University of Utah Health Sciences Center CARING2002 Donor Report
for the world Mission Statement
The University of Utah Health Sciences Center supports the mission and vision of the University of Utah and serves the public by improving health and quality of life
through excellence in education, research and clinical care.
We educate competent and caring practitioners, educators and scientists for the state of Utah and beyond. We advance knowledge through innovative basic and clinical research and scholarship and translate our discoveries into applications that help people. We rovide compassionate, state-of-the art clinical care to our patients. We antici ate and respond to the needs of our communities through outreach, advocacy and service. University of Utah Health Sciences Center 2002
CONTENTS
2 Senior Vice President’s Message A. Lorris Betz, M.D., Ph.D.
4 Caring for the World Olympic Photo Essay
8 Profiles in Philanthropy Rod and Mitzi Brady Jack Goodman Thomas Rees, M.D.
14 In Review School of Medicine College of Pharmacy College of Health College of Nursing University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
20 In the Headlines
22 Endowed Chairs
24 Passages
27 Donor Report
58 Organizations Senior Vice President’s Message
A. L ORRIS B ETZ
This has been a year of triumph and trouble. is dedicated to providing the best medical care possible. The athletes were dedicated to University of Utah Health Sciences has the best possible performance in their sport. not only survived its shining Olympic 2 But in addition, many Olympians told us moment, but we have done so much better they were dedicated to making their national than anyone else before. teams because that meant at least once every four years they would get quality medical We have also had to deal with some of care. This year they got the best. the toughest financial times in recent years and managed to survive better 0 Our clinics were inundated with than most. athletes wanting to get a lifetime of dental work done in a day or When the world came to our two, or getting their eyes checked campus years of preparation paid and prescriptions written. off. To quote the Washington Post, “Abutting the University of Utah’s Technically we did not have to academic medical center, the provide this “elective” care. But Polyclinic is a door into the best doctors, pharmacists, nurses, medicine the United States has to therapists and technicians don’t offer—all offered free of charge train a lifetime not to help those to the Olympic community.” who need it. We provided these services in huge numbers and As I strolled through the Olympic were happy we could help. Village, I couldn’t help but think about the years of absolute dedication these young 0 But even as the Olympics and Paralympics athletes represented. But it’s no different were closing in a crescendo of glory and than the dedication of our people who were accolades, a critical battle was looming on providing the medical care. There is even a Utah’s Capitol Hill. The state’s revenue strange sort of convergence. Health Sciences 2 projections had come up perilously short.
[ 2 ] THIS YEAR THEY GOT THE BEST.
The state legislature faced the thorny task of having to make significant cuts. After all, Utah’s constitution mandates a balanced budget.
The University of Utah suffered deep cuts, but thanks to the work of several dedicated legislators, Health Sciences came out of the fray in pretty good shape. Certainly we were hit in several key areas, but because some lawmakers saw the importance of what we do, we survived.
Making things even brighter were our donors. In a year of dreary economic news and a drastic downturn in the stock market, our donors came through magnificently. Contributions were higher than ever before.
I’m particularly pleased that employees have donated to the new University Hospital Eccles Critical Care Pavilion in record numbers.
We have been in the world spotlight and shone. We have met the toughest test of recent years and triumphed.
It was a year of Olympian accomplishments.
A. Lorris Betz, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean, School of Medicine
[ 3 ] CARING
2002 Olympic Winter Games
“Abutting the University of Utah’s academic medical center, the Polyclinic is a door into the best medicine the United States has to offer—all offered free of charge to the Olympic community.”
Washington Post February 2002
[ 4 ] forWORLD the
[ 5 ]
“The village Polyclinic has become what Elstad calls the County Hospital of the Olympic Games...people recognize that the medicine here is in the top of the world.”
Denver Post February 2002
O LYMPIC
T EAMWORK
[ 7 ] profiles in philanthropyGOALS
Rod & Mitzi Brad
It was the spring of 1997 when Rod followed by a three-year stint as an and Carolyn (Mitzi) Brady won the officer in the U.S. Air Force. grand slam of University of Utah A large part of his success was made degrees. One son received his M.D., possible because he heeded the another his B.A. in Mathematics, advice of a high school debate coach Rod received an honorary doctorate who told him to succeed he should and, perhaps most remarkably, set goals. Rod became a disciple and Mitzi, at age 62, earned her master’s proponent of goal setting. degree. Or as Mitzi puts it, “We got everything they give out.” It’s Even during his mission days when not a boast, but simple pride of he was in a leadership position he family speaking. was telling people, “You could get into any door in Great Britain.” For Rod and Mitzi Brady it was There were skeptics. He proved his just another glorious way station on point by talking his way in to see a still unfolding journey. Winston Churchill. He is vague Rod has run several successful about how he did it, but proudly companies and corporations. shows off the mementos from his He spent seven years as president visit including a huge, time-ravaged of Weber State University, then cigar that Churchill gave him. CEO of Bonneville International Rod was a member of a group Corporation, owner of KSL and selected to ring the opening bell other broadcast outlets and is cur- of the New York Stock Exchange. rently CEO of Deseret Management But it never tolled. “You could feel Corporation. These accomplish- the ground shake and there was ments are even more remarkable the roar of noise.” The date was when you consider he got a late start. September 11, 2001. “As I reflect, it He began his professional career seems more frightening now than only after getting a master’s degree it did at the time because now I from the “U,” a doctorate from know the full circumstance.” Harvard, serving a mission in Great Britain for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
[ 8 ] forLIFE While both Rod and Mitzi attended the “U” and graduated the same year, they never met, even though Rod spent time visiting the Chi Omega house, where Mitzi was a member.
On graduation Mitzi’s first job was teaching children of Army personnel stationed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Her fifth graders were already veterans of world travel. “It was nice because I was just from Tremonton, Utah and had never been anyplace.” Her second year was in El Paso and her third year in Tucson where fate and the Air Force landed a lieutenant named Rod Brady.
They married in 1960 and set off to follow Rod’s dreams and goals. But while he was leading companies, serving on numerous boards and advising presidents, Mitzi kept up her interest in teaching and undertook a huge load of volunteer work while raising three sons. Her husband, the ultimate goal setter, calls his wife “the ultimate volunteer” and says frankly, “I could have accomplished very little without her.”
Mitzi is involved in a wide array of community efforts, but helping kids who need it seems to be her biggest thrill. She volunteers at an inner city school, helping at-risk children. “There was this one first grader, who looked like a little gang member. I could see him slowly soften and then on the very last day of school he gave me a big hug and said, ‘I’m going to miss you.’”
Both have numerous interests that have them looking ahead. Rod is into exercise, bird-watching and astronomy— attempting “to understand the nature of the heavens and where this universe fits into humanity.” Mitzi wants to resume playing the violin. She believes making music is challenging, enjoyable and a means of keeping her mind clear and sharp.
Rod did set one goal he will never meet, to retire at 55. Neither seems to be the retiring type. Mitzi still keeps a busy volunteer schedule. Rod reports directly to Gordon B. Hinckley, the president of the LDS Church. Rod says when he talks to him about retiring the 92-year old president looks at him and asks, “Now, how old are you?” Rod says talk of retirement “pretty much ends there.”
The Rodney H. and Carolyn H. Brady
Presidential Endowed Chair in Hematology/Oncology
in Honor of John H. Ward, M.D.
OncologyHematology profilesBUILDING in philanthropy
It is easy for people who don’t know Jack Goodman to think they have him figured out. After all, he’s the guy who wrote about buildings for the Salt Lake Tribune. Those who Jack Goodman know him have a much tougher time. After PS 138 and Alexander The day the Post downsized Jack People born in Brooklyn will Hamilton High, Jack attended a onto the pavement he ran into a always be at least part New Yorker. couple of art schools. Then it was friend who got him a job with Transplant that to the West and you on to New York University because WNYC radio. But that was a have a real mix of kick back and he could not only study his passion, public station and Mayor Fiorello kick backside. but get a certificate to teach in high LaGuardia, under political pressure Jack further complicates things school “which would pay you a salary to keep a campaign promise to by having a life full of professions and you could stay there the rest of abolish the station, cut funding. and pursuits. your life.” What he didn’t know was However, in typical New York that NYU would send him in a political fashion, Goodman was kaleidoscope of additional directions. given a job with the city Parks Department where he “got a living It all happened at a typical New wage” and continued working at York pace; editor of one of NYU’s WNYC as news director. newspapers, leading to a stringer job with the New York Post; B.A. and Then the world changed. It was M.A. degrees in Art; and an “almost 1939, Germany invaded Poland fulltime job” with the Post. and Goodman eventually found himself involved in administering shipping convoys that were cross- ing the Atlantic.
[ 10 ] on thePAST
During this period, a young Marjorie Rosenblatt showed up with her cousin and a friend looking for work. No jobs were available “but we made a date and pretty soon I’m engaged and pretty soon I’m married.”
After the war Jack and Marjorie moved to Utah, where Jack continued his somewhat frenetic career pace and fell in love with skiing and the scenery. He worked as a radio news director then moved to television. The entire time he was also writing for many publications, including The New York Times, Newsweek and The Saturday Evening Post. “They paid real money. The Post paid $1,200.00 for a piece. Wow!”
In the 70s Jack kept trying to retire, but was always lured back to work.
The last enticement came from Jack Gallivan, then publisher of the Tribune, who was bemoaning the fact he couldn’t find anyone to be an architecture columnist. He knew his friend Goodman had taken some architecture classes and talked him into doing the column. Goodman’s terms were simple, “I dislike working with photographers, so I’ll just draw the buildings.”
The rest is pretty much history. The column continued until last year when Goodman’s eyesight forced him to retire—again.
When asked, even Goodman has trouble describing himself. “I don’t know, maybe Jack of all trades and master of none.” Then after a pause, “I guess a writer and artist.”
No guesswork needed; he is, indeed, both.
The Marjorie Rosenblatt Goodman
and Jack Goodman Family
Endowed Chair in the Division of Geriatrics
Established by Jack and his children,
Nathaniel Goodman, Kathryn Goodman Reynolds and Jean Goodman Bailard
GeriatricsDivision of WORLDSprofiles in philanthropy
So much came into focus for Thomas Rees, M.D. Dr. Thomas Rees during those few golden days in the mid-50s, Now here was this self-described sitting on a veranda in Tanganyika. cowboy from Utah sitting in the Stretched out in one direction was African dusk with his latest mentor, 3,000 acres of twilight-tinted Sir Archibald McIndoe, who was still wheat, straight up in the opposite doing plastic surgery on RAF pilots direction was the snowcapped peak injured during World War II. of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Britain’s most accomplished plastic surgeon and his protégé had come to Rees had come from an environ- Africa for a brief respite, to do some ment where success was expected. surgery and escape the rain, drizzle “Mediocrity was not an acceptable and grayness of England. way to do anything. It was kind of an old family value.” For this It was here, even before Rees Utah kid that meant Stewart School, embarked on a career that would East High, the “U,” graduation take him to the pinnacle of his from the University of Utah School profession and a successful New of Medicine, then on to Cornell York City practice, that the idea Medical Center, Yale University was hatched which later became and other assignments—and the African Medical & Research always excelling. Foundation, popularly known as the Flying Doctors of East Africa.
AMREF began with three doctors: Rees, McIndoe and a Kenya general surgeon, Dr. Michael Wood, who was also a pilot. They knew it was important to get out where the people were, not try to bring them to a central location. So they hopped into a plane and off they went. “We realized it was like pouring a cup of water into the ocean, but still we thought it was worth doing.”
[ 12 ] ofSUCCESS So pour they did. “We started with one little airplane, then we got two airplanes, then we got some fulltime staff, and as the years went on, we met new challenges as we saw them.” They realized the importance of teaching villagers how to make drinking water safe and protect themselves from everyday maladies that could be lethal in a country with little medical care. Public health became a huge emphasis.
It’s now almost 50 years later. Rees is the only surviving founder. He returns every year, though mostly as revered icon. He is respectfully called “mze’,” Swahili for wise old man, or patriarch.
AMREF currently employs 700 people, has a fleet of ten airplanes, covers seven African nations and each year trains health workers from 30 African countries. AMREF is often enlisted by world health agencies “to respond to disasters like Somalia and Rwanda where you suddenly have a refugee camp of 300,000 people overnight.”
Rees is now retired having been one of the country’s best plastic surgeons, established new levels of medical care in Africa, taught at NYU and served as department chair.
But as one would expect, Dr. Rees has not stopped living. He has written a book about his African experiences entitled DAKTARI, a Surgeon’s Adventures with the Flying Doctors of East Africa. Daktari is Swahili for doctor. Five years ago he took up sculpting, concentrating on the people and animals of Africa and notes with pride, “I’m actually selling some of them.”
You get the feeling there is a lot more ahead for this vibrant man, “But you know, if I kick the bucket tomorrow, I have done everything. There’s nothing that I wanted to do that didn’t get done.”
The Dr. Don Merrill Rees Endowed Chair
in the Division of Infectious Diseases
for the Investigation of Vector Borne Diseases
Established in memory of Dr. Rees’ father
DiseasesInvestigation of Vector Borne In Review School of Medicine
From the Dean A. Lorris Betz, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President for Health Sciences
f the School of Medicine were simply a building, it would deserve a prominent place on Utah’s register of historic sites. But it is its influence as a living institution, whose educational programs, Ifaculty and alumni contributions and outreach efforts enhance the ”I was naive to the magnitude of lives of residents throughout the state, which demands its protection planning, building, supplying and and preservation for future generations. staffing the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Since the School’s founding nearly a century ago, its reputation, Olympic/Paralympic Games Polyclinic. How else could I explain achievements and impact on Utah health have grown exponentially. accepting the Medical Director Citizens count on the Medical School to educate outstanding position in 1997? We had to build a physicians for our area and for first access to new procedures, multi-specialty clinic that would treatments and life-saving cures. It’s safe to say there are few, if any, function for a short time under Utahns who have not benefited from the School’s existence. intense security and scrutiny. With a staff of 250, we successfully served Ninety percent of Utah physicians received all or part of their training at the Medical 2,600 patients over seven weeks. School. Significant numbers of basic scientists, physician assistants, public health I was fortunate to have this once- specialists and laboratory technicians are trained here as well, all of whom contribute in-a-lifetime opportunity and to the state’s collective health. honored to work with members of The mentors of these future health-care professionals, our 850-member faculty, also the University team including care for some of Utah’s sickest patients, people with complicated, sometimes multiple Dr. Stuart Willick, William Holt, Kim Phillips and Wendy Bailey. illnesses and injuries. Additionally, the faculty is the state’s biomedical brain trust, The volunteers were incredibly whose widely heralded work in genetics, cancer, the neurosciences and many other dedicated as evidenced by the fact areas helps the School attract federal and private money for basic and clinical research that, in contrast to previous Games, that has widened health-care options for all Utahns. there were virtually no staff absen- tees. The task of developing plans The School of Medicine is, truly, Utah’s medical school. From a dean’s perspective, it’s that were at once acceptable to the a challenging responsibility to maintain quality and oversee growth of one of Utah’s athletes, the International Olympic most essential institutions. It is also a sacred trust, to which I pledge my continuing Committee, Salt Lake Organizing dedication, energy and enthusiasm. Committee and Intermountain Health Care helped hone my administrative skills and patience.
Nationally and internationally, 2002 Winter Olympic/Paralympic Position the news media touted our success; Medical Director, 2002 Olympic Games Polyclinic; Deputy however, the most gratifying compli- Medical Director, 2002 Paralympic Games Polyclinic ments came in more personal forms. University Positions The image we presented to the world is exemplified by Johann Koss, Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary Division; Co-director, Utah Airway Disorder Center; Associate M.D., IOC Athletes Commission Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program delegate, in his report to the IOC Medical Commission. “There VA Medical Center Position has never been, in my experience, Medical Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit a better appearing or functioning CLINICAL FOCUS: Spinal Cord Injury Polyclinic in any Games. The Mark R. Elstad, M.D. leadership, the quality of medicine RESEARCH FOCUS: Basic and clinical problems in airway scarring being practiced and the warmth PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: Member, American Thoracic and generosity of their staff have Society; Member, American Association for the Advancement been absolutely outstanding.” of Science Mark R. Elstad, M.D. Mark R. Elstad [ 14 ] In Review College of Pharmacy
From the Dean John W. Mauger, Ph.D.
he College of Pharmacy is a dynamic environment where students study with highly respected faculty members. TMost students are from Utah. They remain in the state after graduation to become your local pharmacist, fill your hospital prescriptions, give immunizations, test your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, counsel you on your medication and even develop methods for administering proper doses of medicine to tiny newborns. Ph.D. students come here from around the world to study with scientists of international reputation. These doctoral candidates can become involved in a variety of areas such as finding cancer-curing drugs from the sea or helping develop injury-healing gels. They graduate to do research in the commercial sector with drug companies or at colleges and universities as professors of pharmacy. The College houses four nationally funded and well recognized research centers: the Center for Human Toxicology, the Center for Controlled Drug Delivery, the Center for Seizure Disorders and the Center for Cell Signaling, as well as the new Outcomes Research Center. “I volunteered to work for the 2002 In addition, the College is home to the state funded Poison Control Center, which Winter Olympic Games based on annually takes over 47,000 calls, most from worried, sometimes frantic, parents. the belief that it was a unique opportunity to utilize my education The College is active in all phases of the educational spectrum. We conduct summer and training in the field of phar- programs for high school students and undergraduates from around the country and macy to benefit people from all over have a vital continuing education program. the world. More importantly, it was a chance to make an athlete’s The mission of the University of Utah College of Pharmacy is to provide educational dreams become a reality. opportunities with the simple goal of improving health care and quality of life. It is a As the Doping Control Supervisor, mission we are meeting and will continue to meet as we march into the future. I had to learn every aspect of the The possibilities are endless, the horizons ever expanding! drug testing process to ensure that my station would function effec- tively and efficiently come Games 2002 Winter Olympic Position time. During the Games, I was Doping Control Site Supervisor, Deer Valley fortunate enough to work directly (Moguls, Aerials, Slalom) with athletes, coaches and doctors from many different nations. As a University Position result, I learned a great deal about Assistant Professor (Clinical) in the Department of the nature of people during an Pharmacy Practice; Teach Diseases and Drug Therapy; international competition. Community Practice My ‘Olympic Experience’ increased CLINICAL FOCUS: Pharmacist at the Utah Asthma Center and Intermountain Cystic Fibrosis Center my ability to approach and evaluate a critical situation in a logical and RESEARCH FOCUS: Clinical outcomes in adult asthma David C. Young, Pharm.D. scientific manner which will be and cystic fibrosis patients invaluable in my practice, teaching PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: Distinguished Teaching Award, and research.” College of Pharmacy, 2001; Member, National Association David C. Young, Pharm.D. Boards of Pharmacy Disease State Management Review Committee; Utah Asthma Task Force David C. Young [ 15 ] In Review
College of Health
From the Dean John M. Dunn, Ed.D.
he College of Health touches people of all ages and abilities. Graduates from our Divisions of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and our Department of Exercise Tand Sport Science may be called upon to enhance strength, correct muscular disorder or help improve sensory or sequencing skills to broaden a person’s abilities at play, home, school and work. Graduates of our Department of Communication Disorders may evaluate a person’s hearing or speech and offer remediation, where appropriate. Adolescents may experience personal growth at our summer camp conducted by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism or by attending an annual Multi-Cultural Youth Rally directed by the Department of Health Promotion and Education. A professional from our Division of Foods and Nutrition may address special dietary needs at all stages of life. At the other end of life’s spectrum, students are preparing for careers focusing on the needs of the elderly. Individuals in their 70s and 80s can engage in vigorous activity, when supported and challenged. We assist the older generation in maintain- ing strength, flexibility, balance and other skills necessary for independent living. People today are learning much can be done to prevent debilitating illnesses, if they will only take a few minutes each day to engage in activity, get regular examinations and screenings, eat right and remain involved in healthy practices. We have a wonderful College with a proud tradition and a very promising future.
“As an Olympic volunteer I saw firsthand the tenacity of these world- 2002 Winter Olympic Position class competitors and the types of Physical Therapy Volunteer injury suffered when performing on such a high level. College of Health Position Associate Professor, Physiology, Professional Issues, Wound I learned facets of care that I can Management; Director, Division of Physical Therapy bring to the patients I treat and to CLINICAL FOCUS: Burn care and rehabilitation the students I teach. I was also privileged to work with physical RESEARCH FOCUS: Functional outcomes and decreasing therapy colleagues who came to impairment in patients with burns Salt Lake from across the United PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: Member, Board of Directors, States to volunteer. This enriching R. Scott Ward, PT, Ph.D. American Physical Therapy Association; Member, Board and instructive Olympic experience of Directors, American Burn Association Education and has given me ideas that will Research Foundation; Outstanding Physical Therapist, enhance my teaching, research and National Hemophilia Foundation, 1998 my physical therapy practice.” R. Scott Ward, PT, Ph.D. R. Scott Ward [ 16 ] In Review
College of Nursing
From the Dean Maureen R. Keefe, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN
y first year as Dean of the College of Nursing has been challenging, but extremely gratifying. We completed the renovation of our large classroom/auditorium on Mthe second floor and it is now a state-of-the-art learning facility for our students. The staff and faculty are dedicated to our students and to a quality of education that produces outstanding graduates who are in high demand. Faculty members also conduct clinical nursing research and provide a variety of clinical services to the community. We received federal funding that allows us to provide web-based education to nurses throughout the state and the country. Participants can qualify for a Ph.D. in cancer nursing or a masters for nurse practitioners. We also were chosen as one of only six sites in the country to pilot a nursing “Our venue was the Main Media residency program. Working with the University Hospital, this program will ensure Center at the Salt Palace used by the success of our graduates as they enter the workforce. 9,000 accredited newspeople from The national nursing shortage is most critical here in Utah where we need 1,500 around the world. When fully operational it had a staff larger additional nurses each year. We are providing leadership for the Utah Nursing than most Utah cities. The MMC Education Initiative and seeking more money to increase enrollment in all of the was the only venue credentialed to state’s nursing programs. In addition, we are increasing graduate enrollments to use nurse practitioners as providers. address the growing nursing faculty shortage. This was the first time in history NPs were utilized in the Games. Our challenge is doing more with even less state funding because of the revenue We were open 24 hours a day and shortfall. It is not a comfortable situation to be in, but we continue to work hard busier than expected, averaging 75 and bring our innovative thinking to this critical health care issue. In the meantime patients a day. It was a wonderful Utah can rest assured that our talented faculty, students and staff will keep us at the experience. We were well received forefront of the country’s Colleges of Nursing. by the media and it proved to be a terrific place to promote the NP practice. I think the biggest challenge was the occasional language barrier. 2002 Winter Olympic Position Translators were available but Nurse Practitioner, Main Media Center were not always familiar with University Position medical terminology. Trying to Clinical Instructor, Faculty, University of Utah sort out medications in Russian College of Nursing and German proved challenging. I ended up working extra shifts VA Medical Center Position due to the high number of patients Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care Clinics we were evaluating each day. They CLINICAL FOCUS: Primary Care Men’s Health loved us and often visited the Clinic just to update us on how they ACADEMICS: Masters of Science in Nursing, Graduate Certificate Gerontology, Certified Family Practitioner Penny Kaye Jensen, MS, were feeling. It was the experience APRN, FNP-C of a lifetime and I can honestly say PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: Chair, Utah Nurse Practitioners, I would do it all over again.” 1998-2002; Member, American College of Nurse Practitioners; Member, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Penny Kaye Jensen, MS, APRN, FNP-C Penny Kaye Jensen [ 17 ] In Review
University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics
From the Executive Director Richard A. Fullmer
uring my many years on the administrative team at University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics, I have acquired a deep appreciation for what it means to be at the forefront Dof health-care delivery. I am so proud and so lucky to help guide an institution that, as we say, is delivering “Tomorrow’s Medicine Today.” Over the last nine years we have won numerous awards, but the most cherished are those that rank us among the elite in the way we care for patients. We have earned these distinctions because of the collective work of our clinicians and staff. The remarkable medical care we offer requires leadership, commitment and investment in the future. Many of our investments are highly visible, such as the construction of the new Eccles Critical Care Pavilion and the new Huntsman Cancer Research Hospital. These exciting new facilities are made possible through the generous gifts of many University friends who are committed to ensuring the best possible medical care for the citizens of Utah and the Intermountain West. When the projects are completed, our physicians will have the facilities needed to expand specialty care programs for patients with ailments from the rare to the commonplace. Less visible, but critically important, are the investments we make in improving procedures. Over the past year, for example, by streamlining the admissions process and decreasing discharge time by four hours, we’ve succeeded in reducing the average patient length of stay by a half-day. “I worked with 16 International I look forward in the years to come to offering new and improved services to our physicians and therapists to determine patients and providing a stable, exciting and rewarding work environment for our staff which classification athletes would and faculty. I pledge our continued cooperation with all areas of the Health Sciences in compete in and also helped create creating the ultimate confluence of world-class patient care, education and research. medical manuals that included protocols and treatment strategies unique to Paralympic athletes. Extremely gratifying were the presentations Keith Barney and I did for over 5,000 volunteers on how to 2002 Winter Olympic/Paralympic Position respectfully host athletes and guests SLOC Paralympic Classification Coordinator; with disabilities. Paralympic Planning Coordinator for Olympic/Paralympic Village Medical Services Team I can honestly say that as wonderful as I thought the Paralympic experi- University Position ence would be…it was ten times Program Coordinator, Musculoskeletal/Neuro/Rehab better!! We worked long and hard for Services, Intermountain Spinal Cord Injury Center an outcome that was truly a once-in- CLINICAL FOCUS: Spinal Cord Injury a-lifetime opportunity. I was proud ACADEMICS: to represent University Hospital and Master’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation; Doctoral candidate, role of recreation and leisure in the Rehabilitation Center. It became Trish Jensen, M.A., M.T.R.S. adjusting to spinal cord injury apparent that the University Hospital had the expertise and resources to PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: Member, Utah State Recreational get the job done.” Therapy Licensure Board; Member, Board of Directors SPLORE: Accessible Outdoor Adventures; Member, Trish Jensen, M.A., M.T.R.S. U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch’s Committee on Disability Issues Trish Jensen [ 18 ] In Review
Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
From the Director Wayne J. Peay, M.S.
ook 500 miles in any direction from Salt Lake City and you will find we are the largest health sciences library and now our L services extend across continents and oceans. The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library’s primary responsibility is to serve University of Utah students and faculty. The Library’s unique collection of resources and services is also utilized by health professionals, students, teachers and the general public throughout the Intermountain Area. A new initiative is underway to promote access to our vast reservoir of information from Utah’s public libraries. This last year the Library completed its first year of a contract from the National Library of Medicine serving as the Mid-continental Regional Medical Library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. In this capacity, we are coordinating the development of innovative information, resources and services in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. The Library has reached beyond state and national boundaries offering access to our collections to countries with very limited resources. Made possible in part by support from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we provide copies of articles via the Internet to libraries in Cyprus, Macedonia, Belarus, Bulgaria and Nepal. Advanced information technologies truly allow us to be a health sciences library for the world, while never reducing our commitment to our number one priority, serving the University of Utah. “As an Olympic volunteer, I had an opportunity to be part of an organiza- tion that was truly service-oriented. I was so impressed with the volunteer training needed to host the Games and the resulting positive outcome at the venue. I met many talented and dedicated volunteers, coaches and technicians from around the world. Each one offered their best so that the 2002 Winter Olympic/Paralympic Position athletes could focus on their race of a Timing Crew, Women’s Downhill, Super G and Combined lifetime. It was truly an inspiration. Downhill/Slalom Race Course, Snow Basin Ski Resort Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library Position The Eccles Library, likewise, Deputy Director exemplifies this spirit in its every day dedication to helping its patrons with PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: Member, Medical Library information needs. While the Library Association; Distinguished Member, Academy of Health rarely gets to below-zero temperatures Information Professionals with a brisk mountain top wind, it is a challenge nonetheless to be your best for every occasion. I believe the Joan M. Stoddart, M.L.S. Olympic and Paralympic spirit will continue to glow around the Health Sciences campus for a long time. Joan M. Stoddart, M.L.S. Joan M. Stoddart [ 19 ] inHEADLINES the
Research at U. Offers New Hope to Paralyzed
Areas of the brain that process commands to move muscles still work after a spinal cord injury. The message just doesn’t get through. But University of Utah researchers hope to use those signals to let people U. Professor Elected with quadriplegia control devices like wheelchairs or robotic arms. And President of Group eventually, they hope to implant electrodes that will let them walk again. Dr. Steven D. Gray, a professor “What we’re trying to do—and not only us—is restore function in of otolaryngology, head and neck spinal-cord-injured patients,” said Richard Normann, professor surgery at the University of Utah of bioengineering and ophthalmology at the U. “The ultimate goal is to School of Medicine, is now president restore the ability to walk, to get out of a wheelchair and move around.” of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology. He was elected at —Excerpted: Deseret News article by Lois M. Collins; November 24, 2001. the group’s annual meeting.
(The society) is dedicated to improving health care of children U. Researcher Gets Backing for Brain Research with ear, nose and throat problems. A Midwestern neuroscience group with ties to manufacturing —Excerpted: Deseret News article; giant 3M is backing a University of Utah researcher who has November 24, 2001. figured out how to regrow damaged brain cells.
U. neuroscientist Maureen Condic’s work on the intrinsic, intracellular qualities of adult neurons is changing a 20-year-old belief that the cells’ extracellular environment U. Project May Help Save Eyes holds the key to regeneration. Scientists have preserved the vision of rats born
—Excerpted: Salt Lake Tribune article by Troy Goodman; with a predisposition to retinal disease by December 17, 2001. transplanting a retinal cell line from humans. The success in rats may spell future success in pre- serving the sight of humans with similar disease.
U. Team Links Lack “There are a lot of people with retinal diseases of Gene to Compulsive Disorders like age-related macular degeneration with really no treatment for them,” said Raymond D. Mice that groom themselves to the point Lund, who holds a doctorate and is a professor of inflicting injury may hold the secret to of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the behaviors associated with obsessive com- Moran Eye Center. After the transplant, “we’ve pulsive disorders, according to University shown the animals can see and tell whether stripes of Utah researchers. And that could mean are vertical or horizontal. That’s a nice, rather effective treatments in the future. important step before we think about heading
—Excerpted: Deseret News article toward a (human) patient with treatment.” by Lois M. Collins; January 3, 2002. —Excerpted: Deseret News article by Lois M. Collins; December 17, 2001.
[ 20 ] U. Clinic Specializes in Diabetes
University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics will celebrate the U. to Study Tribes’ Health Woes opening of its new Utah Diabetes Center with an open house Wednesday from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Historically, Native American people have been “about the only population excluded The focus of the center is on self-management of diabetes. from research of this type that looks at why Besides providing information about the disease, which diseases occur and what the risk factors are. more than 116,000 Utahns have, the center offers full We know little about what causes their health treatment services. problems or which ones even exist,” said Marty Slattery, professor of family and The center, 615 Arapeen Drive, Suite 100 in Research Park, preventive medicine at the University of Utah is the only center of its kind in the Intermountain West. School of Medicine. —Excerpted: Deseret News article by Lois M. Collins; She hopes that’s about to change, thanks to February 25, 2002. a five-year, $12 million grant from the National Cancer Institute that the U. will use to study American Indians and Alaska natives to learn about factors that influence health and prevent disease.
U. Professor Selected for Top Research Award —Excerpted: Deseret News article by Lois M. Collins; March 3, 2002. Sung Wan Kim, distinguished professor of pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy, has been selected as the 2002 recipient of the Volwiler Research Achievement Award.
The award is given each year by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy to recognize outstanding research achievement by a member pharmacy educator.
—Excerpted: Deseret News article; April 21, 2002.
Artificial Bone Is Implanted By U. Surgeon
A Utah doctor has implanted an artificial thighbone strung together with an experimental device that could U. Biologist Among Science’s Elite help cancer patients and others.
Mario Capecchi, a molecular biologist The prosthesis and fixation device, named Compress, who runs his own U. lab at Eccles Institute was installed in a 13-year-old Utahn who had lost his of Human Genetics, won the award along with upper femur to cancer. University of Utah orthopedic 13 other scientists and one engineer. surgeon R. Lor Randall called his first Compress implant a success. The National Medal of Science is considered America’s highest award for a lifetime-worth of Compress is described as an experimental fixation device achievements, said a White House statement. that uses a spring-like apparatus to attach the artificial hip and femur bone to the patient’s remaining bone. —Excerpted: Salt Lake Tribune article by The device generates prosthesis-to-bone pressure, which Troy Goodman; May 10, 2002. mimics normal body movement and encourages mending, the statement said.
—Excerpted: Salt Lake Tribune article by Troy Goodman; June 14, 2002.
[ 21 ] Endowed Chairs at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center Fully Funded and Occupied or Fully Funded and Searches for Chair Holder in Progress
Endowed chairs are supported by endowments at two levels—the $1 million level (Endowed Chair) and the $1.25 million level (Presidential Endowed Chair). The University is honored to be the recipient of the generous gifts establishing these fully-funded endowed chairs. The Chairs provide key support to men and women who have distinguished themselves in teaching, research and community service.
Ross R. Anderson, M.D. William H. and Patricia W. Child Calvin S. and JeNeal N. Hatch Presidential Endowed Chair in Surgery Presidential Endowed Chair Honoring Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology Established by Elliott V. Anderson Pioneering Utah Women in Medicine Chair Holder: Raymond D. Lund, Ph.D. in Honor of His Father Chair Holder: Anne G. Osborn, M.D. C. Charles Hetzel, Jr., M.D. and Chair Holder: Sean J. Mulvihill, M.D. Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby Presidential Alice Barker Hetzel Presidential D. Keith Barnes, M.D. and Endowed Chair in Human Genetics Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology Ida May “Dotty” Barnes, R.N. Chair Holder: Raymond F. Gesteland, Ph.D. Chair Holder: Steven D. Gray, M.D. Presidential Endowed Chair in the School of Medicine Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby Albert and Margaret Hofmann Presidential Endowed Chair in Nursing Endowed Chair in Orthopedic Research, Chair Holder: Randall W. Burt, M.D. Chair Holder: Scholar Search in Progress Department of Orthopedics Ida May “Dotty” Barnes, R.N. Chair Holder: Roy D. Bloebaum, Ph.D. and D. Keith Barnes, M.D. Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby and Presidential Endowed Chair John E. Bamberger Presidential Endowed Jon M. Huntsman Presidential in the College of Nursing Chair in the Health Sciences Center Endowed Chair in Urological Oncology in Honor of Robert A. Stephenson, M.D. Chair Holder: Linda K. Amos, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN Chair Holder: Mario R. Capecchi, Ph.D. Chair Holder: Robert A. Stephenson, M.D. Grant H. Beckstrand, M.D. and Mildred Annette Poulson Cumming Burrows Beckstrand Presidential Presidential Endowed Chair in Mark H. Huntsman Endowed Chair Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology Women’s and Reproductive Health in Advanced Medical Technologies Chair Holder: R. Kim Davis, M.D. Chair Holder: Scholar Search in Progress Chair Holder: Dennis L. Parker, Ph.D. H. A. and Edna Benning Cumming Presidential Thomas E. and Rebecca D. Jeremy Presidential Endowed Chair in Human Endowed Chair in Dermatology Presidential Endowed Chair Molecular Biology and Genetics Chair Holder: Gerald G. Krueger, M.D. for Arthritis Research Stephen M. Prescott, M.D. Chair Holder: H. James Williams, M.D. Chair Holder: Thomas D. Dee II Presidential H. A. and Edna Benning Presidential Endowed Chair in Genetics Ralph E. and Willia T. Main Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurology Chair Holder: Raymond L. White, Ph.D. Endowed Chair in Cancer Research Scholar Search in Progress Chair Holder: Mary Beckerle, Ph.D. Chair Holder: John A. Dixon, M.D. Presidential H. A. and Edna Benning Endowed Chair in the Health Sciences Ann G. and Jack Mark Presidential Presidential Endowed Chair Chair Holder: Eli Adashi, M.D. Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Honor of Thomas H. Caine, M.D. Valois Egbert Presidential Endowed D. Ware Branch, M.D. Chair Holder: John P. Burke, M.D. Chair Holder: Chair in the Division of Rheumatology, H. A. and Edna Benning Presidential Department of Internal Medicine Governor Scott M. Matheson Endowed Chair in Radiology Chair Holder: Scholar Search in Progress Presidential Endowed Chair in Scholar Search in Progress Health Care and Health Management Chair Holder: Wilma T. Gibson Presidential Chair Holder: Richard J. Sperry, M.D., Ph.D. B. Lue and Hope S. Bettilyon Endowed Chair in Pediatrics Presidential Endowed Chair in Internal Chair Holder: Edward B. Clark, M.D. John A. Moran Presidential Endowed Medicine for Diabetes Research Chair in Ophthalmology George D. Gross, M.D. and Donald A. McClain, M.D., Ph.D. in Honor of Randall J Olson, M.D. Chair Holder: Esther S. Gross, M.D. Presidential Endowed Chair Holder: Randall J Olson, M.D. Clarence M. and Ruth N. Birrer Chair in Family and Preventive Medicine Presidential Endowed Chair Chair Holder: Scholar Search in Progress T. F. H. Morton, M.D. Presidential Endowed in the School of Medicine in Chair in Family and Preventive Medicine Nora Eccles Harrison Presidential Memory of Dr. and Mrs. A. J. Nielson, Chair Holder: George L. White, Ph.D. Dr. Karl O. Nielson, Dr. Kenneth A. Endowed Chair in Cardiology Nielson, Dr. Paul E. Nielson, and Chair Holder: William H. Barry, M.D. Louis H. Peery Presidential Endowed Chair Mr. Douglas W. Nielson in Nursing Established in Loving Memory Nora Eccles Harrison Presidential by His Son, Louis S. Peery, M.D. Chair Holder: Merle A. Sande, M.D. Endowed Chair in Rheumatology Chair Holder: Maureen R. Keefe, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN Chair Holder: Barry Cole, Ph.D.
[ 22 ] Louis S. Peery, M.D. and Janet B. Peery John Rex and Alice C. Winder Michael T. and Taylor Miller Presidential Presidential Endowed Chair in the Presidential Endowed Chair in Endowed Chair in the Health Sciences Center Department of Orthopedic Surgery Internal Medicine in Honor of Anne Osborn and Ronald E. Poelman Chair Holder: Aaron Hofmann, M.D. Thomas H. Caine, M.D. Presidential Endowed Chair in Radiology Chair Holder: Thomas H. Caine, M.D. Louis S. Peery, M.D. Presidential Dr. Don Merrill Rees Endowed Chair Endowed Chair in the Department Maxwell M. Wintrobe, M.D. Presidential in the Division of Infectious Diseases of Orthopedic Surgery Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine for the Investigation of Vector Borne Chair Holder: Harold K. Dunn, M.D. Chair Holder: James P. Kushner, M.D. Diseases Louis S. Peery, M.D. and Janet B. Peery Joseph J. Yager Presidential Dr. Leo T. Samuels and Presidential Endowed Chair in Nursing Endowed Chair in the School of Medicine Barbara K. Samuels Presidential Chair Holder: Kathy H. Mooney, Ph.D., R.N. Chair Holder: William T. Couldwell, M.D. Endowed Chair in Biochemistry Mary Scowcroft Peery Chairs That Are Established Bertram H. and Janet Marshall Schaap Presidential Endowed Chair Through Planned Gifts Presidential Endowed Chair in Established by Louis S. Peery, M.D., Cancer Research in Loving Memory of His Mother including anonymous gifts Chair Holder: Robert T. Burks, M.D. Bertram H. and Janet Marshall Schaap Rodney H. and Carolyn H. Brady Presidential Endowed Chair in the Attilio D. Renzetti, Jr., M.D. Presidential Endowed Chair in Division of General Internal Medicine Presidential Endowed Chair by the Hematology/Oncology in Honor of John H. Holbrook, M.D. Division of Respiratory, Critical Care and in Honor of John H. Ward. M.D. Occupational Pulmonary Medicine Harold J. (Steve) and Ardella T., and Ezekiel R. Dumke, Jr. and Helen T. Stevenson Presidential Chair Holder: John R. Hoidal, M.D. Katherine W. Dumke Endowed Chair in Rheumatology Christi T. Smith Endowed Chair in Presidential Endowed Chair in Honor of Daniel O. Clegg, M.D. Cardiology Research Established by Her for the Health Sciences Center Grandparents, Dee Glen and Ida W. Smith Richard L. Stimson Presidential Endowed Richard A. Fay and Carol M. Fay Chair in the Health Sciences (1) Chair Holder: Scholar Search in Progress Presidential Endowed Chair in Medical Informatics (1) Richard L. Stimson Presidential Endowed Dee Glen and Ida W. Smith Chair in the Health Sciences (2) Endowed Chair in Cancer Research Richard A. Fay and Carol M. Fay Chair Holder: Frank Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. Presidential Endowed Chair Richard L. Stimson Presidential Endowed in Medical Informatics (2) Chair in the School of Medicine Clifford C. Snyder, M.D.— Far Eastern Presidential Endowed Claudius Y. Gates, M.D. and William H. and Edna D. Stimson Chair at the University of Utah Catherine B. Gates Presidential Presidential Endowed Chair in the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library Endowed Chair in Surgery School of Medicine Established by Chair Holder: Wayne J. Peay Richard L. Stimson in Honor of His Parents Claudius Y. Gates, M.D. and Ralph and Mary Tuck Catherine B. Gates Dean’s Presidential Anonymous Endowed Chair for the Advancement Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology Planned Giving Chairs Chair Holder: Wolfgang Baehr, Ph.D. of Medical Education Endowed Chair in L. George Veasy, M.D. Presidential Marjorie Rosenblatt Goodman and Breast Cancer Research Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology Jack Goodman Family Endowed Chair in the Division of Geriatrics Chair Holder: Robert E. Shaddy, M.D. Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine Val A. and Edith D. Green Presidential for Diabetes Research C. Scott and Dorothy E. Watkins Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology Endowed Chair in Pathology in Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology (1) Honor of Ernst J. Eichwald, M.D. The Wilford W. and Mildred D. “Millie” Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology (2) Chair Holder: Sherrie L. Perkins, M.D., Ph.D. Hagen Endowed Chair in Pediatrics Endowed Chair in Neurology Reverend George J. Weber Willard Snow Hansen Presidential Presidential Endowed Chair in Endowed Chair in Cancer Research Endowed Chair in Pharmacy Immunology Established by Established in Loving Memory by Edith F. Weber in Honor of Her Husband His Daughter, Mary Boesche Endowed Chair Chair Holder: Raymond A. Daynes, Ph.D. in the School of Medicine John and June B. Hartman R. C. Willey Endowed Chair Presidential Endowed Chair in Cardiology Presidential Endowed Chair in Cardiology in Neuroradiology Dr. Nymphus Frederick Hicken, Presidential Endowed Chair H. Ric Harnsberger, M.D. Chair Holder: Alta Thomas Hicken, and Margarete in Ophthalmology Stahl Wilkin Hicken Endowed Chair George and Lorna Winder Presidential Presidential Endowed Chair in Pediatrics Endowed Chair in Neurosciences in Family and Preventive Medicine Chair Holder: Thomas N. Parks, Ph.D. Bruce and Patty Miller Endowed Chair in Radiology in Honor of David G. Bragg, M.D.
[ 23 ] Passages
Mary Boesche
“She really did have a wonderful way of and Justice. But it’s hard to hide an collecting friends and I think she probably outgoing personality and she soon ended kept them because she was so fun. She up doing public relations work at the loved to laugh and genuinely enjoyed being Federal Aviation Administration. with people.” Life took a right turn in 1945. She married That is the way her niece, Mitzi Brady, Frank Boesche, moved to Virginia, ran a describes Mary Boesche. It is a trait that kennel and sold real estate. stood her in good stead in both her personal Soon, however, she was lured back to and professional lives. She had a cheerful D.C. and what she described as the attitude and a grateful heart. She always “happiest experience” of her life. For two expressed her deep gratitude to everyone, decades she was public relations director whether it was an eye surgeon performing a for Dulles International Airport. delicate and complex operation or someone simply bringing her a glass of water. In 1995, having been widowed for 20 years, Mary returned to Utah to make There was, however, a lot more to Mary new friends in her old home state. than her cheerful countenance. Who would have thought that this girl who grew up in But old friends never forgot. Logan and Fielding, Utah, and lost both Rod Brady remembers walking through parents early in her life would feel equally Dulles Airport with her years after at home in the high powered world of her retirement and all he heard was a Washington, D.C.? But in 1940, after OESCHE steady string of “Hello Mary, Hello Mary, getting her education in Utah, she was off Hello Mary.” to the nation’s capital. World War II was on the horizon and Mary found herself working in the Departments of Treasury B
Frank Christensen
Frank Christensen was arguably the greatest athlete ever to come from the state of Utah, one of its most successful businessmen and a prodigious donor who also proved adept at seeking anonymity. A two-time football All-American at the “U” and still the school’s career scoring leader, he steadfastly avoided recognition banquets whenever he could.
Frank was starter at fullback and linebacker/defensive back for the 1935 world champion Detroit Lions, yet agreed to let the quarterback have his $100 per game raise because he was the leader of the team and Frank felt deserved it more.
He owned and operated a business that for years bore his name, yet avoided taking credit for its incredible success.
The seeming shyness was actually rooted in something deeper and more basic according to nephew, Jim Christensen. “Frank, had an absolute belief in the team concept, that no individual was greater than the team.”
What made Frank a success was a fierce competitive streak and a mind that could look at a problem or challenge and devise a solution with seeming ease. It was that mind that figured out how to use diamonds in giant earth drilling bits.
[ 24 ] Passages HRISTENSEN C The solution led to Christensen Diamond Products, which eventually became a worldwide business. Yet he was the kind of man that had an abiding faith in the sanctity of the handshake and a person’s word.
Frank always pushed people to go past their limits, to make things better and, to those who followed his urgings, he was intensely loyal. Says Jim Christensen, “I remember when the executives took salary cuts to keep people on the payroll. The company probably had a record number of quarter-century employees.”
He could be a hard man to work for, but “never demanded more than he was willing to give himself.”
Frank Christensen was named Utah’s greatest athlete, Sports Illustrated selected him as a silver anniversary All American, his business became the biggest of its kind in the world.
And it was all a team effort. But looking back, maybe Frank Christensen really did deserve that $100 raise.
Esther and George Gross
The two greatest passions in the lives of or the last prescription written. They After retiring, Esther started china painting, Esther and George Gross were medicine listed their home number in the phone and practiced the intricate art until shortly and each other. book and encouraged patients to call them before her death. day or night. After medical school and World War II They were world travelers. George spoke service for George, this couple from Ohio, But they were not one-dimensional. seven languages and with him leading the eventually set up a joint practice in Salt According to family friend Richard Skeen, charge they went where they wanted, when Lake, Esther as a pediatrician, George as both were avid gardeners. “All during the they wanted. The couple once visited an internist. They were two-career growing season, they were both out in the Pakistan during the height of a civil war, professionals long before it was in vogue. backyard, Esther in a nicely fashioned suit even after being warned not to. They took Throughout their busy lives they shared one and George in his scruffy old clothes.” public transportation to see the sights and car, so they could spend extra time together. walked the dangerous streets when neces- Both doctors had a thirst for knowledge sary. When asked about the dangers George Esther was an outgoing, vivacious woman and took classes at the “U” well into their replied, a bit off-handedly, “If it happens, it while George had a quieter, scholarly 80s. George took enough Spanish courses happens, but we wanted to see Pakistan.” bearing. Both firmly believed the number that he could have qualified for a major in one priority in medicine was to help people. the language. Both took math and computer That philosophy pretty much sums up the If they got paid in chickens and eggs, or not classes and late into their nineties were lives of Esther and George. They did things at all, it didn’t really matter as long as they still e-mailing family and friends throughout their way. What they did most of all was could help someone. the country. help those who were sick, and refused to let things like inconvenience or inability Remarkably these two partners in healing to pay get in their way. made house calls, invited ailing neighbors into their home for treatment and didn’t seek sleep until the last suture was stitched
GROSS [ 25 ] Passages
Margaret May
Many people move through life without leaving footprints. Margaret May seemed to be one of those. But it’s only because she wanted it that way. No fanfare, no fuss. However, as hard as she tried, she was not completely successful.
Margaret was dedicated to her chosen profession of teaching. It was a devotion to duty undoubtedly learned from her mother, Bertha, who was a practicing nurse most of her adult life, a span that included World War II. Margaret taught junior high school in Salt Lake City and there are many former students who still proudly bear Margaret’s imprint and remember the lessons learned under her tutelage. AY Family friend, Reed Merrill described Margaret as a “very gentle, sweet lady.” But underneath that veneer was an adventurous side. Merrill recalls that during the 50s when it was not commonly done, she and a friend would journey to some pretty unstable places together, locales such as Egypt and Central and Latin America. Even today these are not the easiest of places to travel. In the 1950s, for two single women, it could be uncommonly difficult.
However, for Margaret, it always came back to the lessons learned from her mother. In the end it was that respect which led Margaret to leave one last, very visible footprint on the University of Utah College of Nursing. M Margaret funded a scholarship in her mother’s name.
Glenn Olson