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Angelica Berrie and the Russell Berrie Foundation Continue CUMC Partnership with $21 Million in Support for Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center
Fall 2008
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| Angelica Berrie |
| Photo: Carmine Galasso/The Record |
Philanthropist Angelica Berrie has said that “every gift is a reflection of the person who gives.” The extraordinary $21 million commitment from the Russell Berrie Foundation to Columbia’s Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center reflects Russ Berrie’s passion for transforming diabetes care and research into a humanistic patient-centered wholistic model.
The Foundation’s recent gift is the latest in a long legacy of funding for the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and is part of a larger commitment of $28 million shared by Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. CUMC will use its portion of the gift to fund non-reimbursed clinical care, increase its endowment, establish a new professorship to support top faculty, advance pilot research aimed at uncovering the causes and cures of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and continue the Berrie Center’s Program in Cellular Therapies.
Russell Berrie, who passed away suddenly in 2002, made the founding gift to establish Columbia’s Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center in 1998. Mr. Berrie and his mother, for whom the center is named, both had diabetes. His vision was to create a place where the multiple disciplines involved in research and treatment for diabetes could blend in a commitment that embodies the center’s mission, “The Care Until the Cure.” “Russ cared about people, regular people living their lives with diabetes,” explains Mrs. Berrie. “He wanted his giving to impact people’s lives. What would matter to him most is the number of diabetes patients whose lives this support will transform.” At the Naomi Berrie Center, that number is considerable—the Berrie Foundation’s support provides the impetus for treating more than 10,000 patients on an annual basis, as well as continuous research efforts to translate basic science findings into meaningful therapeutic advances for diabetes care that will help patients throughout the nation and the world.
“The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center is truly a humanistic enterprise that is patient-centered and research-driven at the same time,” said Mrs. Berrie. “It is a center without walls that offers cutting-edge research and total diabetes care to people from all over the world. Every single day, it improves the lives of people living with diabetes. With these daily advances toward excellence, Russ’s dream of providing a wholistic, caring environment for people with diabetes in world-class institutions is fulfilled.”
The Russell Berrie Foundation has fueled these advances over the last decade, with contributions to diabetes research and treatment on this campus exceeding $63 million.
“We are enormously thankful that Mr. Berrie’s family, including his wife, Angelica, and the Russell Berrie Foundation, continue to support our world-class programs in diabetes care and research,” said Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine. “Their support funds comprehensive, multidisciplinary care and contributes to the body of knowledge about diabetes through focused clinical and basic science research efforts all in the same state-of-the-art space. This encourages collaboration between clinicians and scientists focused on, and dedicated to, curing diabetes. It is vital to the future of diabetes care and research, here in New York City, across our country and across the globe.”
Diabetes is the nation’s fifth leading killer, affecting more than 20 million children and adults in the United States alone, according to the American Diabetes Association.
The only comprehensive, multidisciplinary diabetes center in New York City, the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center integrates clinical care, research and education and is recognized world-wide for excellence and innovation in the field of diabetes and its associated disorders. The Center’s clinical program includes one of the largest pediatric diabetes programs, and one of the largest insulin pump programs in the country. The Center’s research efforts focus on the causes and cures of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and the prevention of complications from the disease. Columbia professors Robin Goland, M.D. and Rudolph Leibel, M.D. are co-directors of the Center. |
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| For more information on the Naomi Berrie Diabetes
Center, contact Director of Development Lauren Logan
at 212-304-7200. |
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| A Tribute to Russell Berrie |
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| Russell Berrie |
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Russell Berrie would have celebrated his 75th Birthday on March 18, 2008. On that day, Columbia gratefully announced the extraordinary commitment of $21 million to Columbia for the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center. As Chairman and CEO of Russ Berrie and Company, his motto was “Make Someone Happy.” He took special delight in transforming lives and giving joy through his company’s gifts. One of his own special gifts was a deep passion for humanity and dedication to touching the lives of as many as possible through his exceptional philanthropy.
Mr. Berrie grew up in the Bronx and “dared to dream big dreams,” with the conviction that dreams can be realized with determination and perseverance. His dream came to fruition through a blend of creativity, optimism, sincerity, tenacity and a willingness to roll up his sleeves. His giant toy company began with a meager $35 deposit on a small garage for rent and grew into a multi-million dollar leader.
Today Russell Berrie’s dream of providing a “Care Until the Cure” lives on. His gifts continue to touch, inspire and transform lives and his wife, Angelica, president of the Russell Berrie Foundation, along with the trustees of the Russell Berrie Foundation, continue his mission of furthering world-class science and treatment of diabetes and share his genuine caring for humanity.
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A Message from Lee Goldman, M.D.
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This issue of todate marks a pivotal milestone-- only five years into Columbia University Medical Center´s Defining the Future campaign, we have crossed $1 billion in gifts and pledges thanks to the more than 56,000 donors who have made a solid investment in the future of Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). I am grateful to all of you who have contributed to our success. Your generosity continues to make a significant impact on the Medical Center and on the future of medicine. I especially want to thank our campaign chairman, P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., P&S ´54, for his ongoing leadership and resolute dedication, and our campaign co-chairs and loyal friends, Herbert and Florence Irving, whose outstanding generosity and commitment over the years is unsurpassed.
This issue of todate pays tribute to Angelica Berrie and the Russell Berrie Foundation. Their recent commitment of $21 million to the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center is a wonderful tribute to the legacy of Russell Berrie and will help realize his vision of transforming diabetes care and advancing diabetes research.
Recognizing the magnitude of nursing in patient care, Barbara and Donald Jonas have launched the Jonas Nursing Scholars Program to address the need for skilled nurses in our nation. The Jonas Scholars will play a crucial role in educating talented nurse scholars and preparing them to provide comprehensive nursing care within an evolving healthcare system.
Our faculty, staff and friends are enthusiastically supporting and acknowledging Columbia’s outstanding physicians and alumni who are making a major difference in their lives. Patients and friends of Henry S. (Harry) Lodge, M.D., P&S ‘85, are providing needed scholarship support, while showing their appreciation for a fine and caring physician, by establishing the Henry S. Lodge, M.D. Scholarship Fund.
Their efforts and yours are producing tangible results. For the first time in the history of P&S, almost every single basic and clinical department has an endowed professorship for its chair. During this fiscal year alone, we added 16 new endowed professorships, bringing our total number to 200. Our donors are not only creating a legacy by honoring and linking their names to Columbia’s remarkable faculty; but also are empowering the world’s best physicians and scientists to do their greatest work.
I look forward to continuing our successful momentum and to working together to raise the funds we need to fulfill our educational, research, and clinical missions. The campaign will provide the means to ensure our global leadership across all of our missions. Together, we will make great strides as one of the nation’s premier centers for superb, patient-centered healthcare, groundbreaking bench-to-bedside research, and outstanding medical education.
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Thank you for your support. 
Lee Goldman, M.D.
Executive Vice President for
Health and Biomedical Sciences
and Dean of the Faculties of
Health Sciences and Medicine
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Henry S. Lodge, M.D.
Scholarship Recognizes
Outstanding P&S
Faculty Member
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| Henry S. Lodge |
At a time when medical education is more costly than ever, a number of patients, friends and colleagues of Henry S. Lodge, M.D. are providing crucial scholarship support to P&S students, while paying tribute to a beloved Columbia physician and faculty member. The Henry S. Lodge, M.D. Scholarship Fund at Columbia’s College of Physicians & Surgeons has been established in honor of Dr. Lodge, one of Columbia’s outstanding physicians and an esteemed alumnus (P&S ‘85). A pre-eminent primary care internist and assistant clinical professor specializing in general medicine, Dr. Lodge is highly regarded as one of the best doctors in New York and the nation in internal medicine.
“This fund is a fitting and tangible way to honor a remarkable physician while investing in our academically gifted students,” said Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine. “Harry Lodge is one of Columbia’s finest physicians. He continues to have a profound impact on his patients, and the entire Columbia community. This new scholarship will provide the funds needed to recruit and retain promising young minds and give them a degree of security so that, ultimately, they will have the chance to follow in Dr. Lodge’s footsteps.” To date, more than $500,000 has been raised toward the Fund’s million dollar-plus goal.
The scholarship comes at an important time, with students facing a variety of financial challenges: interest rates on non-Columbia loans have doubled during the past two years and surveys indicate that the cost of attending medical school is the primary reason why otherwise qualified students choose not to pursue medicine. Additionally, the prospect of enormous debt at graduation— estimated at $140,000 by the Association of American Medical Colleges, an increase of eight percent over last year— often leads students to choose a medical specialty based not on their true interests, but on income potential. This incentive can leave important fields of medicine
such as primary care with a shortage of needed clinicians, researchers and teachers. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that only two percent of almost 1,200 fourth-year students surveyed plan to work in primary care internal medicine, a nine percent decline from a similar 1990 survey.
“Many medical students who start out with an interest in primary care would be wonderful at it, and have deeply satisfying careers in it,” said Dr. Lodge. “Unfortunately, fewer and fewer are going into primary care, simply because they cannot afford to. And the same is true of careers in research, public health, and caring for the under-served. Unfortunately, the finances of our educational system are putting increasing strains on the noblest and best use of the next generation of doctors, and we will all pay the price. Scholarships are an important part of letting our most talented young men and women pursue their own highest calling within the profession, and I am deeply honored to have this scholarship established in my name.”
Dr. Lodge has co-authored numerous works on aging, including the best-selling Younger Next Year, a work that addresses health and aging concerns for men over 50, as well as the follow-up, Younger Next Year for Women. He heads a medical practice in Manhattan. |
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For information on supporting the Henry S. Lodge, M.D. Scholarship Fund at P&S, contact Director of Development Carol Bullen at 212-342-0198.
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St. Giles Foundation Establishes Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Program at CUMC
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The St. Giles Foundation has pledged $1 million to the Department of Pediatrics at the College of Physicians & Surgeons to found The St. Giles Comprehensive Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Program at Columbia University Medical Center. The overall goal of the Program is to make specialized sickle cell disease and thalassemia-related care available to children and adults with these disorders by providing a medical home for multidisciplinary management, periodic inclusive evaluation, genetic counseling, community outreach and patient-centered support.
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| (left to right) Gary Brittenham, M.D.,
Richard Arkwright (President, St. Giles
Foundation), Bernard Erlanger, M.D.,
Robert DeBellis, M.D., and Sujit Sheth, M.D. |
Sickle cell disease is a crippling inherited disorder predominantly afflicting poor and disadvantaged children and adults. Children may suffer devastating stroke in childhood and repeated intolerable bone pain crises, together with progressive damage to the liver, spleen, lungs, kidney, heart and other organs, followed by an early death. A global health problem, it is estimated that more than 80,000 people in the United States alone have sickle cell disease and more than 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Thalassemia is an inherited disorder that impairs the ability of red blood cells to produce hemoglobin, the iron-containing protein essential for transporting oxygen from the lungs to various parts of the body. Patients with thalassemia and some other hemoglobinopathies survive only with monthly transfusions of red blood cells.
The St. Giles Program is directed by Gary Brittenham, M.D., James A. Wolff Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology in the Department of Pediatrics, and by Robert DeBellis, M.D., associate clinical professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology in the Department of Medicine. Bernard F. Erlanger, Ph.D. is Director of Research and Sujit Sheth, M.D., is Director of the Pediatric Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Clinic. A Medical Advisory Board, chaired by John M. Driscoll, Jr., M.D., Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, oversees overall performance and progress. The grant requested from the St. Giles Foundation - $250,000 per year for a total of $1 million over four years - will be used for formation and core support of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Program.
“Our goal is to relieve the burden on families who have a child with sickle-cell disease by organizing a multidisciplinary community-based sickle-cell health service to deliver coordinated, comprehensive and family-centered medical care and counseling. This wonderful collaboration with The St. Giles Foundation will allow Columbia to undertake scientific discoveries while also translating them to improvements in care for our patients,” said Dr. Brittenham. “The new St. Giles Comprehensive Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Program will help Columbia build on its strong pediatric foundation and, ultimately, expand the model to adult services, providing a continuum of care throughout the patient’s life,” said Robert DeBellis, M.D.
The Program will provide a dedicated team of clinical care coordinators, social workers, nurse practitioners, and pediatric hematologists who will care for young patients in Harlem and Northern Manhattan.
“The St. Giles Foundation is honored to provide support to develop a comprehensive sickle cell and thalassemia program at Columbia University,” said the Foundation’s President, Richard Arkwright. “These diseases are often overlooked and underfunded, which creates an urgency for new clinical care models and research to help alleviate chronic symptoms. Since its origin as a children’s hospital founded in 1891, the mission of St. Giles has been to make sure the chronic needs of children living with disabilities or illnesses are well cared for. The Foundation’s support of this program will go toward establishing a national care model for patients with sickle cell and thalassemia to both fulfill our mission and the children’s needs.”
The Foundation traces its roots back to late 19th century Brooklyn, when it was founded as the House of St. Giles the Cripple. It ran the second largest outpatient clinic among all of the children’s orthopaedic hospitals in America during the polio epidemic, in order to battle one of the most feared childhood diseases in history. In 1978, the hospital was closed and transformed into a charitable foundation.
Today the Foundation’s mission remains to provide funding for care, treatment, and medical research for disabled children and to support research projects, facilities, equipment, therapy programs, and educational programs that in some way benefit disabled children.
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| For information about how to contribute to The St. Giles Comprehensive Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Program contact Sally Benner, Senior Director of Development – Pediatrics, at (212) 304-7219 or sb2366@columbia.edu. |
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Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence Awards Columbia University School of Nursing one of the First Four Grants in Nursing Scholars Program
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Pictured left to right: Jonas Student Scholar Robyn Brancato BS ‘07, MS ‘08;
Donald and Barbara Jonas; Jonas Student Scholar Sara Eleanor Church BS ‘07, MS ‘08. |
The demand for nursing care is growing exponentially in our country, with an aging population adding to the need. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the shortfall of registered nurses nationwide will approximate an astounding one million by 2016. A global public health crisis, the shortage of skilled nurses in clinical settings is a problem that has adverse effects on patients’ well-being, outcomes and, at times, mortality. The gap is not due to a lack of nursing hopefuls, but to inadequate government funding needed to train critical nursing faculty, who will in turn educate the next generation of nurses.
Philanthropists Barbara and Donald Jonas are championing the effort to support and sustain the nursing profession through the newly-launched Jonas Nursing Scholars Program. The School of Nursing, in collaboration with Columbia University’s Irving Institute of Translational Science, has been named one of the first four recipients of grant funding from the Program. Established in 2008 by the New York City-based Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence, the Scholars program addresses the nation’s worsening shortage of academic nursing faculty by underwriting local educational development of academic nurses and partnerships between New York City-area schools of nursing and clinical affiliates.
“Barbara and Donald Jonas are quintessential New Yorkers who are extremely generous and highly engaged philanthropists,” said Dean Mary O’Neil Mundinger, Dr.PH. during the School’s 2008 graduation ceremony before presenting the couple with the School’s Second Century Award for Excellence in Health. “Their transformational gift to establish the Jonas Center continues to be deeply appreciated and will give Columbia the means to provide a comprehensive nursing care presence.”
The couple’s passionate conviction about the importance and magnitude of nursing to patient care is evident. “Nurses are precious resources,” said Mrs. Jonas upon accepting the award. “Nursing is one of the most important fields for making the world a better place, yet my husband and I feel that it is the most undervalued profession. We wanted to do something to help the motivated young men and women who are making such a valuable contribution.”
Avid modern art collectors, the Jonases parted with a large share of their art collection in order to provide funding to advance innovative nursing practice models. The School of Nursing will receive $750,000 over four years to support two pre-doctoral scholars, who must agree to complete their doctoral degrees by the end of the four-year grant period and make a commitment to teach nursing in the New York metropolitan area for at least four years afterwards. The School is also a participant in a cross-collaborative effort with Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health to fund a third Jonas Scholar. Columbia’s two Jonas Scholars are part of the first student cohort to enter the School of Nursing’s newly approved Ph.D. program in September 2008.
The Jonas Center is also leading a Scholars Collaborative by engaging other foundations and individual funders who want to support the development of nursing faculty in New York and elsewhere. The Collaborative will support future cohorts of Nursing Scholars in NYC and, at the interest of the funder(s) in other locales, use the Jonas Scholars model and participate in program evaluation.
“The tremendous support from the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence will provide a wonderful opportunity for promising young men and women who have chosen to pursue the rewarding path of academic nursing,” says Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine. “The Jonas Scholars will be leaders who will play a crucial role in educating and empowering talented and promising nurse scholars and preparing them to examine, shape, and direct nursing practice within the evolving system of health care delivery.”
In 2006, as part of its inaugural grant program, The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence awarded funding to Associate Professor of Nursing, Patricia Stone, Ph.D., for the “Jonas Nursing Excellence through Evidence-based Practice Program.” Dr. Stone, project director, partnered with Mary Walsh, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Beth Israel Medical Center-Petrie. This program brought together academic and clinical nursing to advance the quality of patient-centered healthcare by improving the nurse work environment and enhancing evidence-based practice processes.
The School of Nursing’s 116-year history of educating nursing leaders and pioneering advances in the nursing profession is an august one. The School was the first in the country to award a master’s degree in a clinical nursing specialty in 1956, and the first to implement a universal faculty practice plan in a nursing school. Columbia’s School of Nursing was also the first with an endowed chair in health policy, and the first school to be named a World Health Organization Collaborating Center for the International Nursing Development of Advanced Practice. Today, the School has partnerships at over 200 clinical practice sites throughout New York City, and affiliations with three major medical centers. Its hallmark is the emphasis on development of clinical expertise.
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For additional details about the Columbia Jonas Scholars or the Ph.D. in Nursing Program, contact Program Director, Nancy King Reame, MSN, Ph.D. at 212-305-6761.
For information on the School of Nursing’s campaign, contact Senior Associate Dean Jennifer Smith at 212-305-2280.
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Ara Hovnanian, Richard Rifkind, M.D., P&S ’55
and Deborah and Peter Weinberg Join
CUMC Board of Visitors
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The Columbia University Medical Center Board of Visitors continues to enlist distinguished members who provide valuable strategic council to Medical Center leadership. The Board recently welcomed four new members: Ara K. Hovnanian, Richard A. Rifkind, M.D., P&S ’55 and Deborah and Peter Weinberg.
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| Ara K. Hovnanian |
Richard A. Rifkind, M.D.
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Deborah Weinberg |
Peter Weinberg |
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Ara K. Hovnanian is President and Chief Executive Officer of Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. He was appointed President in 1988 and Executive Vice President in 1983. Mr. Hovnanian joined the company in 1979, following completion of his joint undergraduate and graduate work at The Wharton School in Philadelphia. Mr. Hovnanian serves as a member of the Advisory Council of PNC Bank. He served on New Jersey’s Council on Affordable Housing for Governor Thomas Kean in 1985 and for Governor James J. Florio in 1990. Governor Christie Todd Whitman appointed him as a member of the Governor’s Economic Master Plan Commission in 1994. He has served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations.
Now Chairman Emeritus, Richard A. Rifkind, M.D., P&S ’55 was Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer of the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research from 1984 to 2000. Previously, Dr. Rifkind served as Professor of Medicine and of Human Genetics at the College of Physicians & Surgeons. As Lila Acheson Wallace Member of Sloan-Kettering Institute, he directed a research laboratory focused on the control of gene expression during cellular differentiation, and has authored some 250 scientific papers, culminating in the development of a new and potent anticancer therapeutic now marketed by Merck. He has served on the boards of the New York Academy of Medicine, the New York Academy of Science and the New York Hall of Science. Since retirement from laboratory research, he has become a documentary filmmaker. Completed in August 2008, Naturally Obsessed: the Making of a Scientist chronicles the life of a Columbia P&S laboratory over three years and the personal journey of young scientists on the road to scientific independence. A sneak preview of the film was given on October 6 at P&S.
A founding partner of Perella Weinberg Partners, Peter Weinberg has almost 30 years experience in the investment banking industry. He held a number of senior management positions at Goldman Sachs, where he was elected a partner in 1992. During his tenure, he founded the Financial Sponsors Group; headed Investment Banking Services as well as the Communications, Media and Telecom Group, and co-headed the Global Investment Banking Division. For the last six years of his career at the firm, he was chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs International. He received a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College in 1979 and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1983. Peter serves on the boards of Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut, Kings Academy in Jordan, the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Harvard Business School and the Kravis Leadership Institute. He is also a director of GLG Partners in London, one of the largest hedge funds in Europe.
Deborah (Debby) Weinberg graduated from Smith College in 1981 and received an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1985. She left JPMorgan as a Vice President in 1990, to raise their three sons. Debby is a member of the President’s Council at Smith College, the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Harvard Business School, and a trustee of Villa Maria School, in Stamford, Connecticut.
“The guidance of the members of the Board of Visitors, who are selected for their leadership and demonstrated commitment to Columbia, is instrumental to maintaining the Medical Center’s strong tradition of academic excellence,” said P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., who chairs the Board of Visitors as well as CUMC’s campaign. “We are fortunate to welcome these four wonderful friends to the Board.”
“We are honored to welcome these outstanding individuals to our Board,” said Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine. “Their wisdom and counsel will be most helpful as we move forward to build even better programs and services.”
The Board of Visitors currently counts 34 prominent volunteers as members. Other recent appointments include John Catsimatidis, founder, chairman and CEO of the Red Apple Group; John Eastman, a partner with Eastman & Eastman; Michael Jaharis, co-founder of Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Ilan Kaufthal, vice chairman of BSMB.
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PROFESSORSHIPS & APPOINTMENTS |
Department of Medicine Celebrates New Professorships and Appointments
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The Department of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center recently celebrated the establishment of two new associate professorships and three new appointments to existing professorships at a reception held at The Donald F. Tapley Faculty Club. The two new associate professorships are the Frank Cardile Associate Professorship, with first incumbent Robert S. Brown, Jr., M.D., M.P.H.; and the Hope Sheridan Associate Professorship, with first incumbent David L. Diuguid, M.D.
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| Pictured left to right: Donald W. Landry, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Medicine and interim chair of the Department of Medicine; David L. Diuguid, M.D., the Hope Sheridan Associate Professor of Clinical Hematology; John P. Bilezikian, M.D. the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor; Robert S. Brown, M.D., M.P.H., Frank Cardile Associate Professor of Medicine; Angelo B. Biviano, M.D., Esther Aboodi Assistant Professor; Daichi Shimbo, M.D., Victoria and Esther Aboodi Assistant Professor; and Lee Goldman, M.D. |
New incumbents to existing professorships are John P. Bilezikian, M.D., who was appointed to the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professorship; Angelo B. Biviano, M.D., who was appointed to the Esther Aboodi Assistant Professorship; and Daichi Shimbo, M.D., who was appointed to the Victoria and Esther Aboodi Assistant Professorship.
“These faculty members are tremendous assets to our department who count among the country’s finest, most accomplished physicians,” said Donald W. Landry, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Interim Chair of the Department of Medicine. “As we celebrate their professorship appointments, we express our gratitude to them for their hard work and dedication to their patients, and to the donors whose exceptional generosity makes their work possible.”
“We celebrate not only the talented honorees who have received these professorships, but especially the generous patients and families who established them to support the outstanding talent within the CUMC community,” said Lee Goldman. M.D. “Professorships afford time for teaching and research that ultimately will benefit patients. It is the generosity of our donors that allows Columbia to retain its place as an international leader in medical scholarship, research and clinical care. We are extremely grateful to everyone involved with creating and sustaining these valuable professorships.”
The Hope Sheridan Associate Professorship of Clinical Hematology Established
The Hope Sheridan Associate Professorship of Clinical Hematology was established in memory of Hope Sheridan, who had a 12-year association with the medical school. “Hope said she wanted to make a gift that would benefit the world,” said David L. Diuguid, M.D., the Professorship’s first incumbent. “I am extremely grateful to her and to my team that allows me to practice medicine in the way she would want it to be practiced.”
Dr. Diuguid, who was recruited to Columbia in 1990, is internationally known in the field of coagulation and thrombosis clinical care. “Dr. Diuguid possesses an acumen for clinical care and medical education and is well-known and respected for his skill and keen judgment,” said Dr. Landry. “He has improved efficiency for the vast majority of routine clinical laboratory testing done in both inpatient and outpatient hematology care at the Medical Center.”
Frank Cardile Associate Professorship of Medicine Established to Study Liver Disease and Transplantation
Robert S. Brown, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., who was recruited to Columbia as Medical Director of the Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, Chief of Clinical Hepatology and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics, continues to play a critical role in developing Columbia’s liver transplantation program. He is the first incumbent of the Frank Cardile Associate Professorship of Medicine for the study of liver disease as it relates to liver transplantation. Expressing his thanks for the honor of being named to the professorship, Dr. Brown said, “I am extremely grateful to Frank Cardile for the confidence this gift shows in the work of our team.”
Mr. Cardile is Chairman of the InterWire Group, Inc., where his wife, Debbie serves as Vice Chairman. His company is the largest distributor of high-quality specialty wire in the United States. He is also chairman of Cardile Enterprises, which manages commercial real estate, and a former semi-professional soccer player.
New Appointments to the Esther Aboodi Assistant Professorship and the Victoria and Esther Aboodi Assistant Professorship
A long-time friend of CUMC, Esther Aboodi passed away in 2001. She trained as a nurse, became a laboratory and X-ray technician and later oversaw volunteers at Columbia University Medical Center Eastside. Mrs. Aboodi was recognized by the United Hospital Fund in 1998 with its Hospital Auxiliary and Volunteer Achievement Award. Oded Aboodi is chairman of Alpine Capital Group, a member of the Board of Governors of the Weitzman Institute and a trustee of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
He established the professorships in honor of both his mother, Victoria and his wife, Esther. The Aboodi family has lent generous support for cardiology research at Columbia and to the Center for Women’s Health, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary center that focuses on heart health care.
Appointed to the Esther Aboodi Assistant Professorship is Angelo B. Biviano, M.D., assistant professor of Clinical Medicine. Daichi Shimbo, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia’s Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health and director of the Center’s laboratory is appointed the Victoria and Esther Aboodi Assistant Professor. “The patient care, research and staff at Columbia are second to none,” said Dr. Biviano. “My colleagues have been my teachers since my internship.”
Dr. Shimbo, whose current research focuses on the psychosocial factors associated with cardiovascular disease, said, “It is quite an honor to hold the Victoria and Esther Aboodi Assistant Professorship and I would like to express my warmest gratitude for the opportunity that the Aboodi family has given me to pursue my research.”
John P. Bilezikian, M.D. Appointed to the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professorship
John P. Bilezikian, M.D. is chief of the Division of Endocrinology and director of the Metabolic Bone Diseases Program at P&S. Through his leadership, the Division of Endocrinology has become one of the top five best programs in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 rankings. The Metabolic Bone Diseases (MBD) Program is the largest in the New York City metropolitan area and one of the largest in the nation caring for an average of 4,000 patients each year. The Program’s mission is to develop a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of bone diseases, in order to develop innovative therapies and, ultimately, restore patients’ bone quality.
Dr. Bilezikian was appointed to the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professorship, which was established in honor of long-time faculty member, Dr. Arnold Lisio, to advance clinical and research efforts within the Department of Medicine. Dr. Bilezikian’s major research interests relate to the investigation of metabolic bone diseases. “I want to thank Columbia University Medical Center for the tremendous opportunity afforded to me. As a second year resident, I was given a complete lab that I was allowed to develop and by the end of my chief residency, I was completely funded by the NIH,” said Dr. Bilezikian, who is now ranked among the top 5% of NIH grantees in the past twenty-five years.
Daniel Silberberg founded his own brokerage company, Silberberg & Company in 1946, after serving as a colonel in the Air Force during World War II. After Mrs. Silberberg passed away in 1976, Mr. Silberberg set up a bequest (before his own passing in 1984) to express his gratitude to Dr. Lisio. The gift now supports two full professorships and one assistant professorship in the Department of Medicine.
The professorships serve as testaments to the key role that each physician plays in improving Columbia’s clinical and research efforts in order to provide the best possible care for patients. “Each of our esteemed honorees is extremely accomplished in their fields, as reflected in their appointment to these prestigious professorships,” said Dr. Landry. “They are true assets to Columbia and to the community. With these professorships supporting their research, they are certain to continue to break new ground and bring new insights and therapies to their patients. They each will continue to make a tremendous difference in their patients’ lives.”
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| CUMC Supports Faculty with 200 Funded and Established Professorships |
As one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, Columbia University Medical Center is home to many of the country’s most promising and accomplished healthcare professionals. The continued excellence of the Medical Center rests on its ability to attract and support the finest clinicians, researchers and academic leaders who will define the future of the health sciences and lead Columbia to its deserved place as one of the world’s top academic medical centers. A priority of the Defining the Future campaign, faculty support acknowledges this essential role.
An endowed professorship, the highest honor the University can bestow upon a faculty member, is a commitment to the clinical, research and/or teaching efforts of a gifted honoree, and to the patients who will ultimately benefit from that physician’s work. Professorships serve as an impetus for groundbreaking discoveries— by providing salary and research support, they afford exceptional opportunities for teaching, conducting clinical research, and leveraging support from the National Institutes of Health and other agencies.
Since 2000, CUMC has added 78 professorships, bringing the total number of funded and established professorships to 200. In fiscal year 2008 alone, CUMC added sixteen new professorships. “Endowed faculty support on every level is vital to the Medical Center; it allows us to maintain an academically vibrant community and foster new research discoveries that will determine the future of medicine,” said Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine. “Professorships constitute crucial support for our faculty and for the Medical Center. By securing 200 funded and established professorships, we have reached an important milestone on the journey to top five status.”
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A Sampling of Recently Established Columbia University Medical Center Professorships:
Vivian Beaumont Allen Professorship in the Department of Medicine
Frank Cardile Associate Professorship of Medicine
Levine Family Professorship of Women’s Health in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
John Lindenbaum Professorship in the
Department of Medicine
Charles and Marie Robertson Professorship of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Hope Sheridan Associate Professorship of Hematology
Bennett M. Stein Professorship of
Neurological Surgery
Warner-Lambert Assistant Professorship in
the Department of Medicine
Leuman M. Waugh, D.D.S. Professorship of Orthodontics in the College of Dental Medicine
Nathaniel Wharton Professorship in
the Department of Psychiatry
John and De Graaf Woodman Assistant/Associate Professorship of Otolaryngology
Violin Family Professorship of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
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The Medical Science & Technology Council at
Columbia’s College of Physicians & Surgeons:
Latest Developments in Health Science Research and the Future of Medicine |
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Pictured left to right: P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., P&S ‘54; Christopher Henderson, Ph.D., professor of Pathology & Cell Biology and Neuroscience; and Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine.
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A remarkable meeting of minds is taking place thanks to the Medical Science & Technology Council, a membership forum offered through the College of Physicians & Surgeons (P&S) at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). Bringing together a broad group of business leaders – including senior management at pharmaceutical and biotech companies, leaders of other industries, especially in the world of finance and health care, and philanthropists – who network with internationally-renowned P&S scientists, academic leaders, and Nobel Prize laureates, the Council provides an informal venue for discussing the latest developments in health science research. Council members learn about patents in the works that may lead to new research techniques, medical devices, and disease treatments, as well as disease prevention methods that hold promise for changing the face of medicine.
“Council members have unprecedented opportunities to learn in lay terms about medical research and leading-edge discoveries as they happen,” said P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., P&S ‘54, retired chairman and CEO of Merck, Inc. and chair of the CUMC Board of Visitors and the CUMC campaign. “These are wonderful, informal occasions for getting to know Columbia’s scientists and physicians, as well as many of the leaders in science and technology who oversee patents and discoveries that are in the pipeline at Columbia.”
Some of the benefits that members enjoy include receptions and private dinners featuring presentations by Columbia scientists, breakfast meetings focused on technology and other
discoveries, and access to a Council Liaison to arrange appointments with scientists, physicians and academic leaders. Networking at these events may open doors for business collaboration and investment opportunities. During a recent event, Dr. Vagelos explored “The Changing Pharmaceutical Industry.” Guests also enjoyed an explanation of “Scents and Sensibility,” with Nobel Prize Laureate Richard Axel, M.D., University Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who probed the logic behind the way the nose and brain perceive and distinguish scents. Other speakers have included Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel, M.D., Andrew Marks, M.D., Donald Landry, M.D., and Christopher Henderson, Ph.D.
At the forefront of scientific discovery, CUMC is home to 2,000 investigators and more stem cell researchers than any other institution in New York. Columbia has 12 Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators and 15 members of the National Academy of Sciences. Consistently ranked for the past decade among the top universities in terms of revenue earned from licensing, CUMC’s Science and Technology Ventures office (STV) generated 218 new inventions, and was responsible for 53 licensing agreements and 50 new industry-sponsored research agreements in the 2006-2007 fiscal year.
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| For more information on joining the Medical Science & Technology Council, contact the Council Liaison, Assistant Vice President for Development Robin Rosenbluth at rr2208@columbia.edu or 212-304-7200. |
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Out & About |
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Celebrating Ten Years of Integrative Therapies for Children with Cancer
In May 2008, the Integrative Therapies Program in the Division of Pediatric Oncology celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Columbia Club. Helaine Lerner, who founded the Carol Ann Resource Center in that division, committed
$1 million from New Tamarind Foundation to the program, along
with another pledge to match up to
$1 million in additional donations. The goal is to have the program adopted by other medical centers as the standard of care in complementary and alternative medicine for children with cancer.
Pictured left to right: Lawrence R. Stanberry, M.D., Ph.D., Reuben S. Carpentier Professor and chairman, Department of Pediatrics; Kara M. Kelly, M.D., assistant professor and medical director of the Integrative Therapies Program for Children with Cancer; and
Michael A. Weiner, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Oncology.
Raising Funds for Pediatric Orthopaedic Research
David P. Roye, Jr., M.D., (right), the St. Giles Professor of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons, and director of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York is pictured with two of the almost eighty people who helped raise funds for Pediatric Orthopaedic Research at a Wine Tasting event held in May in New York City. Eric Uzzo (left) and Geoffrey Ringelstein (center), expressed gratitude to the surgeons who have treated their children and offered support for the cause as they participated in the silent auction of wonderful wines.
For more information, call Anna Zolner, Director
of Development at 212-304-7214, or visit
www.childrensorthopaedics.com.
P&S $100 Million Alumni Campaign to Secure a Legacy for Future Generations of Students
P&S students from the Class of 2011, Christina Cho, Tracy Paul and Catherine Chang, join P. Roy Vagelos, M.D. ’54. Dr. Vagelos is a member of the P&S Alumni Campaign Steering Committee, and chair of the CUMC Defining the Future campaign as well as the CUMC Board of Visitors.
 P&S Alumni Campaign Chairman Richard J. Stock, M.D. ’47 commended class chairs, students and alumni donors during a meeting and appreciation dinner held June 19. To date, almost $45 million in alumni support has been raised toward the alumni campaign’s $100 million goal.
Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament Playing To Win Against Pediatric Brain Tumors
Neurosurgeons from 16 of the nation’s top medical institutions battled it out June 7th in Central Park at the 5th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament (www.ColumbiaKidsNeuro.org) hosted by Columbia University to benefit pediatric brain tumor research. Organized by Columbia University resident Ricardo Komotar, the annual tournament has rapidly evolved into a national competition. For the fifth consecutive year, George M. Steinbrenner, III and the New York Yankees have sponsored the tournament. This year, Brandon Jacobs of the Superbowl Champion New York Giants and Jeremy Schaap of ESPN threw out the honorary first pitches, while rock star Julian Casablancas of the “Strokes” made a guest appearance. Supported by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, this date has been declared “Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament Day” in the City of New York, with planning already underway for the games to continue in June 2009 at the 6th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament, with the potential for an expanded field to include 24 teams from across the country.
Pictured here, Columbia University neurosurgeons, along with Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants and Jeremy Schaap of ESPN, hold a check for the amount raised since the tournament’s inception in 2004.
Friends and Neighbors
Volunteers from Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and New York State Psychiatric Institute joined members of the Washington Heights community during the 2008 Medical Center Neighborhood Fund Awards Ceremony held Thursday, June 26th at the Donald F. Tapley Faculty Club.
The Neighborhood Fund, which is supported entirely by contributions from employees of the three organizations, will provide grants this year to 52 community-based non-profit organizations that offer valuable health, social services, arts and recreational services to enhance the quality of life for the Washington Heights and Inwood community. The Neighborhood Fund was founded by Donald F. Tapley, M.D., former dean of the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Aces of Hearts
The Division of Pediatric Cardiology held its March 2008 gala fundraiser at the Rainbow Room. Pictured left to right are Logan Diliberto; Scott Roskind, co-chairman of The Babies Heart Fund; and Evan Licht, vice chairman of The Babies Heart Fund. The 23rd annual gala, spearheaded by grateful families, will again be celebrated at The Rainbow Room on March 12, 2009.
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Planning Your Legacy
Testamentary gifts, such as bequests or designations of pension assets, are an invaluable way to make a commitment to Columbia University Medical Center and create a better future for our students, faculty and patients.
Testamentary gifts are central to our success, enabling our faculty to pursue promising research, our students to learn, and our physicians and nurses to help restore patients to health. Testamentary gifts to CUMC are not subject to U.S. estate tax or income tax. This allows you to maximize your contribution to CUMC, while easing your tax burden.
Within the past ten years alone, bequests from alumni and friends have brought millions of dollars to fund scholarships, fellowships, research, professorships, and so much more.
In appreciation of your foresight in establishing a testamentary gift, you will automatically be enrolled in Columbia University’s honorary 1754 Society.
Our planned giving officers can assist you in structuring a gift to suit your personal needs and also provide appropriate bequest language.
Please contact Michelle Cass, Senior Director of Development at 212.304.7200 or e-mail givingwell@columbia.edu
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The Newsletter for the Columbia University Medical Center’s Defining the Future Campaign
Editorial Board:
Susie Stalcup, Vice President for Development
Ann Viney, Assistant Vice President for Development
Noreen Hoffmeister, Director of Communications
Writer:
Noreen Hoffmeister
Design:
h george design, Inc., NYC
Please contact us with questions
and suggestions:
Office of Development
Columbia University Medical Center
100 Haven Ave., Suite 29D
New York, NY 10032
212-304-7200
To have your name removed from CUMC
fundraising mailing lists, please contact:
Columbia University Medical Center
100 Haven Avenue, Suite 29D
New York, NY 10032
212-304-7200, or email:
nh2184@columbia.edu
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