Kansas Masons' Donation to Cancer Institute Passes $5 Million Inside

17 JULY 2003 • VOLUME 5 • NUMBER 29 Kansas Masons’ Donation to Cancer Institute Passes $5 Million he Kansas Masonic Foundation’s T support of the Kansas Cancer Institute (KCI) at the University of Kansas Medical Center reached a major milestone last month as dona- tions surpassed the $5 million mark. William Jewell, MD, The Kansas Masonic Kansas Cancer Foundation has been a major con- Institute director, tributor to KCI and the Kansas and Mark Nelson, executive director University Endowment Association of the Kansas for almost 30 years. According to Masonic Foundation. William Jewell, MD, professor of surgery and KCI director, the driving force behind several elements we touch may be closer to our impact of the Masons’ donation is of our cancer research,” Jewell said. hearts than we realize.” even more significant. “They provide the lifeblood that With part of this year’s donation “Financial aid from the Masons enables our scientists to conduct of $340,000, KCI and KMF plan to has allowed us to establish a number groundbreaking research against develop an outreach program for can- of programs, which allows us to quali- these life-threatening diseases.” cer awareness and screenings in fy for a variety of government grants. Jewell said the money has Kansas. Six sites have been chosen to The Mason’s financial aid has been a supported a variety of programs, host one-day programs that will including breast and prostate cancer include cancer and smoking cessation research. information, as well as screenings for Inside Mark Nelson, a past grand mas- various types of cancer. ter of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, “These programs will be held in Page 2 Atkinson Editorial serves as the executive director of Masonic Lodges and will be free Page 3 Charity Gala the Kansas Masonic Foundation and open to the public,” Jewell said. Page 4 3-D Animation (KMF). Nelson said support for “This is a very important step in Page 5 Epilepsy Research KCI helps the Masons’ commitment getting the word out to the public Page 6 Teel Appointment to serving others. about cancer and providing some Koob on Task Force “Cancer touches each of us valuable screening resources.” Page 7 What’s News physically, emotionally and finan- The programs are tentatively Page 8 Classifieds, etc. cially,” Nelson said. “Through our scheduled to begin early this fall support of cancer research, the lives and run through early 2004. The University of Kansas Medical Center Students’ Passion for Community Service Gives Hope to Future of Health Care The following article, written by tional young people. When they patients, and go into schools to give Barbara Atkinson, MD, executive entered medical school, they presentations on health and disease dean and vice chancellor for clini- brought with them a passion for prevention and opportunities for cal affairs, KU School of Medicine, service and a belief system that val- health careers. They find time to appeared on the editorial page of ues all individuals. They looked lead student organizations, locally The Kansas City Star on July 8. around, saw the needs in their own and nationally. backyard, and decided they could Their passion is not a new The news is filled with discour- make a difference. They developed thing. Former students have told us aging, if not frightening, statistics they ran a free about America’s broken health care clinic 30 years system. The Star’s recent series on ago, interest- this crisis accurately depicted some ingly with no of these issues here at home: rising encouragement numbers of uninsured, increasing from the Barbara Atkinson, MD school’s leader- malpractice insurance rates and Executive Dean and reduced reimbursements from third Vice Chancellor for ship. At KU party payers. More and more physi- Clinical Affairs School of KU School of Medicine cians are being forced to turn away Medicine we non-paying patients. Growing num- are challenging bers are hanging up their shingles, ourselves, as finding it too costly and stressful to medical educa- continue in their life’s chosen work. tors, to nurture As Americans, we have this passion assumed that it is our inalienable the concept, built a team, and raised throughout the students’ long and right to quality health care when we support. Our faculty cheered from arduous educational process. need it. Yet, this right is becoming the sidelines, offering advice when Our challenge as a community is more of a privilege, certainly not a needed and willingness to volunteer to work together with the same pas- right, for many Americans, espe- once the clinic is open. sion to find long-term solutions to cially the growing numbers of This student-run clinic is just these complex health care issues. under- and uninsured. Those at one of many examples of exemplary These medical students are to be greatest risk are our elderly and the student leadership and volunteerism applauded and supported in their rapidly growing numbers of work- we see every day at the KU Medical endeavors. But we must be realistic. ing poor and their children. Center. Students from nursing, allied We must come together as a commu- So, it was a great joy to see the health, medicine and graduate stud- nity and state to address the KC Star’s recent front-page cover- ies are engaged in the most intensive escalating health care systems break- age of the soon-to-open JayDoc free time of their lives. Yet, they find down or we may lose these young clinic in one of the most medically time to mentor underprivileged kids people to the growing numbers of underserved areas of Kansas City. in schools, run food, clothing and once passionate but now disheartened All the credit goes to these excep- blood drives, befriend young cancer and disillusioned doctors. 2 Nebraska Furniture Mart Charity Gala Will Benefit KU Med’s Breast Cancer Services How much would it be worth to have lunch with Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and second richest person in the world according to Forbes magazine? You can bid on that unique opportunity and many one-of-a-kind items during a charity gala Thursday, Jeff Lind (left), Kansas City store director, poses with co-chairs of the Nebraska Aug. 14, to celebrate the opening of Furniture Mart Grand Opening charity gala, Shirley and Barnett Helzberg and the Nebraska Furniture Mart store in Elaine and Norman Polsky. Also pictured is Irene Cumming (center), KU Med western Wyandotte County. All the president and chief executive officer. money raised will support KU Med’s renowned breast cancer researcher to be the recipient of proceeds from breast cancer services. and clinician at KU Med, will this important community event.” Proceeds will help KU Med receive the first “Rose Blumkin Tickets for the charity gala are purchase a new state-of-the-art GE Award for Excellence” for her lead- $50 per person, are tax deductible digital mammography unit for the ership in the fight against breast and must be purchased by Aug. 1. Breast Center, scheduled to open in cancer. The award is named for the Checks made payable to the September along with the renovated founder of Nebraska Furniture Mart. KU Endowment Association or Cancer Center. The gala will kick off at 7 p.m. credit card payments are accepted. and will include live entertainment, In addition to the public gala, hors d’oeuvres and tours of the store. there will also be a pre-gala reception There will be drawings and auctions beginning at 6 p.m. Only 200 reserva- for a variety of special items: a lunch tions are available at $500 each, and for four with Buffett; a sheet of $2 they are fully tax deductible. Each bills signed by Buffett and Bill Gates person in attendance will have a (the only person wealthier than chance to meet and be photographed Buffett on the Forbes list); a grand- with Buffett. For more information Grandsons of the founder of father clock personalized by Buffett; call 913-402-1881. Nebraska Furniture Mart, Ron Blumkin and Irv Blumkin, are pictured with and other prizes courtesy of NetJet, Rose Blumkin founded Nebraska Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Helzberg Diamonds and Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1937 in the base- Hathaway is majority owner of Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Jeff Furniture Mart. ment of her husband’s second-hand Lind, Kansas City store director. Co-chairs of the event are clothing shop. Her philosophy of Barnett and Shirley Helzberg and “selling cheap and telling the truth” The charity gala, called “The Norman and Elaine Polsky. built a highly successful business. In Best of Kansas City” to honor both “This is an opportunity to have 1993, Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Nebraska Furniture Mart and an exciting evening while contribut- purchased 90 percent ownership in the KU Med, will be held at the new ing to a very special cause – breast store for $60 million. The deal was store at 1601 W. Village West cancer,” said Janice Benjamin, closed with a handshake. Blumkin Parkway, near Kansas Speedway. KU Med’s vice president of continued to work in the store until Carol Fabian, MD, a world- Development. “KU Med is pleased her death in 1998, at the age of 104. 3 KUMC Video Productions Go 3-D with New Hollywood Technology The same 3-D animation technol- worth about $7,000 – was donated tion,” Ginavan said. “But it’s a ogy used in Hollywood blockbusters, by Maxon Computer. In return, the great way to make something high- such as Shrek and Finding Nemo, is video production department created ly complicated or detailed easy to now available right here at KUMC.

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