ISSUE 9 ISSUE FALL/WINTER 2019 FALL/WINTER IMPACTUNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER Champions for Transformation Hospital leaders, donors, and supporters embrace the future promise of UMMC NEWS FOR DONORS AND FRIENDS IN GRATITUDE New Fund Aids Catastrophically Determination. Advocacy. Commitment. Resiliency. These words describe the character of a champion. Injured Patients At the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), our champions are our doctors, nurses, and hospital THE UPMAN ENDOWED FUND FOR R ADAMS staff who dedicate their lives to healing the sick and COWLEY SHOCK TRAUMA CENTER PATIENTS discovering new, lifesaving treatments; they are our provides support for lodging, transportation, and food patients and families who put their trust in us and share their story to inspire others; and they are our dedicated donors, like you, who invest in the advancement of hen a person survives a catastrophic injury, it’s not patient care, research, education, and technology. only their physical scars that run deep. Below the At UMMC, our champions don’t wear gold medals or surface, many people struggle psychologically and seek the spotlight. They walk among us in the hallways W emotionally. Some face isolation, crippling debt, and of our hospital and on the streets of our communities; an inability to work. Life as they know it will never be the they stay up all night to care for a sick child or make a same and accepting this reality can be one of the biggest generous gift to fund a groundbreaking clinical trial. challenges of all. You are among our close circle of supporters on Carole Upman knows these circumstances all too well, whom we rely to advance our mission. I have the unique having devoted much of her life to helping this population. opportunity to see our visions become a reality thanks In 1991, she founded and became president of Chesapeake to your support. It has been one of my greatest Disability Management, Inc., an organization that offers privileges as the President and CEO of UMMC. catastrophic case management services to injured workers. As of December 1, 2019, I will be the new President While she has since retired and closed the company in and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System March of this year, Carole oversaw a staff of knowledgeable, (UMMS). I am extremely humbled that our Board of experienced nurses and vocational counselors who worked Directors has shown such trust and confidence in my with injured workers with intense rehabilitation needs. abilities, vision, and commitment to our system. “These injured workers may require long distance Together, we have accomplished a great deal for transportation or a rehabilitation service at home in a UMMC. As I move into my new role, I will remain different state than they experienced the injury,” Carole committed to our mission of patient-centered care, explains. “It takes creative planning and backup plans to education, research, and community engagement. move to the next level of recovery.” Alison G. Brown, MPH, will step in as your interim As a registered nurse, certified case manager, and nurse president and is no stranger to UMMC, having spent life care planner, Carole has seen some of the most extreme most of her career with UMMS and serving as the and complex cases — second or third degree burns over 80 President of the Midtown Campus. to 90 percent of a person’s body, traumatic brain injuries, It has been an honor to serve as your President and spinal cord injuries, and crushed/amputated extremities. The CEO, and I look forward to building on the foundation people Carole served were injured on the job and her role we have created together. Thank you for being was to help these patients navigate through the various our champion. challenges of surviving a catastrophic event. She addressed matters such as worker’s compensation, communicating Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA with insurance companies, offering support to the family, President and Chief and helping the patient regain their independence. Executive Officer “Whatever the needs were, my purpose was to make this University of Maryland an easier experience for them. These individuals were Medical Center coping with a plethora of problems,” she explains. The Marlene and Stewart Many people that Carole encountered over the years Greenebaum Professor of received treatment at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Radiation Oncology Center. Her relationship with Shock Trauma began in the University of Maryland School of Medicine 1970s, when she first learned of the “golden hour” and saw up close the inner workings of the trauma center. To this day, Carole remains impressed by the highly orchestrated care that occurs for every patient, in every circumstance. 2 IMPACT | FALL/WINTER 2019 Carole and Michael Upman established The Upman Endowed Fund for R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center Patients to help injured workers and trauma patients with everyday needs, such as lodging, transportation, gas, parking, and food. “There are systems and protocols in place at Shock Trauma help with everyday needs, such as lodging, transportation, not only administratively, but medically to help ensure that gas, parking, and food. the team doesn’t miss potentially life-threatening issues that “Not everybody has as much on reserve as we’d like may go unseen in other facilities,” she says. these days. The idea is that if the patient or family has an Carole provided emotional support as well. The mental toll urgent need, but doesn’t have the financial resources to fill that a catastrophic injury takes on both the patient and their it, the fund will cover the cost,” Carole explains. “I want the family is substantial — and when a person’s livelihood is family to have what they need to stay involved in their loved dependent on the use of their body, the emotional cost is one’s recovery.” that much higher. She and Michael feel blessed that they have the means “When you take away their ability to work, it’s devastating to provide this opportunity to future patients and families. psychologically and socially,” Carole explains. “They don’t While she knows the fund won’t solve every challenge, know what their role is in society and they don’t know if Carole hopes it will at least bring some respite during an they have a role in society. How are they going to be able extremely trying and difficult time. to recover when they’ve defined themselves by what they “I hope this fund makes their life changes more tenable physically did? And many of these folks have done hard and eases some of the new challenges that they will have to physical labor.” learn to navigate,” Carole says. “And maybe take down some Over the years, Carole witnessed the relentless grief of of the barriers to wellness.” patients who lost so much of their livelihood due to their injury. She also recognized the difference that having — or not having — family support made in their recovery. Involved and present families can boost the patient’s “Not everybody has as much on morale, help move them forward, and give them hope for reserve as we’d like these days. the future. However, many families cannot shoulder the daily costs that come with visiting their loved one — especially I want the family to have what if the family lives far away and their relative is hospitalized for weeks or months. they need to stay involved in To alleviate this obstacle, Carole and her husband, Michael, their loved one’s recovery.” established The Upman Endowed Fund for R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center Patients. Carole’s admiration for Shock Carole Upman Trauma coupled with her longtime advocacy for severely injured workers inspired the creation of the fund, which will 3 MEET OUR CAMPAIGN CHAIR hen asked to serve as Chairman Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive came to grips with the great difficulties of the Campaign Committee for Cancer Center (UMGCCC). Both she and traumas of her condition, never W the Roslyn and Leonard Stoler and Dr. Kirwan were deeply impressed complaining, always in good spirits, Center for Advanced Medicine, by the expert, compassionate, and and invariably displaying her Dr. William ‘Brit’ Kirwan readily agreed. coordinated care of the entire charming sense of humor right until The former Chancellor of the University medical team. the very end.” System of Maryland and current “It was a difficult time for us, but Scheduled to break ground next year, Chairman of the Kirwan Commission we always felt so welcomed and so the nine-story Roslyn and Leonard felt a sense of personal obligation to beautifully cared for by the talented Stoler Center for Advanced Medicine join such an important effort. professionals at the Greenebaum will be constructed above the main “I’ve had a very long and wonderful Comprehensive Cancer Center,” he says. entrance of the University of Maryland relationship with the University of While Patty passed away from Medical Center at 22 S. Greene Street. Maryland Medical Center. It’s just complications of the disease in 2018, It will be an incredible resource for always been one of the real joys of my Dr. Kirwan’s steadfast commitment to future generations faced with a cancer professional life to have had this the advancement of cancer care diagnosis and will enable advancements relationship,” says Dr. Kirwan, who also continued. His role as Campaign in patient care, research, and discovery. serves on the University of Maryland Chairman is undoubtedly reflected in “I look forward to helping this Medical Center Board of Directors. his affection for Patty, whom he first transformative project come to fruition. “But I think my greatest emotional met in the seventh grade and was We have such amazingly talented attachment comes from the cancer married to for 58 years.