The Difference We Make
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ILLINOIS MEDICINE Illinois Medicine Fiscal Year 2009 THANKS YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT Contributors Report and Honor Roll The Difference We Make OFFICE OF MEDICAL ADVANCEMENT 1747 West Roosevelt Road | Suite 302 | Chicago, IL 60608-1203 phone (312) 996-4470 | fax (312) 996-4472 | www.medicine.uic.edu | www.uillinoismedcenter.org 1107976_Output.indd07976_Output.indd 11-2-2 112/7/092/7/09 112:09:042:09:04 PPMM ILLINOIS MEDICINE The Difference We MAke Every day, the University of Illinois College of Medicine and Medical Center make a profound difference in education and health. It happens when a medical student learns a skill or concept that will be fundamental to her work as a physician in the future; when a patient receives high-quality care that puts him back on the road to health; or when a research team publishes the important fi ndings of their study. Every day, the donors to Illinois Medicine make a difference as well. Whether young or old, individuals or organizations, with gifts large or small, our supporters make a direct impact on the quality of the education and care we provide and the research we conduct. This report showcases a few of the many ways our donors have made a difference in the lives of our students and patients, and the Honor Roll at the end of this publication gratefully acknowledges all the donors who have made contributions to Illinois Medicine between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. The University of Illinois College of Medicine and Medical Center thank you for your generous support. We believe you will enjoy and take pride in reading about the difference that you and Illinois Medicine make together. EVERY DAY WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE 1107976_Output.indd07976_Output.indd 33-4-4 112/7/092/7/09 112:10:452:10:45 PPMM ILLINOIS MEDICINE Dear Friend of the University of Illinois College of Medicine and Medical Center, It’s with a true sense of gratitude that we provide you with our annual donor report for our 2008–2009 fi scal year. The college and the medical center rely on the generosity of donors such as you, and we thank you for your giving in support of Illinois Medicine. Such contributions greatly enhance our ability to provide outstanding medical education and excellent medical care while also conducting cutting-edge research. These efforts do not take place separately. More and more, they are integrated with each other. The same outstanding faculty physicians who teach our students also provide care for our patients while pursuing medical breakthroughs. This combined mission enables us to maximize the use of our supporters’ gifts and the impact of their generosity. As you’ll see on the following pages, when a donor helps fund research in areas such as neurosurgery, ophthalmology or obstetrics and gynecology, it translates into advances that our faculty can apply in the care of our patients. Similarly, support for scholarships and improved learning facilities for today’s students and residents will lead to better care for the patients they will treat in the future. Our collaborative efforts extend to our relationship with you and our entire donor community. We are paying greater attention to how we communicate with our alumni, patients and friends about what Illinois Medicine is accomplishing. In these still-uncertain economic times, your partnership is more important than ever, and we know it is equally important to show you the difference we are making together in the lives of our students, residents and patients. The stories on the following pages illustrate some, but by no means all, of the ways we are making a difference. We are very glad for the opportunity to share them with you, for your interest in Illinois Medicine and for your help. Thank you again. Sincerely, Joseph Flaherty ’68, MD ’71, Res ’75 Dean, University of Illinois College of Medicine John J. DeNardo ’71, MS ’74, MPH CEO, UIC Healthcare System THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE: ILLINOIS MEDICINE FISCAL YEAR 2009 CONTRIBUTORS REPORT 3 1107976_Output.indd07976_Output.indd 55-6-6 112/7/092/7/09 112:11:432:11:43 PPMM university of illinois medical center Left: “UIC believed in us, the Evelyn Goldberg Center and the Brenda Owen, University of Illinois Medical Center free mammography program when nobody else did. Breast Imaging Supervisor Most importantly, they treat our ladies with dignity and respect.” Center: Images from a mammogram scan –Sandy Golberg, PhD, Breast Cancer Survivor Far right: and Television Journalist Cheryl Taylor Mammogram of Prevention Like so many other women, Cheryl Taylor, 45, felt a lump Since the program began in 2006, more than 560 women have in her breast and worried. received free mammograms at UIMC, which has collected $135,000 in reimbursements from the foundation. Goldberg also personally has “I was sitting on my bed one night and felt it, but I didn’t do anything arranged for $230,000 in mammography equipment being donated for a year,” she recalls. “I didn’t know how much mammograms cost, to the medical center. but I heard they were expensive, and I was scared of what I would learn.” The only requirement for a woman to receive a free mammogram is that she must be uninsured or underinsured. Women who qualify Like so many women, Taylor put off a simple, 20-minute receive a voucher for a mammogram, and minimal paperwork ensures screening that often can be the difference between life and death that they receive timely care. when breast cancer is caught early. Unfortunately, with a price tag of $300 or more, a mammogram can be too expensive for many “Getting a mammogram is new for many of these women,” says Brenda women who are struggling fi nancially. Owen, UIMC’s breast imaging supervisor. “They see the big machine and wonder what we’re going to do. We get them talking about their One woman wanted that situation to change. In 2002, Sandy Gold- kids and grandkids, and before you know it, they’re saying, ‘This wasn’t berg, PhD, a breast cancer survivor and television journalist, founded so bad.’” A Silver Lining Foundation, which helps make cancer services and education available to all. “Our program ensures that fi nancial need Although not perfect, mammography is still the best way to detect doesn’t prevent access to high-quality, cancer-related healthcare,” breast cancer. Because it takes only two to three months for breast Goldberg says. cancer cells to form, getting screened annually after age 40 is key to potentially life-saving early detection. In 2006, the foundation chose the University of Illinois Medical Center as its fi rst partner in a program to provide free mammograms for Taylor fi nally went to the UIMC emergency room for care in January women who couldn’t otherwise afford them. Goldberg already had and was referred to the mammogram program. To her relief, the established the Evelyn Goldberg Center in the UIC department of screening determined that the lump she felt was not cancerous. All hematology/oncology. Named for Goldberg’s mother, the center of her testing was paid for by A Silver Lining Foundation. houses a resource library for cancer patients and provides quality- of-life assistance during and after treatment. “It was a big weight off my shoulders. Thank God there’s someone out there who made the test possible, because money is a big concern,” A full course of breast imaging easily can total $1,000 or more for says Taylor, who works part time as a home care provider and doesn’t screening and diagnostic mammograms, a breast ultrasound and a have health insurance. breast biopsy. A Silver Lining Foundation covers all these expenses by reimbursing healthcare partners such as the University of Illinois “The University of Illinois really cared about me,” Taylor continues. Medical Center. “I had never had a mammogram and didn’t know you were supposed We BELIEVE 20 minutes to get them at age 40. They explained to me that I should have one at the same time every year. In January, I’ll be back there for my annual can make a difference mammogram.” between life and death A patient receiving a free mammogram THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE: ILLINOIS MEDICINE FISCAL YEAR 2009 CONTRIBUTORS REPORT 5 1107976_Output.indd07976_Output.indd 77-8-8 112/7/092/7/09 112:12:042:12:04 PPMM University of Illinois Medical Center “The main mission of Philoptochos, which means ‘friends of Far left: the poor,’ is to help the needy and sick. We are proud to Lauren Lux, MSW, LSW provide these children and their families with someone to Center: Christopher Sims with Mary Lou Schmidt, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Head of help them through trying times, and we applaud the work the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology that Lauren Lux is doing.” Left: Christopher’s mother, Tasha Brown –Joanne Stavrakas, President of the Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos CHILD HERO Tasha Brown has received support from a lot of people “We are very grateful to the Greek Ladies Philoptochos Society for in the fi ve years that her son Christopher Sims, now 14, providing the funding for Lauren’s work,” says Mary Lou Schmidt, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and head of the division of pediatric has been battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma. hematology/oncology. “In her short time here, she has become a key member of our program. She’s done everything from writing grants There is her family, of course, and the doctors and nurses at the to coordinating the remodeling of our chemotherapy and transfusion University of Illinois Medical Center who provide Christopher’s care.