zone. However, he ended up being assigned to Ft. Lee in Virginia and never went overseas. Although many people would see that as a stroke of good luck, it always felt like a bit of unfinished business to Dr. Caravella.

He stayed in the Reserves but came home and went on to have a successful Family Medicine prac-tice in Cleveland Clinic’s West-lake Family Health Center, and later the Avon Lake Center, and raise three children. Although the itch to return to the military never left him, the fact that he had had laser vision correction done by his brother, Louis Caravella, MD, retired CEO of Cleveland Clinic’s Western Region, made him ineli-gible for many years.

Then, at age 64, at a time when comfortable retirement was in view, he learned that his eye surgery no longer disquali-fied him, and he decided to pursue the military again. His first attempt at entering the Air Force was thwarted when a recruiter missed an appointment with him, but an Army recruiting office was right next door, and fate led Dr. Cara-vella in.

This time, he had another disqualifying barrier to over-come: The age cut-off for physicians to enlist was 56. But the recruiter worked with him, and they lobbied higher powers in the government. Several months later, Dr. Cara-vella was granted an age waiver. He was commissioned on Nov. 11, 2008 – Veterans Day – in a ceremony held at the Westlake Family Health Center.

His strong interest in organizational development led him to expand his knowledge of transformational transition-ing by training at the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, CA, and becoming a Certified Executive/Life Coach. He then trained in both the clinical and organizational system development sections at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland (GIC). He did specialized training in group work both in Israel GIC as well as in Cleveland. He also com-pleted the Leadership Development through Emotional Intelligence Program at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.

Dr. Saltus describes his work today as having two arms. One is a clinical arm in which he works with weekly sup-port groups for breast cancer patients and cancer caregiv-ers. “These patients may be facing a limited time and need to decide what they want to do with that time.”

His second arm involves working with organizations to help them develop Relationship-Based Care. This model of care is being used by many hospitals as they pursue magnet status.

“I am taking Relationship-Based Care to physicians and nurses to help them become collegial partners,” he ex-plains. “First, I work with each group separately, and then I bring them together for a three-day program, ‘Leading an Empowered Organization.’”

This program leads to the creation of action plans to move both groups toward implementing Relationship-Based Care, and Dr. Saltus follows up with them several months later.

“My goal is to get them working together on the same plane, keeping patients and families at the center of what they do,” he says. “This requires collaborative communica-tion as we work to fix the system without blaming anyone. It leads to fewer errors and higher patient satisfaction.

“It is really a changing of the lens,” he adds.

Dr. Saltus says this change is necessary because “the previ-ous model that once served us no longer does” as exter-nal forces weigh down physicians. “I help them see that others are on the same journey and that supporting each other helps them grow and take the journey together as we come up with a new way to practice medicine.”

Philip Caravella, MD (TRS’71), was commissioned into the U.S. Army in a ceremony at the Westlake Family Health Center.

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Dr. Caravella – now LTC Caravella – reported for duty at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas, on Dec. 5.

“I am a faculty member and an educator and a provider in the Family Medicine program,” he says, calling the Army’s Family Medicine program comparable to the training of-fered anywhere.

He expects to be deployed to the Middle East, most likely Iraq or Afghanistan, in about a year. “But I knew that go-ing in, even with the risk involved,” he says. “Many people don’t understand that, but it’s just unfinished business that I have.”

Due to his high rank as a lieutenant colonel (most physi-cians in the field would be majors or captains), his role in a combat zone will most likely be setting up and managing mobile hospital units, although he expects to be involved in some patient care, as well. Before that can happen though, he will need to attend several training sessions at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

Dr. Caravella admits that making the change back to military life has been a bit of a culture shock. Although his Vietnam-era experience helped prepare him, much of his service was spent in “wind-down” mode toward the end of that war. In contrast, Fort Hood today is very active. There are about 52,000 soldiers and their dependents there and people are constantly moving in and out.

But he is settled into his new life and plans to stay awhile. “As long as I feel like I am making a difference and accom-plishing something, I will extend my commitment.”

He is thankful for his blessings and encourages anyone who has an urge to try a new path to do something toward that goal today.

“The Chinese say that a trip of 1,000 miles starts with a single step. If I hadn’t gone for it, I would never have been happy. If you have a desire to do something, you can’t just think about it. You have to do it!” he concludes.

Editor’s note: If you would like to communicate with Drs. Madwar, Saltus or Caravella, please contact Sandy Stranscak at [email protected] or 800.444.3664.

Making Changes (continued)

Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association

Mission

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation alumni represent a constituency of physicians and scientists throughout the world who reflect the institution’s commitment to excellence. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is committed to continue serving as a resource to its alumni in their post-residency years by providing access to information and programmatic support necessary to assure their professional growth and success. The goal of these efforts is to bolster the bond between the institution and its alumni and create an atmosphere that encourages a commitment among alumni to offer support for and to participate in the life of the institution.

I Hope That As Time Goes On

...that those who have received these certificates will, perhaps even more in the future than in the present, have a feeling that what has been done for them here in this institution has been of great practical value. We would like you to feel that the permanent staff and Board of Directors feel a great interest in your welfare and that we shall follow you as far as possible with our interest and hope that you will always remember that this is an institution that is a sort of a home, not like your college to be sure, but perhaps even more of a home to which you may always return from time to time. We wish you the very best of success.

George Crile, MD, Founder November 3, 1926, upon conferring the first five certificates


Her lifestyle works now because she is single and has no children, but she does wonder how she can balance work and family down the road. “That is part of the reason I took my new job,” she explains. “It requires less travel.”

She now works exclusively on issues surrounding TB outbreaks.

Dr. Bamrah has learned much about disease outbreaks over the past two years, giving her an insight into world health that few U.S. doctors have. “I did not fully under-stand what an outbreak investigation team did until I got there. I did not appreciate the role that physicians can have in responding to crises in the world, and some American doctors who focus on clinical medicine have told me they aren’t sure what we do,” she says.

“A lot of our work is helping governments look at their public health structure and helping local staff understand the situation. We look at ways to help build healthcare ca-

Public Health Job Takes Alumna All Over the World

Sapna Bamrah, MD (ID’06), has been living the jet-set life since completing her Cleveland Clinic training, traveling the world over. It isn’t as glamorous as it may sound though: Her trips usually are to remote, undeveloped locations that are struggling with public health problems and displaced people

Dr. Bamrah is Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service. She joined the Center for Disease Control in 2006 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer with the International Emergency and Refugee Health Branch in the National Center for Environmental Health, an assign-ment which led to work with displaced populations in Kenya, Nepal, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, and Swaziland, and to a partnership with Division of Tuberculosis Elimination during a 2007 TB Epi-Aid in Michigan.

Since then, she has completed two years as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer and has taken a Medical Officer position with the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination Outbreak Investigation Team. She recently bought a home in Atlanta, but she isn’t there much: she travels at least 30 percent of her time, sometimes more.

Dual board-certified, Dr. Bamrah completed her residency in internal medicine at Case Western Reserve University before her fellowship in infectious disease at Cleveland Clinic. With a background in social work before attend-ing medical school, she has volunteered extensively with homeless and incarcerated populations. Her family is deeply involved in medicine and she wanted to tie her interests to a career in medicine as well, she explains.

Her work requires a depth and breadth of compassion for the underprivileged that would overwhelm many people. Her 2008 holiday card came in the form of a belated email, and instead of including photos of family and cute pets, it was accompanied by photos of people she has visited and helped around the world.

She explains that her strong interest in working with tu-berculosis solidified during her residency because TB and AIDS are problems that disproportionately affect poor and displaced people.

“My mentors encouraged me to get training in infectious diseases, and the fellowship at Cleveland Clinic gave me a great opportunity,” she says. “I didn’t know where my career was going and I wanted to keep all my doors open by getting my academic training upfront.”

Sapna Bamrah, MD, sits with one of several children in a quarantine unit due to MDR TB in Chuuk, Micronesia, in early 2009. In addition to providing medical expertise, Dr. Bamrah and a colleague also worked to make the children’s lives a little more pleasant by carrying care packages and providing some games and DVDs. (Photo by Richard Brostrom, MD, Public Health Controller, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.)

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pacity and best provide support,” she says. “Sometimes we have to get our hands dirty, but other times, we are mostly analyzing ways to help their systems work better.

“We never go into an area unless we are asked to by the Ministry of Health, or the local government,” she adds.

When interviewed in late December, she was heading home from a trip to Wisconsin to see her family and was going to be leaving for Micronesia in a few days to work on an outbreak of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Condi-tions there are far from ideal: Electricity and phone service and other amenities are intermittent, at best. In such con-ditions, she always tries to focus on her work and find time to enjoy the locale, which can include taking short side trips such as hiking or scuba diving.

“We try to have a little fun wherever we go,” she says with a laugh.

Where is Sapna?

Sending email updates about her travels helps keep Dr. Bamrah in touch with her friends and family back home. The emails are a mixture of poignant tales of the suffering she witnesses and humorous observa-tions about life. Here are just a few excerpts:

Kenya (looking at how post-election violence affects healthcare delivery)We have visited 35 healthcare facilities throughout the three most affected provinces in Kenya and nine camps for the internally displaced. In Nairobi, things seem business as usual, back to normal, quiet, calm, but out in the rural areas, the country has been di-vided by tribal lines.

Numerous times, we have asked clinics that care for patients with chronic illness if they have lost any patients to follow up. They show us their registries and say, “If you see a Luo or Luyha name, then those patients have gone away,” and the same with Kikuyus and Kisiis in other parts of the country. People are frightened to return to where they were living or work-ing, and often have nothing to go back to (or for).

The IDP camps (internally displaced person, as op-posed to refugees) are in relatively bad condition. No consistent food, no consistent water treatment, in some places, not enough tents. In particular, we visited a camp in Ekerenyo recently, and the 1,300 residents had not had clean water for a week, minimal food, more than 200 people without tents, no mat-tresses, no place for kids to go to school and minimal access to health care without having to pay something (which is not legal). My team talked to too many people with healing machete wounds.

It was really difficult to be there, and even more so knowing I came with empty hands, empty arms, lacking answers and could make no promises. I left there with an empty heart, and few tears left. But I am well aware that being there to document these problems is literally nothing compared to having to live through them.

Nepal (nutritional study in Bhutanese refugees ) When we first arrived at the guest house in Damak, there were four Swedes packing their things and using the showers. Apparently, because we are U.N.

Dr. Bamrah (continued)

Man Helping ManCleveland Clinic has always been proud of its tradition of volunteerism in our local communities and through-out the world. We applaud and encourage these acts of kindness. They speak to our humanity and mission of social responsibility. In this spirit, Cleveland Clinic has organized an easily accessible website that lists the many activities in which staff and alumni have partici-pated, as well as organizations and areas in need of volunteer help.

Under the direction of Gary S. Hoffman, MD, MS, we are eager to expand our reach and embrace alumni into these noble efforts, as well as to partner with alumni initiatives that are already in progress.

Please browse the Staff Volunteer Opportunities website at http://portals.clevelandclinic.org/ Default.aspx?alias=portals.clevelandclinic.org/ staffvolunteeropportunities.

Consider listing your volunteer initiatives or joining one of those linked at this site. Links are available to contact organizations in need. If you are unsure about volunteering, names and email addresses of volunteers are posted for you to contact them to learn more about their experiences and answer your questions.


consultants and they weren’t, we got priority and essen-tially they were kicked out for us. When we asked them who they were, they said Clowns Without Borders! You have all heard of Doctors Without Borders, well apparently, there are lots of groups that are “___ without borders.” These four Swedes are circus performers, acrobats in particular, and they are doing some training in the refugee camps.

Now, I am a little torn on this. These (Bhutanese) refugees here have been stuck, country-less, without any real rights for over 15 years. They have no hope, and the poor kids, who actually are quite well educated, need activities. Learn-ing a bit of circus acrobatics is probably good for them. But hearing this week that the donor source for the food to feed these 100,000 people will dry up soon, one does have to pause and consider priorities. Anyway—the performers are quite talented and nice, despite how odd their mission may be.

SwazilandI am here providing technical support to UNICEF for a na-tional survey on sexual violence in school-aged girls. So far, it’s been quite an amazing and challenging experience.

Rather than taking a normal allotment of clothes for the month, I downsized in order to stuff my backpacker’s guitar into my bag so I could sit outside, overlooking the Swazi hills and play cheesy campfire songs with my new friends (euphemism for much-needed music therapy due to the very depressing subject matter that brings me to Swaziland).

We are using cluster sampling methodology to select and survey a representative population of girls ages 13-24 all over Swaziland. We are sampling 48 households in 40 ZIP codes, essentially. We have eight teams of five women each who will be going to households all over Swazi inter-viewing girls using the longest questionnaire in the history of time. Well, it’s 100+ questions, which truly only takes 20 minutes if there is no history of abuse, and up to an hour with an extensive history.

The Ministry of Education did a brief school-based survey and found a significant number of girls (above 30%) ex-perienced the worst forms of sexual violence (rape, mo-lestation), hence UNICEF wanted to do a more extensive, national survey.

It’s been a very interesting few weeks already. I have had a chance to learn a lot about Swazi’s history and Siswati culture.

One of the most remarkable things is the stark contrast in aspects of society. Swazi was a British colony until the mid 1960s and currently is a strict monarchy (tearing up the constitution four years after the Brits departed). It only has 1.1 million people, and it was quite a benefactor of apartheid-ridden South Africa as businesses fled to the peaceful hills of Swazi, bringing tremendous economic growth. Of course, that economic growth did not diffuse throughout the country, leaving one-third of the popula-tion doing quite well and two-thirds struggling to maintain maize crops, find clean water, and feed, clothe and school their children.

This is an outright feudalistic society run by an absolute (virtual) monarch with the regular practice of polygamy and the highest HIV prevalence in the world. That trans-lates into an incredible hole in the population, as a large percentage of the productive society is vanishing. There are four to five women for each man and it is expected that there will be 100,000 orphans by 2010. You can imagine how this makes the culture of sexual violence against chil-dren that much more frightening.

First, the practice of polygamy is still quite common. It doesn’t help that the king himself has 13 wives. Childhood marriage also is still a problem. The growing number of displaced or orphaned children clearly leaves them vulner-able, and the fact that girls are raised with this notion that they will have to share whomever they date or marry leads to each man having numerous partners at one time. It’s been remarkable to get to know all of these highly educat-ed, successful women and realize that they completely buy into this idea. If you demand monogamy, you end up alone.

Sapna Bamrah, MD, works with children in a camp in Kenya.


When she decided in 1956 to marry James E. Robert-son, MD, of Wooster, who had four sons, Dr. Startz-man moved back to Wayne County. She became direc-tor of the student health center at the College of Wooster, from which she had graduated in 1935 with a degree in chemistry.

She retired in 1979 but stayed active in the com-

munity. In 1992, Wooster Mayor Clyde Breneman and the Board of Governors of Wooster Community Hospital asked her to chair a task force looking at ways to improve local healthcare. The committee met for about six months and agreed that a free clinic was needed.

The hospital made a small building on its campus avail-able for $1 annual rent for 25 years, and Healthcare 2000 Community Clinic opened its doors on Aug. 3, 1995. Many individuals and organizations came together to support the clinic with donations of time and money, and more than 200 volunteers still are involved today.

In 2000, the clinic’s name was changed to reflect Dr. Startz-man’s vision of serving lower-income uninsured residents of Wayne County. Three years later, she purchased and donated the former Wooster Orthopaedics building, allow-ing the Viola Startzman Free Clinic to meet the increasing demand for its services.

Today she remains an active member of the Board of Trust-ees, describing her role as mostly “sticking my nose in stuff there.”

In addition to her work with the clinic, she also has taken monthlong trips to Egypt in 1980, 1983 and 1996 to teach and consult with medical personnel there, and she keeps busy with the First Presbyterian Church in Wooster, where she has volunteered in many capacities. In 2002, she was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame.

“I’m slowing down a bit,” she admits, adding that she does what she can because “the community has been so good to me.”

Co-Founder of Pediatrics at Cleveland Clinic a Tireless Advocate for Wooster Free ClinicThe need for low-cost or free medical care is reaching all-time highs as people lose their jobs and accompanying health insurance.

Wayne County, Ohio, located on the edge of Amish Coun-try to the southwest of Cleveland, has one free clinic and its pioneering namesake, Viola Startzman, MD, 94, is as committed as ever to its mission.

The Viola Startzman Free Clinic (VSFC) provides health and dental care, medications and laboratory testing at no charge to low-income (up to 200 percent of the federal household poverty level) uninsured Wayne County resi-dents. It operates walk-in clinics three times a week, and chronic patients such as those with diabetes or hyperten-sion are seen by appointment at other times. In 2008, the clinic is expected to have served more than 10,000 patients, an increase from the approximately 9,000 seen in 2007, Dr. Startzman says.

“The bad economy is absolutely increasing business for us and other nonprofit organizations,” she says. “Even people who do have health insurance are sometimes discouraged from seeking care due to the high co-pays they face.”

Her involvement with the free clinic is far from Dr. Startz-man’s first notable contribution to healthcare. She has a place in Cleveland Clinic history for the role she played in the creation of the first Pediatrics Department. She was practicing pediatrics in Wooster when Robert Mercer, MD, asked her to help him launch a department in Cleveland. She joined him in 1952.

As recalled in To Act As a Unit, Cleveland Clinic’s historical chronicle, the first pediatric outpatient department was located in two rooms “loaned” by the Department of Urol-ogy. They were just around the corner from the original cardiac catheterization laboratory of Mason Sones, MD. Dr. Sones was using his new cardiac visualization technique to help surgeons perform heart operations on children, with excellent results. With the formal establishment of the pe-diatrics department, 30 of Cleveland Clinic’s 357 hospital beds were reserved for a pediatric ward.

The book describes Dr. Startzman as a superb clinician who was admired and respected throughout the commu-nity: “Startzman had been trained as a laboratory techni-cian before going to medical school, and her understand-ing of blood chemistry proved invaluable.”

Viola Startzman, MD


Research Roundup

Deadly Overreaction: Platelet Hyperactivity Might Affect Coronary Disease – But Can It Be Controlled?It’s generally not good to overreact, and that’s especially true for platelets.

Ideally, platelets are activated when there is an acute wound, and they help to form a clot that blocks damaged blood vessels and prevents blood loss.

In atherosclerosis, cholesterol deposits accumulate and form plaques on the inner lining of large and medium-sized arteries, eventually leading to a rupture by the plaque.

Unfortunately, platelets perceive such a rupture as a wound and try to plug it. A person can survive small clots within the artery, but the chances of survival decreases if platelets overreact and form large clots that completely block blood and oxygen supply to the heart or brain tissue.

This is what happens in hyperlipidemia. When blood contains too many lipids, platelets tend to overreact. This condition is called platelet hyperreactivity and is thought to contribute significantly to death from coronary artery disease.

But why are platelets hyperreactive in hyperlipidemia, and can this response be controlled?

Evgeny Podrez, MD, PhD (RES/CE ’99), Molecular Cardiolo-gy, and his colleagues have identified two key components in the improper reaction of platelets – a protein called

CD36 that is found in the mem-brane of platelets and a particular lipid that is formed in the body in cases of chronic inflammation such as atherosclerosis.

“We found that there is an unusual family of lipids, discovered by us a few years ago, that accumulate in hyperlipidemic blood and that these lipids interact with the platelet protein CD36 and promote platelet hyperreactivity,” Dr. Podrez says.

“Another important finding of this study is that even in blood with a relatively normal lipid level, this particular group of lipids may still accumulate and promote platelet hyperreactivity if the blood has a low level of HDL [high-density lipoprotein], a lipoprotein particle with strong anti-inflammatory activity,” he says.

“We have found that blocking CD36 may normalize plate-let function and prevent platelet hyperreactivity. Thus, CD36 might be the target for new therapies that hopefully will reduce the risk for life-threatening events. That’s the research we are undertaking now. In addition, our study gives one more reason to have less fat in the blood and to pay attention to low HDL levels,” he continues.

Dr. Podrez was joined by the following researchers: Tatiana Byzova, PhD (RES/JJ ’99), Juhua Chen, MD, PhD (RES/MC ’04), Yi Ma and Manojkumar Valiyaveettil, PhD (RES/BE 2003), all of Molecular Cardiology; Maria Febbraio, PhD, Mingjiang Sun, PhD (RES/CE ’04), Paula Finton, Ren-liang Zhang, MD, PhD (RES/CE ’01), Roy Silverstein, MD, Chairman, Cell Biology, and Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, Cell Biology and Head of the Section of Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation; Robert G. Salomon, PhD, and Eugenia Poliakov, PhD, Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University; and Brian R. Curtis, Blood Center of Wisconsin (Milwaukee).

The research appeared in Nature Medicine. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and Cleveland Clinic’s General Clinical Research Center.

Evgeny Podrez, MD, PhD

An activated platelet (left) and a thrombus (clot) in an artery (right). (Illustrations by David Schumick, Cleveland Clinic Center for Medical Art and Photography).


The ACGME Institutional Site Visit was held in January 2008 and a four-year approval was granted, with just four minor citations. Before this, the most recent visit was in 2002.

“It was a lot of work but it was worth it,” says Chapek, who is well known to many alumni after more than 25 years of working with residents and fellows.

Dr. Traboulsi noted that Joint Commission standards man-date that nursing staff have access to information related to residents’ competence. To address this requirement, a GMEC task force was formed, which resulted in the devel-opment of a website that links clinical trainees with the procedures they are able to perform at that graduate level. Their photograph is included.

Other updates mentioned by Dr. Traboulsi: name/pager stamps were ordered for all trainees and policies were formed requiring the use of the stamp for all medical en-tries in patient records, and a standardized patient hand-off policy was developed.

Another update he mentioned was that the in-house data-base program METS used by the GME office and program directors/coordinators to administer various aspects of their programs has been replaced with MedHub, commer-cial residency management software.

MedHub facilitates such tasks as scheduling and tracking activities, communicating with trainees and logging evalu-ations of the residents and by the residents.

“It helps keep everyone on track,” he says.

Overall, Dr. Traboulsi, who also heads the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology and directs the Center for Genetic Eye Diseases at Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute, believes that Cleveland Clinic’s GME programs are doing well.

“We are in good shape. Interest continues to grow. We have excellent board pass rates and all of our programs are ac-credited,” he says.

“We really appreciate our alumni and urge them to come back to visit and attend conferences and encourage the medical students they know to consider applying here.”

Graduate Medical Education Keeps Up With the Times

As Cleveland Clinic has restructured itself into patient-centered institutes, many programs that reach across departmental lines also have had to restructure. Graduate Medical Education (GME) is no exception and recently changed the membership of its Graduate Medical Education Council to include representation from all institutes.

This change has been good, says GME Administrator Pat Chapek, because it makes the council more representative of all training programs.

“Most members are now the chairperson of their Institute’s education committees, so they are already very committed to education and have the same ulti-mate goals in mind,” she says.

Elias I. Traboulsi, MD, Chairman of GME, recently gave a presenta-tion to the Alumni Board of Direc-tors highlighting this and other changes in the GME program.

He said that application requests increased by 17 per-cent in the 2007-08 academic year. The vast majority of these applications were requested through the Electronic Residency Application System. There are 1,375 trainees enrolled in Cleveland Clinic programs, 976 clinical and 399 research. There are 58 programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), in addition to 58 clinical fellowship programs and 32 other training programs, he said.

Fourteen Internal Reviews were conducted from Sept. 1, 2006, through Aug. 31, 2007: Geriatric Medicine, Neu-romuscular Medicine, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiol-ogy, Vascular Surgery, Dermatology, Psychiatry, Sleep Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Endocrinology, Sports Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatric Anesthesiology, Neu-rology and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

In that same time frame, Residency Review Committee visits as part of the ACGME process were held in Cytopa-thology, Plastic Surgery, Hematopathology, Thoracic Sur-gery, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Microbiol-ogy, Child Neurology, Gynecology/Oncology, Transfusion Medicine, Dermatopathology and Colorectal Surgery.

Elias I. Traboulsi, MD


GME at Cleveland Clinic Florida

The Graduate Medical Education Program at Cleveland Clinic Florida receives nearly 4,000 applications a year for its eight ACGME Accredited training programs as well as its other clinical training programs and research train-ing programs. It offers a diverse array of programs, with Internal Medicine being the largest with 30 residents and it ranks in the 99th percentile of programs by the American College of Physicians. The Colorectal Surgery program is the second largest such program in the United States.

Although the programs share some resources with Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, they are fully accredited as their own programs, with Cleveland Clinic Florida being the sponsoring in-stitution. The Chairman of Gradu-ate Medical Education and the Designated Institutional Official is Eric G. Weiss, MD (CRS’94).

Training programs offered include Colorectal Surgery; Colorectal Surgery Research; Electrodiagnostic Medicine (Fellowship); Internal Medi-cine; Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery (Fellow-ship); Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Research Fellowship; Movement Disorders (Fellowship); Sports Medicine and Adult Reconstruction (Fellowship); Neurol-ogy; Plastic Surgery; Urogynecology/Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (Fellowship); Vascular Neurology (Fellowship); Voiding Dysfunction and Female Urology (Fellowship); Orthopaedics Research (Fellowship); Cardiology (Fellow-ship); Nephrology (Fellowship); Gastroenterology (Fellow-ship); and Geriatrics (Fellowship).

About 150 medical students participate in training each year, as well as 95 to 120 observers.

The total number of graduates by programs up to June 2008:

Accredited ProgramsColorectal Surgery – 54 Internal Medicine – 84 + 9 chief residentsNeurology – 15Cardiology – 6Nephrology – 3Gastroenterology – 2Geriatrics - 2Plastic Surgery – 4

Non Accredited – Advanced Fellowship Programs – 75Highlights of Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Program include:

1988: Cleveland Clinic Florida opens as the first medi-cal center in Broward County committed to research and education as well as patient care. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is established to monitor the ethical and sci-entific aspects of clinical research projects.

1989: Colorectal surgery residency program established as first in Florida and first specialty training program of any kind in Broward County.

1990: First international colorectal surgery symposium held. It quickly became the largest annual colorectal course in North America, every year attracting almost 1,000 participants from more than 50 countries.

1991: A. Lorraine & Sigmund Goldblatt Medical Library opens as first medical library in Broward County avail-able to the public. Cleveland Clinic Florida begins par-ticipation in cancer research protocols sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.

1992: Cleveland Clinic Foundation residents begin elective rotations in Florida. In just four years, the program will include more than 50 residents in at least 13 specialties.

1993: Cleveland Clinic Florida receives national accredita-tion status for continuing medical education courses.

1994: Cleveland Clinic Florida establishes basic science research program.

1995: Cleveland Clinic Florida internal medicine residen-cy program begins.

1996: Cleveland Clinic Florida cardiac surgeons pioneer minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

1997: Cleveland Clinic Florida chosen as an alternate training site for students from Ohio State University School of Medicine.

2001: Cleveland Clinic Florida moves to its new integrated campus in Weston, including the David G. Jagelman Con-ference Center.

2001-2004: Newly accredited residency programs in Inter-nal Medicine, Neurology, Colorectal Surgery, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Plastic Surgery, Geriatrics and Nephrol-ogy get approved by the ACGME.

2004: Cleveland Clinic Florida is ACGME accredited as a sponsoring institution, the first in Broward County.

Eric G. Weiss, MD


AppointmentsAndrew J. Fishleder, MD (GL-1’79, LMED’82), previously Chair, Education Institute, and Execu-tive Dean, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, ef-fective Dec. 1, 2008. Dr. Fishleder is responsible for the overall op-erations at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and will be implementing the systems, procedures, guide-

lines and standards as an extension of Cleveland Clinic’s model of medicine and clinical capabilities in the Middle East.

James Young, MD, Chair, Endocri-nology and Metabolism Institute, become Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, effective Jan. 1, 2009. Dr. Young will continue to head the Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute.

Drs. Young and Fishleder are both respected physician leaders and educators in academic medicine. They bring outstanding vision

and leadership to their new roles and will contribute to the continued growth and success of the Cleveland Clinic health system – training the next generation of physician-investigators as well as physicians around the world.

Dr. Fishleder will be back and forth between Abu Dhabi and Cleveland through May 2009, helping to ensure a seamless leadership transition at the medical school.

Brian F. Mandell, MD, PhD, FACR, FACP, Vice Chairman of Medicine for Education and a senior staff physician in Rheumatology and Immunologic Diseases, Center for Vasculitis Care and Research, will serve as interim Chair of the Education Institute. Dr. Mandell joined Cleveland Clinic in 1993. He earned a doctorate degree in physiology and biophysics from Washington University in Saint

Louis and a medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Mandell is editor-in-chief of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, and is Director of both

the Cleveland Clinic Internal Medicine Residency Pro-gram’s Scholarly Activity Program and the Division of Med-icine Humanities Program. Dr. Mandell has served on and chaired several national planning and writing committees and has published more than 100 articles, chapters and editorials in peer-reviewed publications and textbooks.

Robert R. Lorenz, MD (OTO’02), Chief Medical Officer of Cleve-land Clinic Abu Dhabi, was awarded the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Honor Award at the annual meeting in September. The Academy presents the Honor Awards to otolaryngologists in recognition of outstanding ser-vice through the presentation of instructional courses, scientific

papers or participation on a continuing education com-mittee or faculty. As the Chief Medical Officer of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Lorenz describes his personal and professional experience relocating there on his blog: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/abudhabi/cmo_blog.aspx

Dr. Lorenz and his alumna wife, Aylin M. Ozdemir-Lorenz, MD, MBA (RES/CB’99, RES/CA’01), moved to Abu Dhabi in early September 2008. Previously, he was Head of the Section of Head and Neck Surgery at Cleveland Clin-ic in Cleveland, OH, and his wife was working as a Medical Science Liaison. “After spending 12 years in Cleveland and leaving friends, colleagues and a large surgical practice, I am excited and anxious to make CCAD a humming, busy hospital of world-renowned medical care,” he says.

Editor’s Note: Visit http://my.clevelandclinic.org/depart-ments/abudhabi/default.aspx to follow the progress at Cleve-land Clinic Abu Dhabi.

J. Michael Henderson, MD, was appointed Chief Quality Officer in January 2009. Dr. Henderson has served as Chairman of the Quality & Patient Safety Institute since 2006. “Although Mike’s respon-sibilities will stay the same, this new title more accurately reflects his role and the important con-tributions he has made to quality improvement and patient safety

initiatives,” says Chief of Staff Jo-

Andrew J. Fishleder, MD

James Young, MD

Brian F. Mandell, MD, PhD, FACR, FACP

Robert R. Lorenz, MD

J. Michael Henderson, MD


continued on page 14

seph Hahn, MD. “It also emphasizes our institution’s com-mitment to quality.” There is a growing trend in healthcare organizations nationwide to use Chief Quality Officer as the formal title for individuals who provide leadership, direction and oversight to clinical quality, quality perfor-mance improvement and patient safety programs. Dr. Henderson joined Cleveland Clinic in 1992 and has served in numerous roles, including Director of the Transplant Center and Chairman of General Surgery. He maintains his surgical practice because he believes “quality and safety are all about our patients.” He has increased Cleveland Clinic’s visibility in quality at the state and national level as a mem-ber of the Ohio Department of Health Advisory Council for Hospital Quality Measures and the American College of Surgeons Advisory Board for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Institute AppointmentsDaniel F. Martin, MD, a distin-guished ophthalmologist and leading researcher in major causes of age-related vision loss, has been appointed chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute effective Dec. 1, 2008. Interim Chairman Andrew Schachat, MD, remains with Cole Eye Institute as Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs.

Dr. Martin comes to Cleveland from Emory University in Atlanta, where he held an en-dowed professorship and was director of the retina service. He will lead a comprehensive eye institute that handles 150,000 patient visits each year, offering services in oph-thalmology and optometry, in addition to a significant research program.

“Over the past 15 years, Dr. Martin has established deep expertise in the treatment of age-related macular degenera-tion (AMD) and has become the foremost authority on the design and execution of clinical research in this area,” says Joseph Hahn, MD, Cleveland Clinic Chief of Staff.

Dr. Martin is chairman of a 45-site, 1,200-patient clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of two leading drugs used in the treatment of AMD. He has served as the study chair-man for six other multi-center randomized trials, including studies that led to FDA approval of the drug and implant-able drug delivery system that is the standard of care for treating CMV retinitis in AIDS patients.

Dr. Martin also has served as principal investigator for more than 25 clinical trials and has significant experience serving on clinical trial steering committees, as well as data and safety monitoring boards.

He has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and delivered more than 170 lectures by invitation. He has received numerous awards, including the 2004 Rosenthal Award from the Macula Society for outstanding contribu-tions to the field, a 2007 Honor Award from the American Society of Retina Specialists and a 2007 Senior Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology

Dr. Martin is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology resi-dency at Emory University School of Medicine, where he was chief resident. He completed a fellowship in vitreoreti-nal surgery and diseases at Duke University Medical Center and a fellowship in ocular immunology and uveitis at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Martin replaces Hilel Lewis, MD, who left in January 2008, after 15 years as chairman.

Eric A. Klein, MD (U’86), has been appointed Chairman of the Glick-man Urological & Kidney Institute. Dr. Klein has served as interim Chair since the passing of Andrew C. Novick, MD (U’77), in October. Dr. Klein, a 19-year Cleveland Clinic veteran, will lead one of the country’s top urological and kidney programs in the new Glick-man Tower, which was unveiled in September 2008.

“As a national and international expert in his field, Eric is well-positioned to further expand the institute’s reputa-tion for medical and surgical advancements while foster-ing an environment of collaboration,” says Joseph Hahn, MD, Chief of Staff. “Eric brings a wealth of medical and research experience and expertise to this position, which will benefit the highly-ranked Glickman Urological & Kid-ney Institute.”

Dr. Klein is a leader in the biology and management of prostate cancer. His clinical area of interest is urologic oncology, including cancers of the prostate, bladder, testis and kidney; he also is highly regarded for his surgical finesse in reconstructive procedures. Throughout his ca-reer, he has been recognized with numerous awards from

Eric A. Klein, MD

Daniel F. Martin, MD


organizations like the American Cancer Society, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic, and he has been included among the Best Doctors in America for several years.

Sarah Sinclair, MBA, RN, has been appointed Executive Chief Nurs-ing Officer of the Cleveland Clinic health system, effective Feb. 1, 2009. A healthcare executive with more than 25 years of executive leadership, she will oversee and integrate nursing throughout the enterprise in this newly created role. Sinclair comes from Memo-rial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas, where she served

as System Chief Patient Care Officer. “Sarah touts an impressive history of executive leadership and strategic planning,” says Joseph Hahn, MD, Chief of Staff. “She has broad-based experience in multi-hospital systems and networks and has led numerous community initiatives to enhance healthcare delivery.” Sinclair was responsible for patient care, critical care services, organizational effective-ness, emergency services and other services at Memorial Hermann, an 11-hospital health system serving the Greater Houston area. As the first system chief patient care officer in the hospital system, she led initiatives that resulted in annual savings of more than $12 million.

Debra Albert, MSN, MBA, RN NEA-BC, who had served as interim Chief Nursing Officer at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus since late summer following the departure of CNO Claire Young, has been named CNO, Main Campus, and Chair of the Nursing Institute on Main Campus.

Department AppointmentsLaurence Kennedy, MD, FRCP, Professor and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Florida, has been named Chair of the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. Dr. Kennedy attended medical school at Queen’s University in Northern Ireland and com-pleted a research fellowship in the Division of Endocrinol-ogy at the University of Florida. Dr. Kennedy was elected as the inaugural Nordisk Irish Endocrine Society Lecturer, the highest accolade of the Irish Endocrine Society.

John Hickner, MD, MSc, Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the Univer-sity of Chicago’s Department of Family Medicine, has been named Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Hickner served as director of the American Academy of Family Phy-sicians National Research Network and has a distinguished history of research journal appointments.

Dr. Hickner attended Indiana University Medical School and completed his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Jeremy Rich, MD, has been named chair of the newly created Depart-ment of Stem Cell Biology and Re-generative Medicine in the Lerner Research Institute. Dr. Rich will build upon Lerner Research Insti-tute’s adult stem cell research and regenerative medicine program, and lead a team of investigators conducting basic research and its translation into clinical practice. The research may one day lead to

the development of adult stem cell treatments for heart dis-ease, leukemia, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. The new department will be actively involved in the Cleve-land Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, of which Dr. Rich will serve as co-director, and the Cleveland-based National Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Appointments (continued)

Sarah Sinclair, MBA, RN

John Hickner, MD, MSc

Jeremy Rich, MD


Paul DiCorleto, PhD, Chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, said Third Frontier funding from the State of Ohio was integral in the establishment of the department and recruitment of Dr. Rich. Ohio’s first grant to the Cleveland Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine in 2003 supported the construction of Dr. Rich’s new laboratory space. As a renowned researcher who investigates cancer stem cells in brain tumors and novel treatments aimed at slow-ing brain tumor growth, Dr. Rich will be recruiting faculty over the next five years to build a department of about 100 new employees. Dr. Rich comes from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, where he was Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Neurology, Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology and Associate Professor in the Department of Sur-gery. He received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, and had clinical training in neurology at Johns Hopkins University.

Richard D. Parker, MD, has been named Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, as of Dec. 10, 2008. Dr. Parker has been a Cleve-land Clinic staff member since 1992 and has held leadership roles in both the Department of Or-thopaedic Surgery and the Sports Health Center. He is the head team physician for the Cleveland Cava-liers and is director of education for Sports Health. Dr. Parker also

has been a professor of surgery for the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine since 2005. He is well-known for his expertise in sports medicine and knee surgery. The Youngstown native completed medical school at Ohio State University in 1981 and served an orthopedic surgery residency at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland. He completed a sports medicine fellowship in 1987 before joining the staff at Mt. Sinai.

Dr. Parker called his new post “a tremendous opportunity for me to be able help the Cleveland Clinic health system orthopedists find common ground to build relationships as well as continue innovative and quality care throughout the region.”

Feza Remzi, MD, FACS, FASCRS (S’96, CRS’97), has been named Chair of the Department of Col-orectal Surgery. Dr. Remzi was ap-pointed a staff colorectal surgeon in 1997 and was awarded the Ed and Joey Story Endowed Chair in Colorectal Surgery in 2007. Dr. Remzi graduated from the Hacette-pe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey, and completed his residency at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Remzi performed the world’s first single-port laparo-scopic colon resection entirely through a single incision in the navel in 2007.

Jaroslaw Maciejewski, MD, PhD, has been appointed Chair of the newly created Department of Translational Hematologic and Oncologic Research. Dr. Ma-ciejewski, who has been a staff member in the Taussig Cancer In-stitute for several years, is respect-ed internationally as an authority on myelodysplastic syndrome, pre-leukemic states and molecular prognostication. He holds in ex-

cess of $10 million in peer-reviewed grants, has published definitive manuscripts in many highly cited journals, is on the editorial board of the journal Blood and has mentored a large cadre of translational researchers. His appointment represents another opportunity for the Taussig Cancer In-stitute to evolve its research agenda and to provide an even higher level of care and translational research for patients.

Richard D. Parker, MD

Feza Remzi, MD, FACS, FASCRS

Jaroslaw Maciejewski, MD, PhD


The MyPractice Community: Electronic Medical Record System for Private Practice

President Barack Obama has mandated making our country’s healthcare system safer, more affordable and more accessible through the use of information technology.

In particular, he has called for most Americans to have electronic health records within the next 10 years and for the development of an Internet-based Nationwide Health Information Network to connect patients, practitioners and payers. These initiatives will reduce redundancies and save administrative time, and could also improve the safety and quality of care.

On Aug. 8, 2006, the U.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services (HHS) published final regulations concern-ing the use of electronic prescriptions and electronic medical records (EMRs). HHS did so in a two-step rule-making, creating regulatory exceptions to Stark through a rulemaking by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and comparable safe harbors to the Anti-Kickback Statute through a separate rulemaking by the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). This allowed Cleve-land Clinic’s health system to dramatically reduce the cost of implementing an EMR.

Cleveland Clinic has been implementing an EMR (Epic) for nine years and has begun offering community physi-cians the ability to use it. We call this MyPractice Com-munity. The program has been in place for about two-and-a-half years. It has been implemented in more than 45 practices consisting of approximately 185 providers, 141 residents and almost 1,000 users in Northeast Ohio.

The MyPractice Community (EMR) medical record system comprises an integrated suite of software modules created by Epic® Systems, a recognized leader in health-care information technology systems. (Epic Systems is certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology [CCHIC] and ranked number one in the Ambulatory EMR category of the “KLAS 2007 Year-End Top 20.”) The product of years of refinement, the MyPractice Community system is a specially designed expression of the same EMR system used in all Cleveland Clinic facilities.

MyPractice Community allows private practice physicians access to their entire practice from any Internet connec-tion. All patient information, test results, orders, progress notes, medications and treatment plans are available with just a login name and password. Best of all, because MyPractice Community is an integrated EMR system, it can connect all the members of a care team in a single, efficient environment.

MyPractice Community has been developed specifically for the private practice physician. It is affordable, efficient and supported by an experienced team of health infor-mation technology professionals dedicated to delivering reliable EMR tools.

AdvantageWhen you think of EMR technology, you probably think of up-to-date patient charting that is always available and is never misplaced, illegible and incomplete. And while accessing messages, documents, lab results and other orders are the foundation of the MyPractice Community system’s value, the system’s true power is its integrated suite of functions, all designed to support the full range of tasks performed in private practices every day.

Unlike other EMR systems, MyPractice Community comes pre-populated with patient data. If your patient has ever been treated anywhere within the Cleveland Clinic system, the information is already there, giving you the reliable, accurate records you need to make the best decisions.

FunctionalityMyPractice Community leverages the power of health in-formation technology to align every aspect of a busy prac-tice’s workflow. Its suite of EMR functionalities includes:

• Patient information integrated with the entire MyPractice Community users environment

• Outpatient encounter documentation, outpatient progress notes and inpatient visits

• In-basket electronic results

• Medications

• Problem lists

• Smart Links: data linked to patient and Smart Phrases, which are commonly used words and phrases

• Smart Text: commonly asked questions and documenta-tion templates


• Letter templates

• Interfaced dictation

• Remote access with security token

ConnectivityMyPractice Community is pre-loaded with 100+ million data elements related to approximately 5 million patients, providing comprehensive patient histories upon which to build ongoing treatment strategies. Because MyPractice Community is a secure, HIPAA-compliant system, only medical professionals actively participating in a patient’s care can access medical information, creating a true “care team” environment that focuses on aligning resources.

MyPractice Community also is connected to Cleveland Clinic Health system laboratories and radiology services and most major pharmacy outlets. MyPractice Community is connected to the following transcription companies:

• C-Bay Transcription Services

• Premier Office Technologies, Inc.

• Spheris

Pricing As reported by independent researchers, initial EMR technology system costs for private community physician practices commonly amount to $44,000 or more per physi-cian (or nurse practitioner) user, with ongoing yearly costs of about $8,400 per physician. Due to regulatory changes designed to facilitate the broad adoption of EMR technol-ogy across the U.S., healthcare provider organizations are now able to provide technology solutions to physicians in private practice at substantially discounted prices. In compliance with these new federal regulations, the price of installing and using MyPractice Community in a practice is substantially less than many comparable EMR systems presently available.

If you have considered implementing an EMR system, please take some time to review MyPractice Community. Representatives are prepared to review the pricing struc-ture of the service at the time of a scheduled, in-office sys-tem demonstration, or you may call 216.738.4617 to speak to a MyPractice Community representative today.

Star Comes to Cleveland

On Thursday, Nov. 20, the day of the local premiere of his new movie Seven Pounds, actor Will Smith spent part of the morning with patients and fami-lies at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. Smith passed out copies of an assortment of movies and stuffed animals, and signed autographs. He also posed for individual photographs with patients and visited rooms of children who were unable to gather in the M30 playroom.

In addition, the Will and Jada Smith Family Foun-dation presented Children’s Hospital Chairman Robert Wyllie, MD, with a $5,000 donation.


Tribute (continued from page 1)

Dr. Fazio, who holds the Rupert B. Turnbull, MD, Chair in Colorectal Surgery, is among the highest-regarded colorec-tal surgeons in the world. He was named chairman of the Digestive Disease Institute in January 2008, after chairing the Department of Colorectal Surgery for 33 years.

His wife, Carolyn, had fun helping the event planners keep him in the dark until the last minute.

“He saw that the program said ‘Bust Presentation,’ fol-lowed by dinner and then ‘Remarks and Special Tribute.’ I told him the second tribute was just personal video and speech tributes because a lot of people had more to say. He didn’t realize what was going on until the announcement was actually made, then he started scribbling notes on what he could say. I told him to stop because he couldn’t really be prepared for such a thing!” Mrs. Fazio recalls. “He was quite overwhelmed.”

The Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Course/Turnbull Symposium is a four-day educational activity comprising a two-day Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Course and a two-day Turnbull Symposium presented by the Depart-ment of Colorectal Surgery.

James M. Church, MD (CRS’84), Director of the David G. Jagelman Inherited Colon Cancer Registries and Head of the Section of Endoscopy, says he wanted to use this year’s Turnbull Symposium as an occasion for honoring Dr. Fazio’s long tenure as Chairman of Colorectal Surgery.

“He has affected the lives of generations upon generations of fellows who have studied under him, and they, in turn, went out and trained others, who then trained others,” Dr. Church says. “His legacy is one of generations of colorectal surgeons in the U.S. and abroad.”

“We held a special outreach to invite past fellows to at-tend. About 80 came and presented at the meeting,” he continues. “The Gala Dinner, where we announced the tribute, was really the highlight of it all.”

Among the many people who rose to speak in honor of Dr. Fazio were Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove, MD, and Joseph Hahn, MD, Chief of Staff, Trustee Sam Miller and Phil Douglas, MD, from Australia.

During his tenure as Chairman, Dr. Fazio maintained the pre-eminence of Cleveland Clinic’s colorectal sur-gery program, expanding it from four surgeons to 18. He has pioneered numerous surgical techniques, many of which have changed the course of colorectal surgery as they have been adopted by surgeons around the globe. He has published hundreds of papers, book chapters and presentations, as well as writing and delivering numer-ous presentations. He received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005.

His commitment to his patients remains the most noteworthy aspect of his career, however. As a result, he has won much praise from people who received help from him when there was no other help available. His compassion for patients is a large part of the reason he was the first holder of Cleveland Clinic’s Master Clinician Award in 1992 and was the first re-cipient of the Alfred and Norma Lerner Humanitarian Award.

Dr. and Mrs. Fazio with sons Victor and David and daughter Jane.

Pictured at the event, from left, are Jefferson “Jeff” B. Hurley, MD (CRS’99), Dallas, TX; A. Gerald Frost, MD (S’81, CRS’82), Norristown, PA; Ziad N. Kutayli, MD (SP’03), Columbus, OH; Ian C. Lavery, MD (CRS’76, CF’77), Staff; Charles “Chuck” C. Gardner, Jr., MD (CRS’82), Fort Wayne, IN; Kirk A. Ludwig, MD (CRS’96), Milwaukee, WI; Harry L. Reynolds, MD (CRS’96), Cleveland, OH; and Lynda S. Dougherty, MD (CRS’99), Fairfax, VA.


Dr. Fazio has been very involved in securing philan-thropic support for his program and his participation has resulted in the establishment of more endowed chairs than all but one department at Cleveland Clinic.

This tribute project will formally link his name to the ar-eas in which he has made such an incredible impact. The Victor Fazio, MD Center for IBD will, in perpetuity, sup-port the education of future specialists in irritable bowel disease through clinical and research fellowships and the investigation of clinical outcomes as well as basic and translational research focused on the role of genetics.

In addition, the opening of new facilities on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus allows the Digestive Disease In-stitute to move to operating rooms formerly belonging to cardiac surgery. Dr. Fazio has wanted to update and enhance the rooms’ capabilities to allow for a full suite of operating rooms designed specifically for Digestive Disease Institute surgeons. The Victor W. Fazio, MD, Digestive Disease Institute Surgical Suites will include state-of-the-art equipment to make this dream possible.

Other highlights of the symposium included several new features:

• Registrant’sChoice:Onesessionwasreservedforspeakers and topics chosen by registrants via an email survey.

• AdventureswithAlumni:Twosessionsof“ColorectalJeopardy” featuring alumni and staff teams attempt-ing to answer a series of questions based on challeng-ing cases.

• Fazio’sFavorites:Four30-minutelecturesbythetwoguest speakers on topics close to Dr. Fazio’s heart.

• ResearchForum:Anopportunitytohearaboutthegroundbreaking research being conducted by the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

• HistoryoftheDepartmentofColorectalSurgery:Aninformative lecture by the department’s historian, James Wu, MD.

• TheTurnbullOration:GivenbyDr.Fazio.

Christine M. Bartus, MD (CRS’05) Connecticut Surgical Group West Hartford, CT

Carol A. Burke, MD (GE’93) Gastroenterology, Cleveland Clinic

James M. Church, MD, FRACS, FACS (CRS’84) Vice-Chairman, Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Conor Patrick Delaney, MB, BCh, BAO, MCh, PhD, FRCSI(Gen), FACS (CRS’00) University Hospitals of Cleveland

David W. Dietz, MD (S’95, CRILE’97, S’00, CRS’01) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Henry W. Eisenberg, MD (CRS’73) Cleveland State University Health

Thomas E. Garofalo, MD (CRS’02) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Brooke H. Gurland, MD (FCCRS’01) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Tracy L. Hull, MD (CRS’92, CFCRS’93) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Ian Trevor Jones, MD (CRS’85, RES’85) Royal Melbourne & Western Hospitals Parkville, Victoria, Australia

Matthew F. Kalady, MD (CRS’06) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Hermann Kessler, MD, PhD (RESCRS’98) Professor of Surgery University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Erlangen, Germany

P. Ravi Kiran, MD (RESCRS’02, CRS’07) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Ira J. Kodner, MD (CRS’75) Washington University of St Louis Frontenac, MO

Ian C. Lavery, MD (CRS’76, CF’77) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Patrick Y. H. Lee, MD (CRS’95) Surgical Specialty Group, PC Portland, OR

David S. Medich, MD (CRS’94) Allegheny General Hospital Pittsburgh, PA

James I. Merlino, MD (CRS’05) MetroHealth Medical Center Cleveland, OH

Jeff Milsom, MD (Former staff, ’90-’98) Section Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery The Jerome J. DeCosse Professor of Colon and Rectal Surgery Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Joseph M. Payne, MD (CRS’90) Wilmington Health Associates Wilmington, NC

John A. Procaccino, MD (CRS’90) North Shore University Hospital Manhasset, NY

Feza H. Remzi, MD (S’96, CRS’97) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Harry L. Reynolds, MD (CRS’96) University Hospitals of Cleveland

David E. Stein, MD (CRS’03) Drexel University College of Medicine Merion Station, PA

Scott A. Strong, MD (CRS’92) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Wayne B. Tuckson, MD (RES’88, CRS’89) Kentuckiana C&R Surgical Louisville, KY

Jon D. Vogel, MD (CRS’05) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

M. Jonathan Worsey, MD (CRS’98) Advanced Surgical Associates of San Diego, San Diego, CA

Christopher J. Young, MD (CRS/A’99) Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Medical Center Newtown, NSW, Australia

Massarat Zutshi, MD (CRS’05) Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

Event FacultyMany colorectal surgeons who trained under Dr. Fazio participated in the events held in his honor.

To Help: Anyone who wishes to contribute to the Victor Fazio, MD, Tribute Fund, can contact Diane Tomer at 216.445.8540 or [email protected]. Her mailing address is 9500 Euclid Avenue/A30, Cleveland, Ohio 44195.


The Digestive Disease Institute is one of 16 new clinical in-stitutes at Cleveland Clinic that were formed by bundling multiple specialties together based on specific organ and disease states. The Digestive Disease Institute includes the liver transplant team, the nutrition support team and upper gastrointestinal surgery – along with the former Di-gestive Disease Center’s departments of colorectal surgery and gastroenterology and hepatology. The Institute is led by Victor W. Fazio, MD (S’73, CRS’74).

This close-knit team of healthcare providers draws on each other’s strengths and experience. As a result of this integration, they offer patients the most advanced, safest and proven treatments performed in the most effective and convenient way. Creation of the Digestive Disease Institute also offers exciting advantages and unmatched opportunities for research and physician education.

Digestive Disease Institute outcomes are driven by an unrelenting pursuit to continuously raise the standards of patient-centered care. For example, the Institute’s mor-bidity and mortality rates are low or lower than national averages for many digestive diseases, and cure rates for colorectal cancer are well above the national average.

In addition, innovation, research and patient satisfac-tion results have been instrumental in the program being ranked in 2008 as No. 2 in digestive diseases in the nation by US News & World Report for the sixth straight year.

Capabilities: Digestive Disease Institute Key SpecialtiesDigestive Disease Institute doctors are among the most active in the country in utilizing capsule endoscopy, a technique that has proven invaluable in the evaluation of patients with occult gastrointestinal bleeding, polyps of the small intestine, small intestine tumors and inflamma-tory bowel disease.

The Center for Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders maintains the largest non-VA hospital registry in the United States, following more than 800 patients – nearly 25 percent are women – with Barrett’s esophagus.

The surgeons have extensive experience with relatively uncommon hepatobiliary procedures including resection of benign and malignant liver tumors, laparoscopic radio-frequency ablation for inoperable liver tumors and portal hypertension surgery.

Due to participation in clinical trials and the excellent out-come of surgical cases, we receive increasing worldwide referrals, particularly for complex IBD cases.

Our colorectal surgeons are highly experienced in laparo-scopic procedures, having performed more than 2,100 laparoscopic intestinal resections and currently averaging eight to 10 cases each week.

About 260 operations are performed annually to treat Crohn’s disease.

An average of 20 patients a week from around the United States and other countries are seen at our Pouchitis Clinic – the first of its kind in the nation.

Our liver transplant program is one of the nation’s largest, performing 148 liver transplants in 2007.

We performed our first adult intestinal transplantation in June 2008, becoming one of only a few hospitals in the country that perform adult intestinal transplants.

The Nutrition Support Team offers comprehensive care for one of the largest cohorts of home parenteral nutri-tion patients in the nation. Enteral nutrition is provided to patients with functioning GI tract issues, but who also require a feeding tube.

Focus on Institutes

The Digestive Disease Institute

2007 Digestive Disease Institute Statistics

Total Patient Visits: 92,493

Total New Patients: 3,899

Admissions: 3,829

Patient Days: 28,179

ALOS: 7.36

Total Endoscopic Procedures: 24,853

Total MIS Cases: 425

Total Inpatient Surgical Cases: 3,689


ously, DOs had been trained at the post-fellowship level for months or a year.

After my fourth year at Cleveland Clinic, I moved to The Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, where I have practiced infectious disease for more than 34 years. This includes decades as Chairman of Infection Control at St. Joseph Hospital, President of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in 1984 and, presently, numerous phase II & III vaccine studies, a Clinical Profes-sor of UW Madison Medical School, Department Chair for 11 years and a current project in collaboration with Timothy Lyden, PhD, of UW River Falls of growing cancers on three-dimensional scaffolding. Richard A. Dart, MD (IM’71, H/N’73), a nephrologist who trained at Cleveland Clinic, came to Marshfield upon completion of his training the year before I did and was instrumental in my coming to The Marshfield Clinic. When I started at Cleveland, he was my senior resident! Ray A. Van Ommen, MD (IM’51), and Marty McHenry, MD, were my mentors in ID, along with Dr. Tom Gavin in microbiology. What impressed me were patients came in in-extremis, say with meningitis, and commonly completely recovered.

About 6 years ago, the ID department recruited Rana M. Nasser, MD (IM’94, ID’96), and her husband, Camille F. Torbey, MD (GE’95), a GI specialist, both Cleveland Clin-ic alumni. Previously, Robert H. Winemiller, MD (IM’65, H/N’68), and Thomas F. Nikolai, MD (IM’62, END’63), were long-time Marshfield Clinic doctors who were Cleveland Clinic-trained. The Marshfield Clinic has had good luck with Cleveland Clinic-trained physicians.

As for me, the breadth and depth of pathology I encoun-tered in Cleveland was a real eye-opener and prepared me well. The similar set-up of a group practice was to my liking, and the opportunity to practice sophisticated medicine in a rural setting has kept me here. This includes seven kids, the planting of 70,000 trees in a hobby farm set-ting and a city home in downtown Minneapolis. Cleveland Clinic and its initiative to take DOs was a seminal event for me and literally changed my life.

Ray C. Haselby, DO (Gl-1’71, IM’72, ID’74) Infectious Disease Chairman, Marshfield Clinic Clinical Professor, University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine, Marshfield, WI

Letters to the Editor

Dr. Sheldon Grateful for Alumni AwardWords are simply inadequate to express my appreciation for the honor that the Cleveland Clinic Alumni Board bestowed upon me with the 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award (Cover story, Alumni Connection fall issue). The oc-casion was, thanks to the Alumni Relations staff, my wife and several friends, a complete surprise. I never dreamed of receiving the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and am proud and humbled to be included among the list of previ-ous distinguished recipients.

Needless to say, the experience on the evening of Sept. 26 was exhilarating. It was wonderful to see so many old friends, former fellows and colleagues. It was especially heartwarming to be able to share the experience with my sons Scott and John and close friends Bill Proudfit and Earl Shirey. The venue and the dinner were marvelous and the planning superb.

I hope this letter may also convey my sincerest thanks to the members of the Alumni Board and all those in atten-dance. I would also especially like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge all those who took the time to call or send me their personal congratulations.

William C. Sheldon, MD (CD’62) Winner of the 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award

First DO Resident Shares His MemoriesI see my name mentioned in the Alumni Connection (Fall 2008) as the first DO to train at Cleveland Clinic starting as a straight medicine intern in July 1970. Paul M. Wolfson, DO (GL-1’71, IM’72), and I started together, he having just graduated from Chicago College of Osteopathy and I just finished a DO internship at Chicago after graduating from CCO the year before. Penn Skillern, MD, an endocrinolo-gist, was our champion for training at that level. Previ-

Dr. Sheldon’s book Pathfinders of the Heart – The History of Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, is published by Xlibris Corp. (www.xlibris.com) and is available at many local bookstores and at www.amazon.com. To purchase an autographed hardbound or paperback copy of the book, contact [email protected].

Ray C. Haselby, DO


I knew at that time that I wanted a career in radiology but was unclear as to where to go. Radiology was and is a very competitive specialty, and it is very difficult for DOs to get opportunities at world-class institutions.

Radiology was in the midst of a transition from a straight four-year residency to requiring a one-year preliminary internship. I am from Michigan, and in Michigan, osteo-pathic physicians were required to complete an American Osteopathic Association-approved internship to qualify for licensure. Cleveland Clinic had, unfortunately, decided to incorporate the preliminary year for radiology into the residency, thus making it a five-year radiology residency.

It just so happened that one day as I was working in GI Radiology, one of the residents asked me what I was going to do. When I replied that I wanted to do Radiology, I was asked if I had applied to Cleveland Clinic. I said no be-cause I would not have been able to get my license in my home state if I did my internship at Cleveland Clinic. We both agreed that was a shame, and I actually forgot about the conversation until David M. Einstein, MD (Gl-1’79, DR’82), spoke with me a few days later. Dr. Einstein was the residency program director and had overheard my story that fateful day. He had checked with some of the other radiologists and residents that I had worked with, and I guess I must have passed muster. Dr. Einstein informed me that the decision to include the internship in the residency was made for the convenience of the residents, certainly not to exclude anyone. Apparently I had made a favorable impression and he really thought I should apply to Cleve-land Clinic and I would be free to do my internship in an AOA-approved program.

Well, the rest is history. In 2002, I graduated from Cleve-land Clinic after serving as Chief Resident and did an Inter-ventional Neuroradiology Fellowship at McGill University in Montreal. I am now an Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Vermont.

Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Einstein opened the door of op-portunity for my career, and I could not have a more posi-tive memory of my training. Thank you.

Grant J. Linnell, DO (DR’02) Associate Professor, Radiology, University of Vermont Neurointerventional Radiologist, Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT

Osteopathic Physician Thankful to Cleveland ClinicI was in the Heart Failure/Transplant Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic from 2005 to 2006 in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine. I was fortunate to be mentored by the best transplant cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, in my opinion. Being trained through a tra-ditional osteopathic route from internship, residency and fellowship, and then coming to Cleveland Clinic for advanced fellowship training not only broadened my medical education and knowledge, but also opened vast opportunities for me in the cardiology field. At first, I was apprehensive about coming to Cleveland Clinic since most of the Cardiovascular Medicine fellows had exten-sive, renowned pedigrees in their residency, compared to my own residency.

But because of my excellent and solid osteopathic back-ground, I quickly overcame my apprehension and was able to adapt, function and gain respect and confidence from my preceptors during my fellowship.

I feel that Cleveland Clinic has always recognized the valu-able contributions osteopathic physicians have brought to Northeast Ohio and the rest of the country. I truly believe that it is not the DO designation that Cleveland Clinic recognizes but the individual who stands behind the degree who has strived to bring recognition, knowledge and respect for the advancement of our profession. This is what I believe Cleveland Clinic has always recognized and has contributed to the many young osteopathic physicians in training entering its doors.

I feel that my mentors should be recognized for their efforts and acknowledged for their contributions in training me and other osteopathic physicians. Kudos to Randall Starling, MD, David Taylor, MD, Wilson Tang, MD (CARD’03, C/HFT’04), and the staff of Heart Failure Divi-sion at Cleveland Clinic.

Kenneth P. Dizon, DO (C/HFT’06) North Phoenix Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

Dr. Einstein’s Help Still AppreciatedI am writing in response to the recent feature in Alumni Connection concerning osteopathic physician education at Cleveland Clinic.

I was a fourth-year medical student when I rotated through Radiology at Cleveland Clinic in December 1996.

Letters (continued)


Owing His Success To Cleveland Clinic TrainingI am delighted to have the Alumni Connection come to my house. I am much honored to have completed my Internal Medicine residency at Cleveland Clinic in 1993.

I am currently practicing cardiovascular medicine in Jacksonville, FL. I am married to Dr. Sonnie Kim-Ashchi, OB/GYN, an alumna of Case Western Reserve University. God blessed us with four children, the most recent being twin boys born in 2006.

I was honored to have been selected as the 2007 Florida Osteopathic Medical Association Physician of the Year. I was also awarded the 2008 Distinguished Physician Alumnus of the Year from NOVA South East-ern College of Osteopathic Medicine.

I owe a large part of my success to my solid training at Cleveland Clinic and I would like to thank my profes-sors and mentors, including all my attendings and spe-cifically Jess R. Young, MD (IM’59), Phillip M. Hall, MD (IM’68, H/N’69, RES’70), and Martin McHenry, MD.

Thank you, Cleveland Clinic, for all you do for human-ity and its health.

Majdi Ashchi, DO, FACC, FSCAI, FABVM (IM’93) President, First Coast Cardiovascular Institute, PA Jacksonville, FL

Meads Family Appreciates ArticleOn behalf of the family of the late Garner B. Meads, MD, we would like to thank you for the article in the recent Alumni Connection (Fall 2008 issue) using some of Dad’s recollections of training with Tommy Jones, MD. William Proudfit, MD, himself an amazing physi-cian, was most kind to quote Dad and add insights of his own.

As a family, we are most appreciative of Dr. Proudfit’s efforts, as well as yours. The article reflected the excel-lent training these great doctors gave and received at Cleveland Clinic.

Thank you for the honor of seeing our late father in print.

Marjorie Meads Spencer for Mrs. Garner B. Meads and Family

Fiscal Fitness

Support Family and Charity With a Gift from Your IRAGood news! We have just learned that the extension of the IRA rollover provision has passed.

This provision allows an owner of a traditional or Roth IRA to instruct the IRA manager to distribute directly to a pub-lic charity up to $100,000 without the distribution being in-cluded in taxable income, and that distribution will count toward the IRA owner’s mandatory withdrawal amount. This extension has been granted until Dec. 31, 2009.

You qualify for a Charitable IRA Rollover if:

• You are age 70 and a half or older

• The cash distribution is made directly to a qualified charity

• The distribution is $100,000 or less per year

• Your gift is outright (rollovers to a planned gift, such as a gift annuity or charitable remainder trust, do not qualify)

If you are required to take minimum distributions from your IRA, you have two options:

1. Keep the distribution and pay taxes. If you reinvest it, you are subject to market risk.

2. Roll it over directly to Cleveland Clinic and pay no tax (your gift will go to support your favorite program or area within Cleveland Clinic, but since the money in your IRA has never been taxed, you will not be eligible for a chari-table tax deduction).

Or, take away the market risk and support your family at the same time! By choosing the first option of taking a dis-tribution and using the after-tax remainder to make a gift to Cleveland Clinic, you could establish a charitable gift an-nuity, which guarantees you income for life. Plus, you may benefit from partial tax savings.

Check with your legal or financial advisor or call Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Institutional Development to see which of these options is right for you and your family.

For further information, please call 800.223.2273 ext. 41251 or 216.444.1251, or email your questions to [email protected].


Campus Clips

Jay Alberts, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, was awarded $310,260 over two years for “Online Motor and Cognitive Analysis System” by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Par-kinson’s Research in New York , NY.

C. Martin Harris, MD, Chief Information Officer, was ap-pointed to the Board of Directors of the American Health Information Community Successor Inc. The new organiza-tion is being established in cooperation with the U.S. De-partment of Health and Human Services and will work for the creation and use of a secure interoperable nationwide health information system.

Michael Kattan, PhD, Chair of Quantitative Health Sci-ences, recently received the Eugene Saenger Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Medical Decision Mak-ing and was named as a permanent member to the NIH Epidemiology of Cancer Study Section. Dr. Kattan also will be editing the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Medical Deci-sion Making.

Elliot Philipson, MD, Vice Chairman Obstetrics & Gynecol-ogy, co-edited Handbook of Nutrition and Pregnancy (The Humana Press, Inc., 2008). The book’s 23 chapters provide a comprehensive overview of the expectant mother’s nutri-tion needs and cover a range of topics including obesity, diabetes and exercise during pregnancy, weight loss sur-gery, special diets and nutrition and maternal survival in the developing world.

Erick Remer, MD, Imaging Institute, will chair the genito-urinary/obstetric/gynecologic radiology section for the 2009 American Roentgen Ray Society meeting. Dr. Remer has been a subcommittee member for the past several years.

Roy Silverstein, MD, Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology in the Lerner Research Institute, was invited by the National Institutes of Health to co-chair a committee

on “Vascular Biology/Pathophysiology” at an October 2008 workshop on “Sickle Cell Disease: Clinical Priorities/Clini-cal Trials,” in Bethesda, MD.

Carl V. Tyler, MD, a family and geriatric medicine special-ist at Cleveland Clinic’s Fairview Hospital, was one of seven inductees to the Charles F. Brush High School (Lyndhurst / South Euclid, OH) Alumni Association’s “Wall of Achieve-ment.” The purpose of The Wall of Achievement is: “To recognize and honor graduates of Charles F. Brush High School who have displayed outstanding achievement in ar-eas such as leadership, service of the community, service to Brush High School, humanitarianism, creativity, courage, and careers which have benefited others.” Also honored were the top 30 Brush High School seniors based on grade point average for six semesters of academic work. Dr. Tyler received his medical degree from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and, after completing his internship at the University of California, Irvine, graduated from the family practice residency at Fairview Hospital in 1976. He also holds a masters degree from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland.

Brian Wells, MD, MS, Quantitative Health Sciences, won the Lee B. Lusted Student Prize for Outstanding Presenta-tion of Research at the Society for Medical Decision Mak-ing Annual Meeting.

Five Cleveland Clinic physicians have been appointed to new chairs endowed by Cleveland Clinic supporters. Endowments of the following chairs support research, education and innovation that will help further medical progress and improve patient care. William Bingaman, MD (NS’96), Section Head of the Epilepsy Center, will hold the Karen and Richard Shusterman Family Endowed Chair, which supports research, training and education within the Epilepsy Center. Daniel Clair, MD, Chairman of Vascu-lar Surgery, will hold the Len Stuart Distinguished Chair in Vascular Surgery, which will help enhance and expand in-novative educational opportunities in vascular surgery and provide training for future cardiovascular surgeons. Tomis-lav Mihaljevic, MD, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, will hold the Donna and Ken Lewis Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery, which will provide support for research, education and patient care. Steven Nissen, MD, Chairman, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, will hold the Lewis and Patricia Dickey Chair in Cardiovascular Research. Stephen Rao, PhD, Director of the Ralph and Luci Schey Foundation Center for Advanced Cognitive Function, will hold the Ralph and Luci Schey Endowed Chair in Cognitive Function, which supports the develop-ment of strategies for understanding changes in cognitive brain function caused by neurodegenerative diseases and

CorrectionsWe mistakenly excluded the alumnus brother of Roger F. Classen, DO, from the cover story, “Osteopathic Physicians Have Long History at Cleveland Clinic and the “Calabrese Named to Second Chair” article (page 17): Gregory T. Classen, DO, trained at Cleveland Clinic in Plastic Surgery, 1981–1982.

Apologies, also, to another DO featured: William S. “Scott” Sheldon was correctly identified as a DO in the page one article on his father, “Distinguished Alumnus Award a Surprise for Sheldon,” but the photo ID (page 15) had the wrong degree.


traumatic brain injuries.

Three Cleveland Clinic researchers are awarded grants to fund early clinical studies in Translational Science. The Case Western Reserve University Clinical and Transla-tional Science Collaborative (CTSC) has announced the re-cipients of its 2008 Pilot Project grants. Three of the seven recipients chosen from among 30 applicants are Cleveland Clinic researchers with strong inter-institutional and col-laborative studies:

• W. H. Wilson Tang, MD (CARD’03, C/HFT’04), Cardio-vascular Medicine and Genomic Medicine Institute, “Understanding Disease Progression in Inherited Cardiomyopathies: Detection and Longitudinal Moni-toring of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Heterozygous MYBPC3 Mutation Carriers in the Geauga County Amish Community.”

• John Kirwan, PhD, Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Pathobiology, “Insulin Resistance: Detection of Hepa-tocellular Lipid Sub-Species by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.”

• Donna Hansel, MD, PhD, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute and Taussig Cancer Institute, “mTOR Phosphorylation and Associated Upstream PTEN Altera-tions in the Prediction of Urothelial Carcinoma Metasta-ses and Patient Outcomes.”

Cleveland Clinic takes leadership of Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation. The board of the National Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation decided to transition its assets to Cleveland Clinic at the end of 2008 in order to fur-ther the mission and efforts of the organization. Holly L. Thacker, MD (IM’89), a nationally known leader in Wom-en’s Health, will incorporate the mission and efforts of the group as part of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Specialized Women’s Health within the Women’s Health Institute. This new phase for the organization comes after Cleveland Clinic hosted its seventh sold-out Speaking of Women’s Health event on Nov. 1, 2008, and its fifth successful Uni-versal Sisters event on Aug. 23.

As patient acuity increases, hospital seeks training at Cleveland Clinic. When the complexity and acuity of patients within the Coronary Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, began to increase, the hospital reached out to Cleveland Clinic. Our reputation, combined with our ability to treat some of the sickest patients, makes us a top choice not only for patients but for healthcare professionals seeking advanced training. Cleveland Clinic arranged an observational expe-rience for 13 of New York Methodist Hospital’s RNs, with two RNs visiting Cleveland Clinic for a week at a time to

6th Annual Medical Innovation Summit held in November

Innovations such as a simple blood test that detects recurrent cancer earlier and predicts a patient’s prognosis and a palm-sized device that could help a paraplegic breathe without a bulky ventilator are among Cleveland Clinic’s Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2009. The list was selected by a panel of Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists, and was unveiled during the 2008 Medical Innovation Summit that drew more than 1,000 medical and business people to Cleveland in November. Also attending were representatives from various countries, including Ireland and Saudi Arabia, where science, technology and healthcare are growing economies.They were looking to support partnerships with American entrepreneurs.

The Top 10 Medical Innovations for 200910. Private Sector National Health Information Exchange9. Doppler-Guided Uterine Artery Occlusion8. Integration of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (Tractography)7. LESS and NOTES Applications6. New Strategies for Creating Vaccines for Avian Flu5. Percutaneous Mitral Valve Regurgitation Repair4. Multi-Spectral Imaging Systems3. Diaphragm Pacing System2. Warm Organ Perfusion Device1. Use of Circulating Tumor Cell Technology

“Cleveland Clinic was founded by innovators, and this Top 10 list reflects the continuing passion for innovation of its scientists and clinicians,” says Christopher Coburn, Execu-tive Director, Innovations. He adds that the list lets the public in on the thinking of top physicians working on the front lines of medicine.

Four major criteria served as the basis for qualifying and selecting the Top 10 Medical Innovations. Nominated innovations were required to have significant potential for short-term clinical impact; have a high probability of suc-cess; be on the market or close to being introduced; and have sufficient data available to support their nomination.

To whet your interest in the 2009 Medical Innovation Summit, take a look at this year’s program agenda and participants at: www.clevelandclinic.org/innovations/summit/default.htm


Campus Clips (continued)

learn more about caring for sicker cardiac patients. Debo-rah Klein, MSN, RN, Clinical Nurse Specialist CICU and Heart Failure ICU, who coordinated the experience, says the RNs learned more about pulmonary artery catheters, hemodynamic monitoring, intra-aortic balloon pump therapy and acute myocardial infarction management. In addition, the nurses shadowed our CICU RNs and ob-served a cardiac catheterization. The CICU nurse manager from New York Methodist Hospital met with Judy Pearce, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager CICU and HFICU, to discuss staff ratios, the importance of ongoing education, professional development and our shared governance program.

“We take care of very sick patients and expect our nurses to be knowledgeable and perform advanced skills,” Klein says. “The visiting RNs were very impressed with our high level of nurse-physician collaboration and how empowered nurses are in their practice at Cleveland Clinic.”

Medical students from across the country traveled to Cleveland Clinic for the Student National Medical As-sociation’s fall National Leadership Institute, Sept. 19-21, 2008. Co-hosted by Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medi-cal Center, University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University Medical School, the event gave Student National Medical Association (SNMA) members an opportunity to gain leadership skills from some of the best faculty and professional staff at our Northeast Ohio medical institutions.

SNMA was established in 1964 by medical students from Howard University School of Medicine and Meharry Medical College. It is the oldest and largest independent, student-run organization that focuses on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. Its membership includes more than 7,000 medical students, pre-medical students, resi-dents and physicians. The weekend consisted of workshops with several of our world-class physicians. Some Cleveland Clinic residents also took part in an informal panel discus-sion and interacted with SNMA members/leaders to gain insight, network and develop mentorship relationships.

Cleveland Clinic has received the American Stroke As-sociation’s Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Silver Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Cleveland Clinic’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nation-ally accepted standards and recommendations.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG–Stroke Silver Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” says Peter A. Rasmussen, MD

(NS/CB’00), Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Cerebrovascular Center. Cleveland Clinic has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, hav-ing neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

To receive the GWTG-Stroke Silver Performance Achieve-ment Award, Cleveland Clinic for at least one year consis-tently complied with the requirements in the program. These include aggressive use of medications like tPA, an-tithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol-reducing drugs and smoking cessation. This 12-month evaluation period is the second in an ongoing self-evaluation by the hospital to continually reach the 85 percent compliance level needed to sustain this award.

To arrange for a consult or referral to the Cerebrovascular Center, call our referring physician line at 800.553.5056. For urgent stroke transfers, call 800.553.5056 and request the 2-CLOT pager (22568) for direct contact with a Cerebrovascu-lar Center staff member.

Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital performs its 100th pediatric heart transplant. The 100th pediatric heart trans-plant patient, 6-year-old Zoe Tanner of Elyria, OH, is recov-ering well and spent the December 2008 holidays at home with her family. Zoe’s heart was attacked by a virus when she was only 6 weeks old, and she suffered congenital heart failure in October 2008. Muhammad Mumtaz, MD, Pedi-atric and Congenital Heart surgeon, in conjunction with the Pediatric Cardiology team, performed her surgery on Dec. 2, 2008. The first pediatric heart transplant at Cleve-land Clinic was performed in 1985. In 2008, 11 pediatric heart transplants were performed at Cleveland Clinic. It is estimated that fewer than 10 centers in the world have this level of pediatric heart transplant experience.

Eric Kodish, MD, Chairman of the Department of Bioeth-ics, was named Director at Large for the Association of Bioethics Program Directors, which advances the field of bioethics by fostering the development and success of bio-ethics programs in educational and scientific institutions.

Dr. Kodish, F.J. O’Neill professor and chairman of the Department of Bioethics and a professor of pediatrics at the Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, and alumnus, Anil M. Parikh, MD (P’87), a private practice psychiatrist in Fairlawn, OH, are two of the new eight-member Board of Trustees for the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy ap-pointed by Gov. Ted Strickland on Jan. 9, 2009. Dr. Parikh


teaches psychiatry residents at Akron General Medi-cal Center. Dr. Kodish, a 1986 graduate of NEOUCOM, received its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001. In the past, the presidents of the University of Akron, Kent State and Youngstown State, which founded the medical school in the 1970s, were on the board. A new board structure was recommended by a study commission that met last year to look for ways to improve higher education in Ohio. The new members begin their terms of service immediately and will serve for nine years.

M. Bridget Duffy, MD, Chief Experience Officer, received an award recognizing her vision of patient-centered care

and her initiatives toward changing the delivery of health-care in America at Carmella Rose Women’s Health Foun-dation’s annual fundraiser.

Gopal Saha, PhD, Director, Nuclear Chemistry and Phar-macy, was awarded the Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Oration Award, the most prestigious award of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (India) offered to an international scientist. The SNMI granted the award to Dr. Saha at the annual meeting held in New Delhi in conjunction with ninth Asia Oceania Congress of Nuclear Medicine and Biology, where he spoke on “Molecular Imaging: Its Current Status and Future.”

From the Nation’s Capital

Healthcare – Expect Three Phases of ReformBy Dan Nickelson, Retired Director, Government Affairs, Cleveland Clinic

There is no doubt that a major debate over mega-healthcare reform looms. It directly challenges the reactive politics of healthcare since the Clinton debacle in 1992. The conventional wisdom has been “take small bites; don’t try anything too big.”

There are three major phases. The first two are already in process. The State Children’s Health Program, known as SCHIP, which has been reauthorized after a series of vetoes by President Bush, offers broadened coverage for children in families above the federal poverty level. The second phase is the recently enacted stimulus legislation which gives states money to shore up and expand their Medic-aid programs. Last, but not least, there are federal funds available to help recently laid-off employees buy COBRA, a continuation of their employer-based policy.

These first two phases are intended to slow the increase in the numbers of uninsured people due to the failing economy. They represent an effort to help troubled state budgets as well. But they are not reform. That debate, the third phase, comes later this year/first of next.

While this debate will encompass all ranges of the philo-sophical spectrum, the result will most likely build on what exists, not create some new, untried approach. Will a single-payer system pass? No. Will “market forces” be emphasized, as they were in the Bush Administration? No. Will there be more government intervention in healthcare?

Yes. Will it constitute a public takeover of the healthcare system? No. Will it happen overnight? No.

The initial push will come administratively, based on the legislative part of the stimulus, emphasizing the electronic patient record. While this initiative is heralded as improv-ing quality and reducing costs, skeptics believe that the impact will not be as great as touted. It is hard to break long-standing practice patterns, and these information systems are only as good as the use to which they are put. If they become just another way of filing patient information, but are not used to improve the coordination of patient care, reduce redundant diagnostic tests and catch inadver-tent drug interactions, the result will be marginal. Thus, while there is much talk about the federal funds being made available, the more difficult agenda is changing prac-tices to take advantage of this technology.

We also can anticipate that the initiatives begun in the Bush Administration to encourage evidence-based practice and value-based purchasing, and comparative effective-ness of drugs, devices and various procedures, will con-tinue. The emphasis on quality reporting and transparency will increase.

All of this sets the framework for the upcoming debate. We will get to the specifics of that in the next issue.

You can reach Dan Nickelson at [email protected].


For current information on these as well as on-line CME, medical publications and to register for free e-mail updates, please visit www.ccfcme.org and www.clevelandclinicflorida.org/research/cme.

NOTE: All courses are at the spectacular, state-of-the-art InterContinental Hotel & Bank of America Conference Center on the Cleveland Clinic campus in Cleveland, OH, unless otherwise noted.

Calendar

Contact InformationCleveland, OH 216.297.7330 | 800.238.6750216.297.7345 (fax)www.clevelandclinicmeded.com Weston, FL 954.659.5490 • 866.293.7866 954.659.5491 (fax)www.clevelandclinicflorida.org

Alumni are entitled to a substantial discount on CME sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education, Cleveland, OH, and by Continuing Medical Education of Cleveland Clinic Florida.

Center for Continuing Education www.clevelandclinicmeded.com

The Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education is responsible for one of the largest and most diverse CME programs anywhere in the U.S. Check the webpage for the latest course announcement information.

Stay informed of all the available live and online CME opportunities by signing up to our monthly newsflash: www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/SignMeUp

March 200919 3rd Annual Innovations in

Ophthalmology Ocean Reef Club Key Largo, FL

28- Comprehensive4/2 Anesthesiology Review Cleveland Clinic

April 20093 5th Annual Contemporary

Issues in Pituitary Disease: Case-based Management Update Cleveland Clinic

4 Update on the Management of Adrenal Diseases and Lesions Cleveland Clinic

24 Cardiovascular CT Training Program Cleveland Clinic

25 Thoracic Malignancies 2009: Up for Debate Cleveland Clinic

22 The 6th International Human Peroxidase Meeting Carolina Inn Chapel Hill, NC

23 39th Annual Meeting of the American Osler Society Renaissance Hotel, Cleveland, OH

24 Lung Summit Cleveland Clinic

27 Diabetes Day 2009: Complications and Controversies Cleveland Clinic

30 Current and Emerging Trials, Mechanisms, and Agents in B-Cell-Directed Therapies: A Multidisciplinary Approach

May 20091 May Day

Cleveland Clinic

1 Cancer Survivorship Cleveland Clinic Beachwood Campus

8 Cardiology Disease in Inflammatory Arthritis: Getting to the Heart of the Matter Cleveland Clinic

7-9 Biologic Therapies III – Focusing on Infections, Malignancies, Cardiovascular Disease and Other Comorbitities in Special Populations featuring Managing Complex Cases in Biological Therapies Mini-Symposium Cleveland Clinic

15 Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Care Quality Innovation Summit Cleveland Clinic

15-16 2nd Annual Advances in Gynecologic Surgery Conference Innovations, Modern Management and Future Therapies Cleveland Clinic

16 Lead Management 2009: HRS Guidelines and Case Based Implemtation Hyatt Rhythm Society Satellite Boston, MA

29 2nd Annual Advanced Management Issues in HIV Medicine Cleveland Clinic

29-30 Single Port Laparoscopy , NOTES and Endoluminal Surgery: A Multi-Disciplinary and Collaborative Summit Cleveland Clinic

June 20093-5 The Treatment of

Cardiovascular Disease: Legacy and Innovation See back page of this issue for information

19 Cardiovascular CT Training Program Cleveland Clinic

19 21st Annual Intensive Review of Internal Medicine Cleveland Clinic

19 Annual Research Residents and Alumni Meeting Cleveland Clinic

21 Epileptology: Comprehensive Review and Practical Exercises Cleveland Clinic

24 18th International Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Symposium: Epilepsy Surgery – Improving Outcomes Cleveland Clinic

25 Pulmonary Summit Cleveland Clinic

26 Innovations in Epilepsy Diagnosis and Treatment Cleveland Clinic

July 200925 Innovations in Optical

Coherence Tomography: Spectral Domain and Beyond Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland, OH


Alumni Receptions / “Mini Reunions” and other Alumni Events: The Alumni Association and various department chairmen are pleased to sponsor alumni gatherings at the following major national medical meetings and other venues. All local alumni, as well as those attending the meetings, are cordially invited, with their spouse/companion. Watch your mail for more information, check the Alumni home page at www.clevelandclinic.org/education/alumni or contact Alumni Affairs at 216.444.2487, toll-free, 800.444.3664 or [email protected]

March 200930 American College of

Cardiology 7-9 p.m. The Peabody Orlando, Florida II Ballroom Florida

April 200924 American College of

Physicians 6-8 p.m. Philadelphia Marriott, Downtown, Franklin 5 Room Philadelphia

27 American Academy of Neurology 6:15-8:30 p.m. Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Juniper Room Seattle

28 American Urological Association 5:30-7:30 p.m. Palmer House Hilton, Wilson Room Chicago

May 20094 American Association of

Neurological Surgeons 6:30-8 p.m. San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, TBA San Diego

4 American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons 6:30-8:30 p.m. Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Juniper Room Hollywood, FL

4 Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology 7:30-9:30 p.m. Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Crystal Ballrooms 1 & 4 Fort Lauderdale, FL

14 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 7-8 p.m. Hilton Americas Houston Houston

June 20091 Digestive Disease Week

6-8 p.m. TBA, Denver, CO

8 American Academy of Sleep Medicine & the Sleep Research Society 6-8 p.m. Dinner ,TBA, Seattle

11 Society for Vascular Surgery 7-9 p.m. Hyatt Regency, Agate A/B Rooms Denver

Extremely Good Residents Almost everyone can remember a teacher who held true passion for his or her subject and brought out the very best in students. Jerrold Saxton, MD, is among them. He’s been teaching in Radiation Oncology at Cleveland Clinic since 1982, and was named Best Teacher in Radiation Oncology in 2006.

But he won’t take the credit. Dr. Saxton says some of the biggest factors that keep him motivated are the bright residents and medical students Cleveland Clinic attracts. Imagining himself as a student today, Dr. Saxton jokes that he might not be able to keep up.

“The new advanced exposure to the field brings the upper echelon of students to our program,” he says. “We have extremely good residents, with the number of applicants increasing every year.”

Since his days in medical school, Dr. Saxton, who was included in the peer-nominated list of “Best Doctors” in the March 2008 issue of Cleveland Maga-zine, has watched the field – and oncology manage-ment and patient management protocols – evolve and improve. As a specialist in treating head and neck cancers, he is hopeful for the future of radia-tion technology and therapy. He adds that as interest in cancer treatment, co-development of chemothera-py and advancement of computer imaging programs grows, the level of talent also continues to rise – and it is Cleveland Clinic teachers like Dr. Saxton who develop this talent.

Editor’s Note: Do you have a recollection of a favorite Cleveland Clinic teacher or mentor? Please share your comments with us! Whether current staff or long departed, we’d be interested in hearing about who and why they top your list of favorite teachers. Your com-ments will be kept confidential . . . unless they’re just too good not to share in Alumni Connection . . . in which case, we’ll ask your permission prior to publication.

Jerrold Saxton, MD


| 40s |

Charles P. Wofford, MD (IM’38, IM’40), celebrated his 100th birthday on Dec. 23, 2008, with his wife, Minni, in the Colonial Hill Retirement Center in Johnson City, TN.

| 60s |

Cyrus Moayad, MD (OTOCD’62), of Valparaiso, IN, was honored by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery with the Distinguished 1887 Member Award, presented Sept. 19, 2008, by Past President Vito C. Quatela, MD, at the AAFPRS annual Fall Meeting. The award is presented to individuals who have gone the extra mile for the development office. Dr. Moayad, an Emeritus Member of AAFPRS, continues to have a passion for the advancement of facial plastic sur-gery and has generously remembered the AAFPRS Foundation in his financial planning. Dr. Moayad feels that the Academy was instrumental in his continual learning in both skills and knowledge and says that establishment of the Academy in 1964 did much to advance the training and practice of the specialty.

| 70s |

Tavevatana Keo, MD (GL-1’65, S’69, TS’71), cardiothoracic surgeon who served at Lakewood Hospital, was one of six honorees at the fifth

annual “Pillars of Medicine” award hosted by Fairview, Lakewood and Lutheran Hospitals of the western region of the Cleveland Clinic health system. The presenta-tions took place Dec. 17, 2008. These prestigious awards honored retired physicians who have

exhibited a lifetime of exemplary commitment to medicine, our hospitals and communities. A native of Thailand, and the son of a well-known physician who served as Thailand’s minister of health, Dr. Keo attended medical school at The Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, the oldest medical school and hospital in Thailand. Dr. Keo trained at Cleveland Clinic with pioneers Drs. Donald Effler, Rene G. Favaloro (TS’62, TS’65) and Laurence K. Groves (S’52, TS’53), and began his practice in 1971 at Lakewood Hospital, where he and his colleagues were the first to perform open heart surgery on Cleveland’s west side. Dr. Keo and his wife, Margaret, have two sons, John and Tim.

Arthur J. McCullough Jr., MD (GL-1’75, IM’77), Chair, Cleveland Clinic Gastroenterology and Hepatology, was given “special recognition for achievements in liver disease” by the Ameri-can Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) at the Seventh Annual Liver Update on Dec. 6, 2008, at Cleveland Clinic’s Administra-tive Campus. The current president of AASLD, Dr. McCullough’s interest is in liver disease, including fatty liver disease and cirrhosis of the liver.

Yoshinori Mitamura, PhD (RES’76), is now Professor at Tokai University and Emeritus Profes-sor of Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. Dr. Mitamura sent an email saying that although he left Cleveland 35 years ago, he recalls “fruitful and wonderful days at Cleveland Clinic” and “fortu-nately” has opportunities to visit about every two years. “The Clinic changed almost completely and is still changing. I hope I can visit the Clinic again in the near future,” he wrote.

John J. Mizenko, DO (GE’72), was one of four physicians from South Pointe Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic hospital, recognized in its annual “Pillars

Contactsof Medicine” award program that honors retired physicians who have exhibited a lifetime of exemplary commitment to medicine, their hospitals and communities. Thomas J. Ebner, DO (END’74), was recognized posthumously. He passed away Jan. 14, 2008.

Drogo K. Montague, MD (GL-1’69, S’70, U’73), Director of Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological Institute’s Center for Genitourinary Reconstruc-tion, was nominated by the Urology residents, staff, department and institute chairs in Urology and Education for the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Courage to Teach Award. Dr. Montague was selected by the ACGME for this award, which recognizes training program directors for their contributions and dedication to graduate medical education. The ACGME receives about 150 nominations nationally and selects 10 training program directors each year for this prestigious award. Cleveland Clinic has had four training program directors nominated previously, but Dr. Montague is the first to receive this award. He was the Urology residency program director for the past 33 years. He also served as chair of the Surgical Education Subcommittee for 24 years. He has made significant contributions to Urology residency education as well as other surgical training programs at Cleveland Clinic and nationally. His input as a member of the Graduate Medical Education Council has been invaluable. Dr. Montague was honored at the ACGME Educational Conference in Dallas in March 2009.

| 80s |

Tom I. Abelson, MD (OTOCD’81), an otolaryngolo-gist on staff at Cleveland Clinic since 1997, was named Director of the Cleveland Clinic Beachwood Family Health Center, effective Feb. 23, 2009. Dr. Abelson served as head of Beachwood Otolaryngol-ogy since moving the majority of his practice to the Beachwood FHC in 2002. In 2004, Dr. Abelson became Associate Surgical Director of the Beach-wood Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) and serves on the ASC Board and the ASC Capital Commit-tee. Dr. Abelson has been involved in precepting first- and second-year medical students in the Foundations of Clinical Medicine course since the inception of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and is involved in resident education in the Head and Neck Institute. Additionally, Dr. Abelson is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and the Voice Foundation. He lectures regularly on Medical Care of the Professional Voice at Oberlin College,

Mehdi Razavi, MD (CD’67), Cleveland Clinic cardiologist since 1967, was honored Dec. 5, 2008, with an endowed chair in Cardiovascular Medicine. The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine was dedicated to Dr. Razavi’s continued growth, building upon a 40-year legacy of innovation in the cardiology community. The endowed chair was established by Robert J. and Suzanne M. Tomsich to honor Dr. Razavi’s dedication and remarkable career achieve-ments in cardiovascular research and patient care. Additionally, Dr. Razavi is being honored through an endowed annual lectureship series supported by a major gift from philanthropist William A. Rea II. The Mehdi Razavi, MD, Endowed Lectureship will address important cardiovascular issues. Nationally renowned speakers will be featured, including Heart & Vascular Institute leadership and other promi-nent members of Cleveland Clinic’s medical staff. The annual lectures will be open to Cleve-land Clinic employees and visiting physicians.

Tavevatana Keo, MD


the Chautauqua Institution and other groups in the Cleveland area. He is co-author of 22 articles and book chapters in medical literature.

Michael S. Benninger, MD (OTO’88), Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Head and Neck Institute, was honored in late 2008 with a Distinguished Service Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngol-ogy. The award recognizes medical professionals for their extensive meritorious service through the presentation of instructional courses, scientific papers, participation on a continuing education committee or academy leadership position.

Andrew J. Fishleder, MD (GL-1’79, LMED’82). See “Appointments,” page 12.

Prakash Kotagal, MD (CHN’86, NPHY’88), Head of Pediatric Epilepsy at Cleveland Clinic, received the Legacy Award at the 2008 Epilepsy Association Gala on Nov. 14.

Richard S. Lang, MD, MPH (GL-1’80, IM’82). See Raul J. Seballos, MD, 90s, below.

Imad M. Najm, MD (N’96, NPHY’97), Director of Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center in the Neurologi-cal Institute, will be the first to hold the Joseph H. and Ellen B. Thomas Endowed Chair in Epilepsy. The chair will support Dr. Najm’s work with the Epilepsy Center.

Anil M. Parikh, MD (P’87). See “Campus Clips,” page 26.

Holly L. Thacker, MD (IM’89). See “Campus Clips,” page 25.

Donald A. Underwood, MD (CARD’80), cardiolo-gist at Cleveland Clinic, was nominated for and elected to receive the Evelyn V. Hess, MD, MACP Master Teacher Award of the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Physicians for 2008. The award was presented at the annual Ohio Chapter Meeting at the Awards Banquet on Oct. 17 in Columbus, OH.

A. Mary Walborn, MD (IM’80, CARD’82), an internist with Cleveland Clinic since August 1995, was one of 12 employees honored as “Exceptional Healing Partners” during Patient-Centered Care Awareness Month in

November 2008. The Office of Patient Experi-ence asked employees and patients to nominate “Exceptional Healing Partners” and carefully considered nearly 200 nominations.

Mario Zappia, MD (RES’85, NEMG’86), is a full professor of Neurology and Chairman of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of Catania in Catania, Italy. He also is president of the Italian Society of Movement Disorders and Parkinson’s Disease.

| 90s |

Raed A. Dweik, MD (PULMCC’96), Cleveland Clinic Critical Care Medicine/ Respiratory Institute, and Pathobiology/Lerner Research Institute, was guest editor of a special issue of the Journal of Breath Research (Volume 2, Number 3, September 2008), which highlighted the International Association for Breath Research “Breath Analysis Summit 2007: Clinical Applications of Breath Testing” that he organized and hosted at Cleveland Clinic. To read the full issue, visit www.iop.org/EJ/journal/JBR.

Olaf B. Johansen, MD (CRS’92). See Shirley Shih, MD, Future Alumni, page 33.

Michael Kirsch, MD (GE’90), a freelance author and frequent contributor to Alumni Connection, started a blog in January 2009. It offers patients an insider’s view of the medical profession. His aim is to stimulate thought and dialogue both to empower patients and to promote healing of our ailing health care system. He has written numerous articles on the joys and challenges of medical practice includ-ing controversies in the doctor-patient relationship, medical ethics and measuring medical quality. When he’s not writing, he is performing colonos-copies as a full-time practicing gastroenterologist in Mayfield Heights, OH. He invites you to visit his blog, post your comments and join in the conversa-tions: http://mdwhistleblower. blogspot.com.

Pavel J. Levy, MD (RES’94, VM’95, RES/VM’97), became Section Head of Vascular Medicine in the newly formed Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC. He will host the first International Fellow for a mini-sabbatical in Vascular Medicine. Dr. Levy is also co-director of the K-12 NIH Award in Clinician-Scientist Vascular Medicine Fellowship.

Satoshi Nakatani, MD, PhD (RES/BE’82 & ‘89, RES/C’95), was appointed to a professorship in the division of Functional Diagnostics at Osaka Univer-sity Graduate School of Medicine in Osaka, Japan. Previously, he was with the National Cardiovascu-lar Center, also in Osaka. He and his wife, Akiko, have two children, Hiroko and Susumu.

David R. Otto, MD (AN’96), completed an Echocardiography fellowship through the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, in 2007, and in 2008 be-came a diplomat, National Board of Echocardiogra-phy, TEE Certification. He practices in Wichita, KS.

Feza Remzi, MD (S’96, CRS’97). See “Appoint-ments,” page 15.

Edmund S. Sabanegh Jr., MD (U/MI’94), Director, Center for Male Infertility at Cleveland Clinic, and Ahmed Ragheb, MD (Urology Research Fellow), recently became the first urologists to receive the Risman Research Award. Drs. Sabanegh and Ragheb received a grant as part of the award, which is donated by the Risman family to the Beachwood Family Health Center to support the best scientific research concerning society health welfare. They will study the effects of smoking, and quitting smoking, on sperm count and quality. Drs. Sabanegh and Ragheb are working in collabora-tion with Cleveland Clinic Tobacco Treatment Center to find men to take part in their study. “The potential implications of this study from a public health as well as a urological health standpoint are substantial,” says J. Stephen Jones, MD, Chairman, Regional Urology. Males who smoke, live in Ohio and have seriously considered quitting should contact the Tobacco Treatment Center at 216.444.8881 to schedule an appointment to start a smoking cessation program and learn more about this research study.

Raul J. Seballos, MD (PULMCC’95), decided at a young age to follow in the professional footsteps of his parents, who moved his family from the Philippines to Cleveland to complete their medical residencies in 1978. Today, Dr. Seballos practices preventive medicine in the Executive Health Pro-gram at Cleveland Clinic, where he takes patients through a full day’s worth of thorough physical tests, including a full spectrum of preventive health measures. Dr. Seballos joined Cleveland Clinic in 1997 and is board-certified in internal medicine, is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association and a member of the American College of Preven-A. Mary Walborn,

MD


Contacts (continued)

Robert R. Lorenz, MD (OTO’02). See “Appoint-ments,” page 12.

Dipen C. Maun (FCCRS’07). See Shirley Shih, MD, Future Alumni, page 33.

Aylin M. Ozdemir-Lorenz, MD (RES/CB’99, RES/CA’01). See Robert R. Lorenz, MD, “Appointments,” page 12.

Siriorn Paritpokee Watcharananan, MD (ID’04, MB’05), sent her holiday greetings to staff and friends at Cleveland Clinic from her home in Thailand, along with a photo of her with sons Art, 3, and Andy, 1.

Dr. Paritpokee Watcharananan and sons

Peter A. Rasmussen, MD (NS/CB’00). See “Cam-pus Clips,” page 26.

Bridget M. Sanders, MD (FCCRS’05). See Shirley Shih, MD, Future Alumni, page 33.

Sherrie L. Sharp, MD (PD’04, P’06), is working at Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, ME, run-ning an adolescent psychiatry unit. She says she recently became an ABPN Diplomate with one try on each part, adding, “Whew!” She happily re-ported still staying in touch with several colleagues from residency.

W. H. Wilson Tang, MD (CARD’03, C/HFT’04). See “Campus Clips,” page 25.

| Future Alumni |

Ram Chadalavada (Class of 2009) received the Medical Student of the Year award from the Associ-ation of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio (AIPNO) for 2008. He received the award at the 25th Annual Function of AIPNO on Nov. 1, 2008, from Sangita Patel Mehta, MD (IM’96), AIPNO President, Dr. Satish Mahna, AIPNO President-Elect, and Neil B. Mehta, MD (IM’95), AIPNO Publication Chair. Delos M. Cosgrove, MD, CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic, was the chief guest at the function. Ram

| 00s |

Maria Fernanda Bonilla, MD (IM’05, IMPC’07), Cleveland Clinic Infectious Disease Fellow, and Martin E. Lascano, MD (IM ‘04, H/N’07), Cleveland Clinic Clinical Associate Staff in the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, are the proud parents of Mateo N. Lascano Bonilla and Lucas D. Lascano Bonilla, born Aug. 29, 2008. Ma-teo and Lucas join big brother Simon, who turned 2 years old on July 7, 2008.

Bonilla/Lascano family

Ursula A. Galway, MD (AN’06, CC’07), gen-eral anesthesiologist with the Cleveland Clinic health system, was married in her home town of Gaothdobhair in County Donegal, Ireland, on Oct. 25, 2008, to Ben Repenning, MD, a Med/Peds physician at Elyria Memorial Hospital.

Ben Repenning, MD, and Ursula A. Galway, MD

P. Daniel Knott, MD (OTO’06), of Cleveland Clinic’s Head and Neck Institute, has been awarded the Ben Shuster Memorial Award from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in recognition of the “most outstanding re-search paper in the field of Head and Neck Plastic Surgery.” The title of the paper is “Evaluation of hardware-related complications in vascularized bone grafts with locking mandibular reconstruction plate fixation.”

Martin E. Lascano, MD (IM ‘04, H/N’07). See Maria Fernanda Bonilla, MD, above.

tive Medicine. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University, he earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo and completed his residency training in internal medicine at St. Luke’s Medical Center. He then served a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Cleve-land Clinic. Roughly half of his program’s patients are from outside Ohio and are often seen through corporate contracts, but the program is open to everyone. Dr. Seballos says that men are often not proactive enough with their health. “Many patients who come through the program are men who have not had a physical in 10 to 15 years and have recently seen a family member or coworker experi-ence a serious illness,” he says. Voted by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America in 2007, Dr. Seballos says the best compliment a doctor can receive is when a patient refers a friend or relative. “That’s when you know you’ve made a difference.” Richard S. Lang, MD, MPH (GL-1’80, IM’82), Vice Chairman of the Wellness Institute, also heads the Section of Preventive Medicine.

Editor’s Note: For more information on the Executive Health Program, or to schedule an appointment or make a referral, please call 216.444.5707 or 800.223.2273, ext. 45707. International patients may make an appoint-ment through the International Center by calling 216.444.6404 or 800.223.2273, ext. 46404 or visit online: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/ executive_health/default.aspx.

Lt. Col. Constandinos Villias, MD, PhD (RE-SCRS’97), is Director of the 1st Surgical Depart-ment of the Veterans Hospital of Athens, Greece.

R. Matthew Walsh, MD (S’91), Cleveland Clinic general surgeon, is the first holder of a new chair from Bob and Mindy Rich and their family to support research at Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease Institute. The Rich Family Distinguished Chair in Digestive Diseases is made possible by a $2 million gift from the Rich family honoring the high-quality medical care that Dr. Walsh provides to his patients. Bob Rich is the Chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Board of Trustees Development Committee and of Today’s Innovations, Tomorrow’s Healthcare: Campaign for Cleveland Clinic. Mindy Rich is a Vice Chair of the campaign.


was selected from among several applicants for his academic achievement, extracurricular activi-ties and community service. Ram’s parents were present at the event, having traveled from Battle Creek, Mich. IPNO is an organization with about 350 physicians that raises funds for local charities, organizes two health fairs each year, supports medical aid in case of natural disasters and sends physician teams to underserved areas of the world. Every year, AIPNO selects one medical student from one of the northern Ohio schools for this award. Students get free membership in AIPNO. Apply at http://www.aipno.org.

Ram Chadalavada, flanked by Drs. Mehta (left) and Cosgrove.

Ahmed Ragheb, MD, Urology Research Fellow. See Edmund S. Sabanegh Jr., MD, above.

Jason Robertson (Class of 2009) presented a talk “Angiographic evidence of early coronary artery disease and increased risk of mortality in smokers with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome” at the 7th International Symposium on

“Multiple Risk Factors in Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention and Interven-tion – Health Policy in Venice, Italy,” in October 2008. The conference was sponsored by the Fondazione Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Science Foundation. Jason also presented the work in

New Orleans at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2008.

Sumit Sharma (Class of 2009) and Dawn Wiese (Class of 2009) were selected as the year 4 and 5 winners of the 2008 International Traveling Scholarships. The scholarship award, initiated by the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in January 2008, is designed to broaden students’ development as physician leaders by providing funds for students interested in an international

educational opportunity. Eligible students will have completed both Basic Core rotations, two out of four Advanced Cores and one Acting Internship. Sumit will be doing an elective rotation in the Department of Ophthalmology at Government Medical College, Jammu, India, under Suraj Prakash, MS (Master of Surgery). Dawn will be in Costa Rica at the Arenal and Domini-cal Campuses in the Medical Spanish Immersion Program. Her four weeks will be split between two campuses to maximize exposure to medicine in different types of communities. As with any other rotation, the international faculty preceptor will assess the student’s performance and the student will evaluate the educational experience. To apply for the scholarship, students submitted a proposal of up to 200 words to the Associate Dean, Admissions and Student Affairs indicating why he or she should receive support for this international educational activity. Letters of recommendation and the student’s previous academic performance were taken into consideration. Awards were made following competitive review.

Shirley Shih, MD (research fellow at Cleveland Clinic Florida), has been appointed as the first fellow of the Indiana University School of Medicine Colon and Rec-

tal Residency Program at Kendrick Regional Center for Colon and Rectal Care at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville. Dr. Shih’s fellowship training − the first program of its kind in Indiana − will begin in July 2009. The residency program was established through a partnership between IU, St. Francis and Kendrick Regional Center and marks the first educational joint venture between St. Francis and the medical school, the nation’s second-largest academic medical institution. Dr. Shih received her medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, and completed her general surgery residency at George Washington University Hospi-tal, Washington, DC. The teaching staff comprises surgeons with Kendrick Regional Center, including three alumni, and assistant clinical professors with the IU School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery. They are Drs. Olaf B. Johansen (CRS’92), Fred Lane, R. Barry Melbert, Bridget M. Sanders

Jason Robertson

Sumit Sharma Dawn Wiese

Students from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine attend the Ohio American College of Physicians Scientific Meeting in Columbus.

Eight students from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (CCLCM) attended the Ohio American College of Physicians (ACP) Scientific Meeting in Columbus, OH, Oct. 16 to 17, 2008. Mark Mayer, MD, who directs Longitudinal Clinics, hosted the meeting as Ohio ACP Governor and was joined by several other CCLCM faculty, including Drs. David L. Bronson; J. Harry Isaacson; Franklin A. Michota Jr. (IM’96); Craig D. Nielsen (IM’97); and Lori Kmiec Posk (IM’94). Even though CCLCM has fewer than 4 percent of Ohio’s medical students, 13 percent of the posters pre-sented by Ohio medical students at the conference were from our students. These students included Ram Chadalavada (Class of 2009), Sherwin Yen (Class of 2009), Kevin Blaine (Class of 2010), Anna Brady (Class of 2010), Shana Weiner (Class of 2010), Rachel Roth (Class of 2011) and Jean Hu (Class of 2012). Roth placed second in the 2008 Ohio Chapter Annual Abstract Competi-tion. Sam Edwards (Class of 2009) joined the other CCLCM students at the meeting and attended the Ohio ACP Health and Public Policy committee meeting as well as the scientific session.


Contacts (continued)

take on important administrative responsibilities at Cleveland Clinic. He was a fine anesthesiolo-gist who could be depended upon regardless of circumstances and was an award-winning teacher. He was recognized twice with the “Colleague of the Year” award in General Anesthesiology. A celebra-tion of his life was scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2009, at 9 a.m. in the InterContinental Hotel Bank of America Amphitheatre. A memory book is being created and will be presented to the family at the service. Li Ling Lim, MD (N’01, NEMG’02, N/SD’03), and several of Dr. de Ungria’s friends in Singapore have set up an online memorial for him with photos and an opportunity for postings at: http://drjosephmichael-de-ungria.virtual-memorials.com.

Michael S. Eisenstat, MD (S’68), 73, of Hobe Sound, FL, formerly of Cleveland, passed away at his residence on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009. Born Sept. 21, 1935, in Montreal, Quebec, he was the dearly beloved husband of Marilyn; devoted father of Aida B. Greenberg (Arthur), Debra L. DeRoche (James), Paul T. Eisenstat (Dori) and Charles R. Eisenstat; loving grandfather of Lila, Levi, Erica, Gillian, Kestrel and Cooper. His loving family, myriad friends and former medical colleagues mourn the passage of a devoted husband and father, generous friend, and esteemed surgical pioneer who retired from practice in 1998. He re-ceived his medical degree from Queen’s University in 1963 and completed medical training at the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, from 1964 to 1965 and Cleveland Clinic from 1965 to 1968, where he had an assistantship in the Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery. An exemplary surgeon, Dr. Eisenstat joined the medical staff at Hillcrest Hospital in 1971. While at Hillcrest, he was elected President of the Medical Staff and Chairman of the Medical Council, and served as Director of the Division of Surgery. A medical trailblazer, Dr Eisenstat introduced laparoscopic surgery to the Cleveland area, leading subsequent generations of doctors in exploring safer and less invasive surgical techniques. Services were held on Feb. 1. Interment was at Mt. Olive Cemetery. Memo-rial contributions can be sent to Treasure Coast Hospice, 1201 S.E. Indian St., Stuart, FL 34997.

Andrew B. Greene, MD (GS resident), 28, passed away Dec. 31, 2008. Dr. Greene was born Nov. 19, 1980, in New York, NY, and received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physi-cians and Surgeons in 2006. Dr. Greene is survived by his parents, Robert Greene and Dianne Stillman Greene, and his fiancé, Jennifer Lee, as well as

Knoxville and founded the Knoxville Urology Clinic in 1968. He was a founding physician of Park West Hospital in 1971. In 1971, along with his friend and colleague, Dr. Steve Morris, he was instru-mental in locating the first lithotripter machine in Tennessee, only one of 13 nationwide at the time. He retired from practice in 1993. Preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Hannah Branson, he is survived by his loving spouse of 36 years, Sally Skocic Branson, who remarked that Dr. Branson “remained very proud of his educa-tion at Cleveland Clinic.” He also is survived by Loranna Rittamel Branson, the mother of his four children; daughters, Debra Branson of Nashville, TN, Donna (Timothy) Brown of Watertown, TN, and Denise (Larry) Workman, of Medford, OR, and son, Aubra David Branson, of Watertown, TN; and five grandchildren. Funeral services were held Sept. 16, 2008, at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel with interment at Greenwood Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Cutaneous Lymphoma Fund, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dermatology Suite 3975, 1301 22nd Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37232 or the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation, POB 374, Birmingham, MI 4812.

Clyde G. Chamberlin, MD (OTOCD’40, OTOCD’42), 95, died Jan. 21, 2009. He was born March 16, 1913, in Westchester, OH, the son of Dr. Charles J. and Alyce (Gerard) Chamberlin. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1938. He trained under Paul M. Moore, MD, who headed Cleveland Clinic’s ENT Department at that time. Dr. Chamberlin served in the U.S. Army Air Force Medical Corps from 1942 to 1946 and continued to practice medicine in Hamilton, OH, until his retirement in 1986. He married June Morner on Aug. 22, 1936. After his retirement, they moved to Greenwood, IN, in 1991. His wife preceded him in death in 2001. He is survived by four sons: Dr. Jerry R. (Emmy) of Westmoreland, NH; Thomas L. (Susan) of Greenwood, IN; William D. (Becky) of Findlay, OH; and James E. (Rikki) of Stevenson, WA. One daughter, Alice, preceded him in death in 1944. He leaves nine grandchildren and nine great-granddaughters. The family suggests that memorials can be made to the Hamilton Community Foundation, the Presbyterian Church of Hamilton or the charity of your choice.

J. Michael de Ungria, MD (AN’00), 39, died Jan. 26, 2009, when he sustained massive head injuries secondary to a fall while traveling. Dr. de Ungria’s death was tragic in many ways. He was a young doctor whose enormous potential was becoming vividly apparent as he started to

(FCCRS’05) and Dipen C. Maun (FCCRS’07) from Kendrick, and Drs. Bruce Robb and Virgilio George from IU.

In 2007, St. Francis established the Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. It is

one of the largest programs of its kind in Indiana.

Aaron Viny (Class of 2009) was selected to receive an American Society of Hematology Travel Award for his abstract titled “Ex-pression of MICA by Granulocytes in Neutropenia Due to Large Granular Lymphocyte Leukemia Points towards Cytotoxicity

Exerted Via NKG2D on Clonal Cytotoxic T Cells.” This award helps defray costs for attending the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Francisco in December 2008.

| In Memoriam |

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.

− Anne Lamott

Martin Atdjian, MD (IM’58, IM’62, RH’63), 86, of Cordoba, Argentina, passed away on Oct. 11, 2008, after a protracted decline attributed in part to poliomyelitis. He always fondly remembered his time at Cleveland Clinic and knowing Drs. Rene G. Favaloro (TS’62, TS’65) and his rheumatology mentor, Arthur L. Scherbel. He had a rheumatology career in Detroit, with time spent at Wayne State University there. He is survived by his wife, Celina, and two daughters, who are now U.S. citizens, Millie and Sylvia Atdjian, MD, a psychiatrist in Washington, DC.

Aubra David Branson, MD (U’68), 80, passed away at his home in Knoxville, TN, on Sept. 12, 2008. Born Sept. 14, 1927, he was a descendent of Lloyd Branson, prominent East Tennessee artist. A polio survivor at the age of 21, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea in 1945. He was a life-long member of Lincoln Park Baptist Church. Dr. Branson was the 1956 senior class president at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis. He spent six years in primary care practice from 1957 to 1963 and three years at Cleveland Clinic from 1965 to 1968, completing a urology residency. He then returned to

Aaron Viny


Please Keep in ContactCleveland Clinic Alumni Relations wants to stay on top of significant changes in your life. Have you moved? Taken on a teaching position? Received an academic promotion or professional recognition of some sort? Decided to retire? Have an interesting hobby or avocation you’d like to share? Your former Cleveland Clinic colleagues really want to know what you are up to. Please take a few moments to complete this coupon so that we can keep them informed via “Contacts” (starting on page 30 of this issue).

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aunts and uncles. Dr. Greene’s family said he was a “brilliant, sensitive, riotously funny young man.” Funeral services were private.

George C. Hoffman, MD (CLPTH’59), 84, former Chairman of the Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (1981-85), passed away Sunday, Jan. 22, in Englewood, FL. Originally from England, Dr. Hoffman joined the Cleveland Clinic staff in 1957, and his work advanced both patient care and research in the field of hemato-pathology, particularly the study of erythrocyte disorders, hemoglobinopathies and coagulopa-thies. Past President of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, Dr. Hoffman also held many leadership positions in pathology societies, and received numerous awards for his contributions. Dr. Hoffman was a famed and patient teacher, and the George Hoffman Teaching Award is granted an-nually in his honor by the Pathology and Laboratory Institute to a resident who embodies his excellent teaching and clinical service attributes. In 2002, he received Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. His son Peter said that his father loved his work at Cleveland Clinic and that the principle to “Act as a Unit” was important to him. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tidewell Hospice and Palliative Care, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238. Dr. Hoffman

is survived by his wife, Ann, and four sons, Peter, Andrew, John and James, and eight grandchildren. Cleveland Clinic held a memorial service on Feb. 26. To forward a written tribute, contact Holly Jones at [email protected] or 216.444.4063.

Willem Kolff, MD, PhD, 97, a Cleveland Clinic staff physician from 1950 to 1967 and a pioneer in kidney dialysis and artificial organs, died Feb. 11 at a Philadelphia care center. Born Feb. 14, 1911, Dr. Kolff founded and served as the first Head of Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Artificial Organs (now Biomedical Engineering), developed one of the first heart-lung machines and founded Cleveland Clinic’s Dialysis Center. He pioneered a European blood bank and designed the first functioning artificial kidney during World War II. He established the Kolff Foundation to help patients pay for dialysis treatment. Among Dr. Kolff’s other contributions to medicine are the intra-aortic balloon pump heart assist device, artificial eye, artificial heart and membrane oxygenator. His work on the artificial heart began in 1957 at Cleveland Clinic. In 1967, he became head of the Division of Artificial Organs at the University of Utah and director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. In 1982, he was part of a team of surgeons who implanted an artificial heart into Seattle dentist Barney Clark. In 2002, Dr. Kolff received the Albert

Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research for his work on kidney dialysis. He is survived by his five children, sons Therus, Jacob “Jack” Kolff, MD (RES’67, S’72, TS’74), Albert and Kees, and daughter Adrie Burnett, 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Romeen Kochhar Whinney, MD (H/OPM’03), 36, of South Euclid, OH, died Dec. 17, 2008, after a heroic battle with breast cancer. Dr. Kochhar Whinney is survived by her husband, Christopher M. Whinney, MD, a member of Cleveland Clinic’s Hospital Medicine staff; young daughter, Pomee Therese; and father, Dr. Devendra Kochhar. She is preceded in death by her mother, Dr. Omila Sagar Kochhar. Survivors also include her parents-in-law, Joseph and June Whinney, and countless relatives, close friends and colleagues. Formerly of Cherry Hill, NJ, Dr. Kochhar Whinney attended Lehigh Uni-versity in Bethlehem, PA, and received her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. She completed a fellowship in Pal-liative Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. A celebration of her life was held Dec. 20, 2008, in a traditional Hindu ceremony. The family suggests memorial donations could be made to The Gathering Place, 23300 Commerce Park, Beachwood, OH 44122 or Hospice of the Western Reserve, 300 E. 185 St., Cleveland, OH 44119.

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Cleveland Clinic Alumni Connection

A publication of the Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association. Produced for medical alumni and friends by the Office of Institutional Relations and Development, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195. 216.444.2487 | 800.444.3664 | fax 216.445.2730 | e-mail [email protected]

CCF Alumni Association Board of Directors

Lilian V. Gonsalves, MD, PresidentRobert E. Hermann, MD ............................................ Medical DirectorWilliam M. Michener, MD ............................ Emeritus Medical DirectorSandra S. Stranscak ...............................................Executive DirectorMarilyn Bryce ......................................................... Associate DirectorBeth Thomas Hertz .................................................................... Editor Lois Sumegi ................................................. Director of Development

Cleveland Clinic is an independent, not-for-profit, multispecialty academic medical center. It is dedicated to providing quality specialized care and includes an outpatient clinic, a hospital with more than 1,000 staffed beds, an education division and a research institute.

Lee M. Adler, DO Kenneth W. Angermeier, MDElumalal Appachi, MDJanet W. Bay, MDSteven Benedict, MDJohn A. Bergfeld, MDEdwin G. Beven, MDPatrick BlakeJoseph M. Damiani, MDGary H. Dworkin, MDZeyd Y. Ebrahim, MDOmar A. Fattal, MD, MPHElizabeth A. File, MD Kathleen N. Franco, MDGita P. Gidwani, MDJaime F. Godoy, MDMark K. Grove, MDRobert E. Hobbs, MD

Pauline Kwok, MDLucy (Massullo) LaPerna, DOJames W. Lewis, MDCareen Y. Lowder, MD Jennifer L. Lucas, MDDavid E. Martin, MDTarek M. Mekhail, MDJonathan L. Myles, MD.Monique Ogletree, PhD William L. Proudfit, MDSusan J. Rehm, MDMarc S. Rovner, MDEdward D. Ruszkiewicz, MDLeslie R. Sheeler, MDDivya Singh-Behl, MD Scott A. Strong, MD Elias I. Traboulsi, MD David P. Vogt, MD

June 3–5, 2009

Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute invites you to Cardiovascular Care: Legacy and Innovation, the most important event of its kind this year. This CME program is a one-time event and will be a comprehensive, single-site overview of the state of cardiac surgery, cardiovascular medicine and their related disciplines. This three-day event will offer a complete overview of current trends, ideas and innovations. Presenters include the recognized leaders in all major aspects in cardiovascular care.

Cleveland Clinic is holding this event to mark the opening of the Arnold and Sydell Miller Family Pavilion, the new home of the Heart & Vascular Institute, and the largest and most advanced heart care facility in the world. Participants will have the opportunity to tour this remarkable building We also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first coronary angiography and the 40th anniversary of the first coronary artery bypass graft.

Cardiovascular Care: Legacy and Innovation will explore the most urgent topics and controversies in the field. It

will reflect on the achievements that have brought cardio-vascular care to its current state. You will hear and meet today’s cardiovascular innovators, tomorrow’s leaders and pioneers of medicine and surgery. You will leave with fresh insights, new perspectives and valuable information for your practice.

Housing and registration information, as well as the program agenda, can be viewed at www.ccfcme.org/ CardioCare09.

The Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease: Legacy and Innovation

Cleveland Clinic Alumni Connection - Vol. XIX No. 1

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