Houston Methodist 2012 Foundation Magazine

1MethodistHealth.com/Foundation

Methodist Hospital F O U N DAT I O N

T H E

2 0 1 2

CELEBRATINGTHE METHODIST

HOSPITAL’STRANSFORMATION

INTO A LEADINGACADEMIC

MEDICAL CENTER

MethodistHealth.com/Foundation 1

Table of Contents

W O M E N O N T H E

C U T T I N G E D G E

Four surgeons who are at the

pinnacle of their profession

56

A D VA N C E S I N

N E U R O L O G Y

The benefactors and doctors

who are making progress

in treatment for Alzheimer’s,

ALS and stroke48

T H E W O N D E R S

O F T R A N S P L A N T

M E D I C I N E

Inspiring stories of generosity

14

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP 4

TRANSFORMATION 6

WONG 10

FAMILY TIES 20

HEART CENTER 26

HONORING LEADERS 32

TOWERING TRIBUTE 34

CPAM 38

EVENTS 46

BOARDS 62

ENDOWED CHAIRS 63

LEAVING A LEGACY 64

RESEARCH INSTITUTE 40 BENCH TO BEDSIDE

2 The Methodist Hospital Foundation

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mmeeddiccaal cccennterr thhat iis mmaakinng a ssiignifificcaant impactt oonn the ffutuurre ooff mmeediiccinnee aannddd scciiennce..

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Marc Boom, M.D.PresidentChief Executive OfficerThe Methodist Hospital System

MPCT


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Ewing Werlein, Jr.ChairBoard of DirectorsThe Methodist Hospital System

E

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4

VI S I

O N A R YL E A D E R S H I P

T H E S U C C E S S O F T H E L E A D I N G M E D I C I N E . G I V I N G H O P E . C A M PA I G N

WA S D U E T O T H E F O R E S I G H T A N D G E N E R O S I T Y O F M A N Y P E O P L E .

The Methodist Hospital Foundation

M R . J O H N B O O KO U T

John Bookout, retired president and CEO of

Shell Oil in Houston, serves as Senior Chair of

The Methodist Hospital System Board and also chairs

The Methodist Hospital Foundation Board.

“Methodist is an institution of great excitement

and creativity. Today, renowned and dedicated

professionals are collaborating to advance

new methods of patient care and to pioneer

breakthroughs in treating illness. I want to express

my deepest gratitude to the thousands of individuals

who value our efforts and give generously to Methodist.

With the continued support of the community,

this vital work will be greatly accelerated.”

M R . D AV I D M . U N D E R W O O D

David Underwood is a member of one of

Houston’s most philanthropic families, the

Fondrens. He has been on The Methodist

Hospital System Board of Directors for nearly

50 years, and served as chairman of the

Leading Medicine. Giving Hope. campaign.

“Over the last eight years, The Methodist Hospital

has evolved at a pace and in a manner

I don’t think has ever been achieved before.

Its transformation from an excellent

community hospital into a nationally

recognized Academic Medical Center is

nothing short of extraordinary.”


TRANSFORMATION

TRANSFORMATION

Photo by Jim Aker, KPS


IN 2004, THE METHODIST HOSPITAL

SET THE LOFTY AND RATHER

UNPRECEDENTED GOAL TO BECOME

A WORLD-CLASS ACADEMIC

MEDICAL CENTER.

THE METAMORPHOSIS REQUIRED

VISION, DETERMINATION,

TALENT, LEADERSHIP AND

$200 MILLION IN FUNDRAISING.


When The Methodist

Hospital opened its first,

modest building 93 years

ago, it offered healing to

the people of Houston and

promised the latest medical

breakthroughs. Nearly

a full century later, that

mission has been sustained

by the vision of “Leading

Medicine. Giving Hope.”

But while the mission

remains the same, much

else has changed. Since

the inception of the

L e a d i n g M e d i c i n e . G i v i n g

Hope. campaign in 2004,

The Methodist Hospital

System® has undergone an

enormous transformation.

What was previously a

highly respected patient

care facility with a long-

standing reputation for

innovative heart and

vascular care has evolved

into a leading Academic

Medical Center, where

scientists, clinicians and

patients benefit from the

translational “bench to

bedside” research approach

that is at the core of the

hospital’s mission.

The changes have

occurred so rapidly that

Methodist is now widely

ranked among the nation’s elite

academic hospitals, including

the Mayo Clinic, Johns

Hopkins and Massachusetts

General Hospital.

Philanthropic

contributions have helped

make it possible for

Methodist to invest in better

technology, pursue cutting-

edge research and treat

those who otherwise might

have been untreatable.

As a result of the success

of the Leading Medicine.

Giving Hope. campaign and

the partnership with Weill

Cornell Medical College,

The Methodist Hospital

now boasts 26 endowed

chairs and professorships;

27 annual fellowships,

awards and scholarships;

and seven Centers of

Excellence operating

under the umbrella of The

Methodist Hospital System.

What follows is a close-up

look at some of these

exciting new programs,

as well as interviews with

the visionary leaders and

benefactors who have made

them possible.


S H A R I N G

Philanthropy in Houston is alive and

well, but the giving spirit of Texans

extends far beyond the city limits.

Methodist, in partnership with the

T.L.L. Temple Foundation, has

founded two groundbreaking projects

aimed at saving lives and enhancing

heart and stroke care in East Texas,

located in what is often referred to as

the “stroke belt.” Through the East

Texas Stroke Initiative and the East

Texas Heart & Vascular Initiative,

Methodist’s specialists are assisting

their colleagues at Memorial Medical

Center–Lufkin in advancing care for

the area’s residents. With Methodist’s

guidance and counsel, as well as

enhanced staff training on the most

advanced stroke treatment protocols,

Memorial earned Joint Commission

accreditation as a Primary Stroke

Center and has greatly enhanced

the hospital’s administration of the

life-saving, clot-busting stroke drug,

tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) to

stroke victims. The Stroke Initiative

also includes an in-depth community

outreach program to raise awareness

about stroke in the region. It serves

as a model for its newer counterpart,

the East Texas Heart & Vascular

Initiative, which is already advancing

cardiovascular care provided in the

area. Both projects are generously

funded by the Temple Foundation,

which supports community

improvement, health and medicine,

education and human services,

primarily in the East Texas region.

R E S E A R C H I N G

Dr. Carol Ashton, holder of the

John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout

Professorship in Surgical Quality and

Outcomes Science, has an extensive

record of scholarship in health

services. As a senior member of The

Methodist Hospital Research Institute,

Ashton identified an important grant

opportunity to advance the work of

Methodist researchers in combating

sepsis, a potentially deadly bacterial

infection of the blood. Nurse-led

sepsis identification and treatment

protocols developed by Ashton’s

colleague Dr. Stephen L. Jones and

his team have had phenomenal results

at Methodist. The protocols,

known as SERRI (Sepsis Early

Recognition and Response Initiative),

have saved an estimated 300 or more

lives since their inception. Ashton

helped secure a $14.4 million grant

from the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services to replicate this

program and place dozens of SERRI-

trained nurses in health care facilities

across the region. The Bookout

Professorship gave Ashton protected

time and resources to pursue the

sepsis project and ultimately obtain

the funding needed

for the program

to progress.

A FEW

HIG

HLIG

HTS


L E A R N I N G

Dyer Fellowships, made possible

through the support of the

Constance M. and Byron F. Dyer

Endowment Fund, were awarded to

two outstanding recipients in 2012:

Dr. Sherilyn Gordon Burroughs,

Department of Surgery, and Dr.

Basel Ramlawi, Department of

Cardiovascular Surgery. Gordon

Burroughs will use her fellowship

to develop an intestinal transplant

program at Methodist, a novel

procedure for patients with intestinal

failure who develop life-threatening

complications from receiving

nutrition through a catheter or

needle. Ramlawi will use the

fellowship to travel to Italy to observe

percutaneous mitral (MitraClip)

procedures. This experience is part

of a larger effort to develop a strong

program in transcatheter mitral

repair interventions at the Methodist

DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center,

and to position

Methodist as a

national leader in

catheter-based

valve repair.

H E A L I N G

The Swadesh Khurana Healing

Garden (shown above) reflects one

family’s efforts to bring world-class

stroke care to Houston’s Willowbrook

area. In 2007, Swadesh Khurana – a

mental health professional and family

matriarch – suffered a fatal stroke

at her northwest Houston home.

She was rushed to the Texas Medical

Center, but by the time she reached

the operating room, it was too late.

Thanks in part to an endowment

from the Khurana family, Methodist

Willowbrook Hospital is now

certified as a Primary Stroke Center,

offering advanced care for stroke

victims. The endowment supports

a fellowship to be awarded annually to

an internal applicant based on his or

her unique plan to advance stroke care.

C A R I N G

Supported by a generous gift from

ConocoPhillips, the Methodist Care

Navigator program is designed to assist

patients and their doctors and nurses

with coordinating their plans of care,

to ensure that patients are receiving

the right care in the right setting at

the right time. Care Navigator nurses

maintain detailed documentation of

each encounter with a patient, and

of any interventions and referrals

provided to the patient. The program

is designed to make health care

more efficient and effective and to

reduce overall costs. It is especially

valuable for those with major

illnesses, such as cancer or diabetes,

where navigating the health care

system can be confusing for

patients and their families.

The Methodist Hospital Foundation10


THE MANY MINDS OF

STEPHEN WONG

A S A R E S E A R C H E R , P R O F E S S O R , B I O E N G I N E E R

A N D S C I E N T I S T, S T E P H E N W O N G W O R K S

I N FA S C I N AT I N G WAY S .


acclaimed bioengineer focused with

great success on imaging and drug

screening of neurodegenerative

diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s

disease, which now affects more

than 5.4 million individuals in the

United States. He also directed

the functional and molecular

imaging center and set up the first

cyclotron at Brigham and Women’s

Hospital. When a colleague enticed

him to come to Houston in 2007,

Wong found himself compelled to

join an academic institution that

was open to his unconventional,

forward-thinking ideas.

One of his latest formidable goals,

and he has many, is to find a treatment

for progressive neurodegenerative

diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other

forms of dementia. He intends to do this

in his lifetime, and he sees his realm of

opportunity on the Web – a vast database

he believes other medical researchers

should more seriously embrace.

A

PAGING

STEPHEN WONG

Stephen Wong is the founding

director of the Ting Tsung

and Wei Fong Chao Center

for BRAIN (Bioinformatics

Research and Imaging for

Neurosciences). He also

holds the John S. Dunn Sr.

Distinguished Endowed Chair

in Biomedical Engineering

and is the founding chair of

the Systems Medicine and

Bioengineering research

program at The Methodist

Hospital Research Institute.

Wong is a Professor of Computer

Science and Bioengineering

in Radiology, Neuroscience,

Pathology and Laboratory

Medicine at Weill Cornell

Medical College.

t The Methodist Hospital

Research Institute,

one brilliant idea man

is searching for breakthrough

therapeutic solutions the way anyone

else might look for an interesting

new restaurant to try: by surfing

the Internet.

It would be a mistake to question

his methods. Stephen Wong, Ph.D.,

P.E., has a track record of producing

game-changing innovations along

a criss-crossing career path that is

unique in every way.

Early on, as an engineer in the

computer industry, he was part

of the original teams to automate

production of the first inkjet

printer and the first VLSI 1MB

computer chip. He was also the

only U.S. scientist ever invited

by the Japanese government to

conduct long-term research in

their decade-long, billion-dollar

national artificial intelligence

supercomputing project.

e followed those feats

by contributing to the

country’s first hospital-

wide digital radiology image-

management system for academic

medical centers. He then moved to

the medical imaging industry where

he led product development for

Philips Medical Systems, including

the implementation of one of the

largest radiology information systems

in Europe, and later to the financial

industry, where he directed the

development of the first and largest

online brokerage trading system.

Wong clearly has a handle on

creative thinking. As a researcher at

Harvard, this internationally

AS PART OF HIS

RESEARCH, WONG

USES LIGHT

TO ACTIVATE NEURONS

FOR REGENERATION.

HIS TOOL IS THE

INTRAVITAL TWO-PROTON

MICROSCOPE.

H

MethodistHealth.com/Foundation

Chao Center for Bioinformatics

Research and Imaging for Neuro-

sciences (BRAIN).

Wong is now deep into many

studies that are on track with

his goal of halting or reversing

neurodegeneration, including

the use of cell regeneration and

optogenetics, also known as light

therapy, as alternatives to drugs.

s for the future, Wong

believes Houston needs

more people doing what

he does, and he views sharing

as essential. He has visions of

a well-equipped community

facility where all researchers are

welcome, on the condition that

they share what they discover. It is

another amazing idea, and it will

take more special funding to make

it a reality. But Wong has his ways of

making amazing things happen.

ong is not interested

in finding new drugs, a

process he sees as too time-

consuming and cost-prohibitive.

“It takes $2 billion and 17 years

to discover a new drug – if we

are lucky. That’s ridiculous,” he

says, eager to prove his point with

well-memorized data he summons

instantly on his MacBook Air laptop.

Instead, Wong focuses primarily on

drug repurposing. He and his teams

use high-throughput screening and

supercomputing to analyze known

drugs, including FDA-approved drugs,

experimental drugs and even failed

drugs that have passed high failure

Phase I trials for safety. His goal is

to repurpose these drugs for other

uses, accelerating the lengthy drug

discovery process. His research team

has established a technical platform

that allows them to speed-mine

through petabytes of data, performing

millions of chemical, genetic and

pharmaceutical tests to understand

what affects a particular biomolecular

pathway. Working with the Methodist

Cancer Center, they already applied

this platform to speed-reposition

breast cancer drugs into Phase II trials

and are now attempting to apply the

same technology to Alzheimer’s and

rare cancer.

is playing field is vast, and

Wong loves it. “There are

1 4,000 known drugs and

23,000 known diseases. That’s

a lot of matchmaking,” he says,

obviously thrilled by the possibilities.

“And once a drug is identified as

usable for another disease, we can

further improve its performance

by reformulation, better delivery

methods or optimizing its

chemical structure.”

If he finds a winner in his quest

to cure Alzheimer’s, Wong will save

eight to 10 years of development

time and billions of dollars. More

important, he will potentially change

the lives of an alarming number

of people suffering from a disease

that steals their memory and is fast

becoming an epidemic.

espite its efficiency, his

work requires funding.

Enter the family of Ting

Tsung and Wei Fong Chao. When

this remarkable and philanthropic

family met Wong, they were intrigued,

convinced he was on to something

big. In honor of their parents, the

Chao family provided the support

for Wong’s work with a major gift

through their family’s foundation to

form The Ting Tsung and Wei Fong

D

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Given the gift of life when all seems lost, transplant

patients and their families are bound to be appreciative.

The J. C. Walter Jr. family has been monumentally

so. They have given The Methodist Hospital and its

patients many gifts of life in gratitude for their father’s.

The Walter family has been instrumental in shaping

the future of Methodist for decades. Joseph C. Walter Jr.

was a devoted hospital board member for over 30 years.

Joe’s son, J. C. “Rusty” Walter

III, now a board member

himself, works in earnest to

fill his father’s rather large

shoes at Methodist and at

the helm of the Walter Oil

and Gas Corporation his

father founded back in 1981.

Joe Walter was a classic wildcatter more inspired

by the adventure of his work than the money.

Family, friends and associates agree, Joe put his all

into everything he loved.

“My father was never one to sit still,” Rusty says,

remembering a statement his father made about

competing with major oil companies to prove his point.

“Dad would say, ‘They may have better resources,

more people, more capital

and better technology, but

we can outwork them.’”

Ironically, the only

thing that ever slowed

Rusty’s father down was

the heart he so kindly

shared with others.

The Methodist J. C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is one of the largest and fastest-growing transplant

centers in the country, thanks to the generous financial support of a grateful organ recipient’s

family members and the visionary direction of an extraordinary transplantation specialist.

JOSEPH C. “RUSTY” WALTER III,

PAULA WALTER,

CAROLE WALTER LOOKE,

JIM LOOKE AND

ELIZABETH WALTER (SEATED).

SHARINGA LIFE WELL LIVED


Joe had a heart attack in 1978, followed by two bypasses

within the next eight years. In 1990, with Joe’s life

on the line, he received a successful heart transplant

at Methodist and in the process, he and his family

formed relationships with many of the hospital’s

wonderful physicians, including surgeon Dr. Jimmy

Howell. Elizabeth Walter credits the transplant and

care he received at Methodist for adding seven years

to her husband’s life. Having those extra years allowed

Joe to get to know all of his grandchildren.

Carole Walter Looke and her husband, Jim, were

especially grateful. She gave birth to eight of Joe’s

grandchildren, all at Methodist, with the grandfather-

to-be pacing in the waiting room each time.

Following in the elder Walter’s footsteps, this

close-knit family continues to share their time and their

financial resources with Methodist. In 2010, they

committed a significant gift to establish the Methodist

J. C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center in their father’s memory.

The idea came after a serendipitous meeting

with Dr. Osama Gaber, Methodist’s director of

transplantation. Rusty and his wife, Paula, were

thoroughly impressed by his vision to create an

integrated, end-stage organ failure management

program. Proud to help fast-forward the process,

the family also funded a distinguished endowed

chair in their father’s name, which Gaber holds.

Under Gaber’s direction, the Center is now

garnering national acclaim for exciting new trans-

plantation inventions and techniques, and driving the

growth of the hospital both academically and clinically.

The family also established the Joseph C. “Rusty”

Walter and Carole Walter Looke Endowed Chair

in Cardiovascular Disease Research, which

promises to continue the big-hearted Walter

family legacy for generations to come.

EMILY HERRMANN INSPIRED A GIFT THAT IS

MAKING TRANSFORMATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH POSSIBLE.

Rusty and Carole’s philanthropy also established the

Emily Herrmann Cancer Research Laboratory at

The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in honor

of their beloved friend and colleague, a Methodist

patient who in 2007 lost her 10-year battle with breast

cancer. Emily Herrmann began working at Walter Oil

and Gas Corporation three years after Joe opened

its doors. She happily remained there for more than

25 years. On the fourth anniversary of Herrmann’s

death, nearly 150 friends and family members gathered

to celebrate her life. As a result of their generosity,

$1.5 million in philanthropic support has been

secured to establish the Emily Herrmann Cancer

Research Laboratory Fund – a fitting tribute to a

tenacious woman who inspired so many people in her

lifetime. This vital fund enables researchers to experi-

ment with revolutionary tools and potential cures for

cancer that otherwise might not see the light of day.

THE WALTER FAMILY TRADITION LIVES ON,HEART AND SOUL.

TRANSPLANT ADDEDTHE

7 YEARS TO HIS LIFEALLOWING HIM TO KNOW ALL OF HIS GRANDCHILDREN



Years ago, transplant patients on the waiting list for organs had to remain hospitalized. John L. Hern

spent his time, more than eight months, getting to know his fellow patients. As a result, he became

determined to help ease their financial burden. Today, his daughter and her husband quietly carry the torch.

John L. Hern understood hard times. He grew

up in a small rural Kansas town just after the

Great Depression, worked his way up from the

oil fields, and ultimately created a successful oil

and gas business. He cherished the idea of chasing

a dream, and he happily supported friends,

employees and acquaintances with promising

business plans of their own.

Because of a virus suffered years earlier, Hern

required a heart transplant in 1996. During a

252-day hospital stay awaiting a suitable organ,

he befriended others on the transplant waiting

lists – learning that many

could not afford the

costs associated with

such serious treatment.

Hern was moved by

this, and made clear

his intentions to find a

way to help. Despite a

successful transplant, he

died less than one year

later after anti-rejection

medications failed.

Honoring his wishes, his only daughter,

Paula Hern, and her husband, Tom Barbour,

established the JLH Foundation in his name.

Initially, the foundation provided financial

assistance for heart transplant patients and

their families.

Since its inception, the JLH Foundation

has continued to honor Hern’s generous spirit,

expanding its gift to support all organ transplant

patients. Through a partnership with the Houston

Astros, the foundation also promotes awareness

of the critical need for more organ donors.

Most recently, the

JLH Foundation made

a lead gift to fund the

construction of Nora’s

Home, a comfortable

house near the

Texas Medical Center

that promises to offer

3,000 room nights

per year for traveling

transplant patients and

their families.

PAULA HERN

AND TOM BARBOUR

GIVING FROMTHE HEARTA

ND

FOR


NORA’S GIF

TIn a cruel blow, fate turned the tables on Methodist

transplant surgeon Dr. Osama Gaber and his wife

Lillian, a renowned transplant

pathologist, taking their precious

daughter Nora in a car accident.

At once, these transplantation

experts and adoring parents

understood the significance

and the pain of deciding to

honor Nora’s selfless spirit

by donating her organs to

critically ill children.

Also in her honor, they

created Nora’s Gift Foundation

in Memphis, Tennessee, where

they lived at the time. The

foundation helps fund vital

research and education, along

with the first Nora’s Home.

Nora’s Home enables traveling

transplant patients and their

families, regardless of their

finances, to find comfort and

support as they follow their

path, during and after surgery.

Their inspiration will soon take shape in Houston.

A new, 16-bedroom Nora’s Home, featuring a

family-style kitchen and

communal living areas, is

under construction on prime

Methodist Hospital-owned

property, thanks to the generous

support of contributors and

the enthusiastic involvement

of the entire community.

Dr. Lillian Gaber is deeply

moved by the volunteers she has

met along the way. “It just amazes

me,” she says. “It’s almost like we

don’t have to do anything. People

come with their ideas, and they

are wonderful.”

Nora’s Home Houston is

scheduled to open in 2013,

and will serve the transplant

patients of all hospitals within

the Texas Medical Center,

another gift to the world from

a little girl who has continued

to share far beyond her years.

A beautiful little girl’s untimely death could have been the end of her story. Instead, Nora Gaber lives on,

through the ultimate gift of love and through the foundation she inspired. Nora’s Gift Foundation will

soon open the doors to Nora’s Home, a very special place for transplant patients and their families.

NORA GABER

20

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FA M I LY T I E SThe Fondren family’s generosity of time and resources has helped

The Methodist Hospital grow from humble beginnings.

Walter W.Fondren,

Sr.

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IIIIIIII


21

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The deep roots of The Methodist Hospital are forever intertwined

with the Fondrens, including seven family members who have proudly

served on the hospital’s board. The more than 90-year history of the

hospital is inseparable from the story of how Walter W. and Ella F.

Fondren and their descendants have directly influenced its course.

Ella F.Fondren

AAnnnnnn GGGooorrrdddoonnnnnTTTrrraaammmmmeeellllll


In the midst of the Spanish influenza epidemic

of 1918-19, Dr. Oscar Norsworthy of Houston

offered his own 30-bed hospital to the Texas

Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Presiding church elder Robert W. Adams called

together a committee of church and business

leaders on December 9, 1919, to consider the

offer. Walter W. Fondren was vice president of

that committee. From that modest meeting,

The Methodist Hospital and the Fondren

family forged a relationship that continues

through today.

Walter was a self-made man who did well

during the Texas oil industry boom. He and

his wife Ella were devoted to their church

and supported its programs. Over the years,

Methodist became their favorite recipient of

philanthropy.

Several years later, Fondren was on the building

committee when the hospital was completed in

1922, and he then continued on its board of

directors. On more than one occasion, he

made significant donations to Methodist – in

some instances to keep the doors open, and in

others to push it to greatness. Often, money

was given so quietly that not even the family can

truly say how much they have given over the

past nine decades.

Walter W. Fondren died of a heart attack in

1939 while attending a church meeting. However,

Ella diligently continued her husband’s work

when she was subsequently elected to the board

of The Methodist Hospital.

“After my husband was gone,” Ella recalled,

“I had to take up some of the steps that he’d

been traveling.”

WA L T E R W. F O N D R E N

a n d T H E

E A R LY D A Y S o f

T H E M E T H O D I S T

H O S P I TA L


E L L A F O N D R E N A N D H E R G R A N D C H I L D R E N

Pictured from left to right: Eleanor Ann Fondren, Mary Doris Fondren Lummis,

Walter William Fondren III, Sue Trammell Whitfield, Peter Fondren Underwood,

W. Bryan Trammell, Jr., Catherine Camille Fondren Habermacher and Ella F. Fondren


When the new building opened on November 10,

1951, Ella was the only woman on the board.

Due to her drive and influence, some of the

men considered her a majority of one.

The Fondren Foundation and Trusts helped

finance a new west wing for the hospital, which

opened on June 1, 1960. Present, as always, at

the ribbon cutting was Ella Fondren. During

her lifetime, no ceremony at Methodist was

complete without her. She attended so many

ribbon cuttings that she bought her own pair

of sterling silver scissors for such occasions.

On the heels of the new hospital, Ella

spearheaded efforts for a cardiovascular-

orthopedic research center. She contributed

generously to the construction of the Ella

F. Fondren Building (later rededicated as

the Ella F. & Walter W. Fondren Building).

A simultaneous groundbreaking took place

on October 27, 1964, of the Fondren and

Brown Cardiovascular and Orthopedic

Research Center. Thanks, once again, to

the Fondren Foundation, six floors were

later added to the Fondren Building. As the

expansion continued, major contributors

included the Catherine Fondren Underwood

Trust and another gift from the Fondren Trusts

in memory of Sue Fondren Trammell.

Ella’s impact on The Methodist Hospital is

best summed up by the words of former Chief

Administrator Ted Bowen, who once quipped,

“Running The Methodist Hospital was easy. Mrs.

Fondren always told me what to do, and I did it.”

E L L A F O N D R E N :

C E N T R A L T O T H E

H O S P I TA L’ S H I S T O RY

Ella has been referred to as the “Matriarch of

Methodist.” That moniker seems quite fitting,

considering that she spent more than 60 years

of her life in service to the hospital.

Time and time again, Ella was involved

in key decisions concerning the hospital and

contributed significantly to major milestones.

She was on the building committee for the

hospital’s new Texas Medical Center site, and

was instrumental in optimistically pushing

for a larger 300-bed facility at a time when

such an endeavor was thought too financially

risky by many on the board.


D AV I D U N D E R W O O D :

E X PA N D I N G O N T H E FA M I LY T R A D I T I O N

No family member ever instructed a young David Underwood to carry on the family’s support of The Methodist

Hospital. Yet, as its longest-serving board member – 2013 will mark his fiftieth year on the board – that is

precisely what he has done. “My grandparents and parents and I have been very blessed. We have all felt some

requirement to give back,” acknowledges Underwood. “I enjoy working with Methodist. Always have.”

Underwood was elected to the board in 1963 along with two of his cousins – Bryan Trammell and Walter

W. Fondren, III. In the nearly 50 years since, he has helped to oversee the hospital’s dramatic growth and

transformation from an excellent patient care institution into a renowned Academic Medical Center.

The philanthropic giving of time and funds

has not stopped with Mr. Underwood. He is

proud of the continued involvement of his

two sons. David M. Underwood, Jr., serves

on the board of The Methodist Hospital Research

Institute, while Duncan K. Underwood and

his wife, Sarah Cannon Underwood, began

Methodist’s Young Leaders program.

To others who might consider following his

family’s footsteps in giving to The Methodist

Hospital, Underwood says, “Every contribution,

from five dollars to five million dollars,

demonstrates an appreciation for good care

and an interest in improving care for future

generations.”

This story includes excerpts from The Methodist Hospital of Houston - Serving the World by Marilyn McAdams Sibley (1989). MethodistHealth.com/Foundation 25


F O R M O R E T H A N S I X D E C A D E S , D R . M I C H A E L E . D E B A K E Y T R A I N E D

T H O U S A N D S O F S U R G E O N S W H O N O WP R A C T I C E A R O U N D T H E W O R L D .

H E I N S T I L L E D I N T H E M T H E D E S I R E T O C O N T I N UA L LY S T R I V E F O R E X C E L L E N C E ,

A N D T O S H A R E T H E I R E X P E RT I S E F O R T H E B E N E F I T O F H U M A N K I N D .

“Dr. DeBakey was such a trailblazer

for the world,” says John Bookout,

retired CEO of Shell Oil Company

in Houston and immediate-past

chairman of The Methodist Hospital

Board of Directors. “Methodist was

his platform. We have a legacy from

him that is well worth preserving,

nurturing and building upon.”

Recently ranked #12 in the nation

for cardiology and heart surgery

by U.S. News & World Report, the

Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular

Center (MDHVC) is one of the

world’s foremost training centers for

cardiovascular specialists.

Its outstanding educational

programs – the academic and clinical

backbone of the MDHVC – are

essential to optimal patient care and

vital to Methodist’s transformation

into an academic medical center.

TEACHER.INNOVATOR.

LEGEND.


Currently, the MDHVC offers

the most heart valve repair and

replacement options of any hospital

in the south-central United States,

including a recently FDA-approved,

minimally invasive technique

called Transcatheter Aortic Valve

Replacement. Another of the Center’s

most recent projects is the use of a

new endovascular aortic graft, which

can be implanted using minimally

invasive surgery to repair complex

aortic aneurysms. Patients also

benefit from four robotic da Vinci®

Surgical Systems – more than any

hospital in the city – and two

Hansen® Catheter Robots that enable

Methodist’s surgeons to perform

a number of complex and delicate

procedures through very small

incisions with unmatched precision.

Further illustrating the

prominence of the center, Methodist

cardiologist Dr. William Zoghbi,

recently took over the helm as

President of the American College of

Cardiology, the world’s largest society

of cardiologists.

Many of the MDHVC’s

innovations have been made possible

through the philanthropy of generous

contributors. Those supporters,

along with the MDHVC’s dedicated

physicians and staff, are committed

to ensuring that Dr. DeBakey’s vision

of having a premier international

benchmark heart center at Methodist

is fulfilled. His amazing legacy lives

on through them.


FOFF ROOINCNN UBUU ABB TAAOTT ROO

DI EDD AEE SAA

Dr. Alan Lumsden calls it

“one of the single most effective

donations” the Methodist

DeBakey Heart & Vascular

Center (MDHVC) has ever

received. He’s referring to

the 2008 gift from self-made

Louisiana businessman and

philanthropist Bill Doré that

led to the creation of the

MDHVC’s Entrepreneurial

Institute. As he admits,

Lumsden might be a bit biased

since, as medical director of

the MDHVC, he oversees the

Entrepreneurial Institute.

Still, Lumsden declares,

“It was the right gift at the

right time for us. Doctors

often have innovative ideas,

usually when they’re doing a

case involving a patient. You

think about it for ten minutes,

and then you go off to the

next patient. We needed some

way to hand these ideas off,

so they don’t disappear.” Enter

Stephen Igo. As director of

the Entrepreneurial Institute

and CardioDesign Laboratory

at the MDHVC, his job is to

evaluate concepts, perform

patent searches, facilitate

prototyping and testing, and

foster a much more robust

intellectual property pipeline.

One of those prototypes is

the OmniScope®, a hand-held

device that allows for imaging

and testing of patients at the

bedside. Igo describes it as “a

cardiology clinic in your hand.”

The OmniScope® is the

brainchild of Methodist

cardiologist Dr. William

Zoghbi. It combines the

functions of a stethoscope,

electrocardiogram and

ultrasound machine into a

single smart phone-sized

device. “The Entrepreneurial

Institute provides an essential

platform and environment

for innovation,” explained

Zoghbi. “We are indebted to

Mr. Doré for his contributions

and strong support of the

Institute as we blaze new trails

in medical technology.”

Doré’s initial contribution

to Methodist’s Leading Medicine.

Giving Hope. fundraising

campaign was not earmarked

for a specific program, but he

says he is extremely pleased with

how his gift has been put to use.

“To get where I am, I had to

take a lot of chances,” says the

retired Chairman/CEO of Global

Industries, Inc., a worldwide

marine construction firm.

“The Entrepreneurial Institute

definitely appealed to me.

With philanthropy, my

goal is to move from

success to significance, and

this donation gave me the

opportunity to do that.”

Doré, who also supports

a number of other causes,

including improving education

in his home state of Louisiana,

believes it is important for

philanthropists to make

decisions based on their hearts

as well as their heads.

“I would like my philanthropy

to assist the doctors, who are the

entrepreneurs of medicine, with

reaching their professional dreams

and aspirations. If they achieve that,

then the beneficiaries will be all of

humanity. That would be my hope.”


W I L L I A M J . D O R É ’ S G I F T E S T A B L I S H E D T H E E N T R E P R E N E U R I A L I N S T I T U T E A N D I S L E A D I N G T O C U T T I N G -E D G E P R OTOT Y P E S L I K E T H E O M N I S C O P E ®.

D R . W I L L I A M Z O G H B I , I N V E N T O R O F T H E O M N I S C O P E ®, H O L D S T H E W I L L I A M L . W I N T E R S E N D O W E D C H A I R I N C A R D I O V A S C U L A R I M A G I N G A T T H E M E T H O D I S T D E B A K E Y H E A RT & VA S C U L A R CENTER AND IS DIRECTOR OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR I M A G I N G I N S T I T U T E A T T H E M E T H O D I S T H O S P I TA L .


A SYMPOSIUM NOW ENTERING ITS SIXTH YEAR BRINGS TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES

FROM THE FIELDS OF OIL & GASAND CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE

TO DISCUSS CHALLENGES,TRADE IDEASA N D W O R K T O G E T H E R

TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGY TO BENEFIT BOTH WORLDS.

The parallels are so obvious, it’s

surprising that no one has made a

more systematic effort to connect

the dots before. Both industries

use imaging to direct a tube into

a target. Both inject antibodies

into tubes to fight infections. Both

use robots to fix things. Both employ

remote monitoring on operations

that could be thousands of miles away.

“We call them catheters, they call them

drills,” says Dr. Alan Lumsden,

in his rapid-fire Scottish brogue.

“But it all basically involves taking

a fluid and making sure it flows

from Point A to Point B.

Sometimes these tubes clog up,

and you’ve got to unclog them.

Sometimes they blow apart, and

you’ve got to fix them.” Lumsden,

who holds the Walter W. Fondren

Distinguished Endowed Chair at

the Methodist DeBakey Heart &

Vascular Center (MHDVC) and

UPUUMUU PMM SPPIPIIPEPP SEE&


who also serves as the center’s

medical director and chairman of

the Department of Cardiovascular

Surgery, is of course referring

to Houston’s two best-known

industries: energy and medicine.

And thus was born Pumps

& Pipes, under the auspices of

the MDHVC’s Entrepreneurial

Institute. “Houston has more

petroleum engineers than you

can shake a stick at,” Lumsden

says. “When you engage them in

a clinical way, they really like it.

That’s what Pumps & Pipes is all

about – creating a platform where

we can get in front of these guys.”

The idea for the symposium

originated in a chance conversation

when Lumsden was seated next to

an ExxonMobil drilling engineer

on a flight. They discovered

that, despite their different

vocabularies, it all came down to

the same thing – pumps and pipes.

Lumsden was inspired to

continue the conversation with

Bill Kline, a drilling and subsurface

manager for ExxonMobil. The first

symposium, co-sponsored by

Methodist and ExxonMobil with

the University of Houston,

took place in 2007 and was

attended by 100 professionals in

the two industries. It has grown

progressively larger each year.

In 2011, the first International

Pumps & Pipes Symposium

took place in Doha, Qatar, and

featured a live broadcast of open

heart surgery from Methodist.

“The image of neighbors talking

over the fence is the concept

behind Pumps & Pipes,” says

Kline. “Our goal is to stimulate

discussion, spark ideas and explore

synergies between two industries

that face similar challenges.”

Lumsden says medicine

has much to learn from the

oil industry’s breakthroughs

in remote monitoring of oil

platforms and data storage, while

Kline sees parallels between

doctors killing circulatory

infections and the oil industry’s

challenges in fighting pipeline

corrosion. Lumsden also notes

that the symposium is expanding

to include aerospace engineers

for their robotics expertise.

“I think it is a very good

marriage,” says Bill Doré,

whose gift helped launch the

Entrepreneurial Institute.

“I think getting the oil and

gas community involved in

advancing medicine is a smart

move. That industry, as a group

of individuals, tends to be

among the most philanthropic

in Houston.”3131MethodistHealth.com/Foundation


THE BROWN FOUNDATION, INC. has a long history of philanthropy at Methodist, including support of the Nantz National Alzheimer Center. The foundation also provides an annual Outstanding Nurse Award, which recognizes nurses for exceptional service and commitment to patient care.

THE MARGARET AND JAMES A. ELKINS, JR. FOUNDATION, through its generous philanthropy, supports the Nantz NationalAlzheimer Center at Methodist and helps advance prevention efforts, as well as diagnosis, care and treat-ment for individuals with neurodegenerative disorders.

CONNIE AND BYRON DYER’S impactful invest-ment in Methodist es-tablished the Connie and Byron Dyer Fellowship to support the hospital’s teach-ing and research mission. The Dyers are also committed advocates and supporters of the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center.

THE GIROTTO FAMILY FUND, established in honor of Methodist’s former president and CEO Ron Girotto and his wife Judy, supports Methodist’s employee assistance and recog-nition programs. The Fund has also allowed Methodist’s I CARE Awards to be expanded to man-agers and supervisors who lead by example – just like Ron and Judy.

SPOTLIGHT ON

GIVING


THE METHODIST HOSPITAL AUXILIARY, in addition to devoting thousands of volunteer hours to The Methodist Hospital each year, contributes major gifts to support many of the hospital’s priorities, including the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment a n d o t h e r n e c e s s i t i e s .

THE HAMILL FOUNDA-T I O N ’s g e n e r o s i t y h a sadvanced the work of many Methodist programs and c e n t e r s o v e r t h e y e a r s , including Spiritual Care, Nursing, the Nantz National Alzheimer Center, the Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, and the Methodist Breast Center.

THE MUSCULAR DYS-TROPHY ASSOCIATIONprovides critical funding in support of the Methodist Neurological Institute’s MDA-ALS Center, the first multidisciplinary care center for patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in the United States.

VIVIAN L. SMITH FOUN-DATION’s charitable giving supports research innovation at Methodist, including mus-culoskeletal disease research, studies of nanomedical thera-pies for diabetes, and inves-tigations in radiology to speed detection and advance treat-ment for a number of diseases.

AMY AND WADE ROSENBERG, M.D.’s inspired gift from the M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation honors a surgical pioneer who has made many contributions to the medical community. The Paul H. Jordan, Jr., M.D. Annual Lecture brings acclaimed surgeons to The Methodist Hospital to present leading-edge research and surgical advances.


ON NOVEMBER 8, 2012,

THE METHODIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

UNVEILED A 19-FOOT TALL TESTAMENT

TO THE GENEROSITY OF BENEFACTORS WHO HAVE

MADE SO MANY ADVANCES IN MEDICINE POSSIBLE.

THE WALL HONORS GIFTS OF $10,000 OR MORE

(AS OF MAY 31, 2012) AND IS LOCATED

IN THE CRAIN GARDEN OF

THE METHODIST HOSPITAL’S DUNN TOWER.





THEARTOF MEDICINE

C . R I C H A R DS TA S N E Y,

M.D., F.A.C.S.,F O U N D E D T H E

M E T H O D I S T C E N T E R F O R P E R F O R M I N G A RT S M E D I C I N E .


When it comes to the performing arts, very few metropolitan areas can

upstage Houston. It’s one of only five cities with nationally known performing

companies in all four disciplines: opera, ballet, orchestral music and theater.

More than 10,000 performing artists make Houston the nation’s third-

largest home to working artists.

The Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM),

established in 2000, helps preserve this rich artistic heritage by providing

high-quality, accessible health care and health education to our community’s

performing artists and to visiting artists from around the world.

Methodist is the only institution of its kind to offer a comprehensive

program designed specifically to meet the unique medical needs of performers,

who rely on physical dexterity and mental acuity to entertain and inspire

audiences. The revolutionary CPAM program combines the talents of more

than 100 Methodist-affiliated clinicians and physician-scientists, along with

nurses and other medical experts, to provide specialty and preventive care to

artists and to lead research that seeks to improve human performance in the

arts and to harness the potential of the arts in therapy and rehabilitation.

This one-of-a-kind program is supported through philanthropic

partnerships that help advance its comprehensive excellence. Benefactors

include Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton, the Chao family, The Cockrell Foundation,

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry E. Finger, Mr. and Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis, Mr. and

Mrs. Michael E. Shannon, Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Simmons and many others.

CPAM also works to integrate the arts into the hospital environment by

providing an abundant repertoire of arts performances at Methodist for the

enjoyment of staff, patients and visitors. One of the most current offerings,

The 2013 Margaret Alkek Williams Crain Garden Performance Series,

is generously underwritten by the Alkek and Williams Foundation and

provides free concerts by an array of artists.

“The show must go on” typifies the challenges inherent in treating

artists who live to perform and perform for a living. With continued support,

CPAM will ensure that the curtain never closes on Houston’s world-class

performing arts.

Liv

ing

Pro

of NOEL DENISON IS

BENEFITTING FROM AN

ADVANCED TREATMENT

FOR BREAST CANCER.

>THE TREATMENT

WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN

POSSIBLE WITHOUT HELP

FROM A CHAIN OF CARING

PEOPLE COLLABORATING

TO EXPEDITE

PROMISING RESEARCH

FROM THE LAB BENCH TO

PATIENTS’ BEDSIDES.

>THIS IS THE STORY

OF PEOPLE WHO ARE

PASSIONATE ABOUT

HEALING – AND ONE

PERSON WHOSE LIFE IS

BETTER BECAUSE OF

THEIR COMMITMENT.40



In March 2012, Noel Denison – retired

Methodist minister, wife, mother and

grandmother – went in for a routine, if

a bit overdue, mammogram. When the

screening found a malignant tumor, a

friend at The Methodist Hospital referred

her to Dr. Jenny Chang, director of the

Methodist Cancer Center.

ADVANCED TREATMENT

At their first consultation, Chang

suggested that Denison could be a

candidate for a Phase 1 clinical trial

conducted within the Cockrell Center

for Advanced Therapeutics, a new

branch of The Methodist Hospital

Research Institute devoted to early

phase clinical trials in which research

scientists and clinicians offer advanced

investigational therapies to patients.

Denison agreed to be the initial

participant in a study of T-DM1,

known as “Super Herceptin,”

a drug designed for women whose

breast cancers are fueled by

overexpression of the HER2 receptor.

Previous trials indicate that Super

Herceptin may be effective in cases

where the cancer has spread, or

metastasized. This trial is among the

first to assess the safety and tolerability

of combining the drug docetaxel

with T-DM1 for women with locally

advanced as well as metastatic HER2

positive breast cancer.

SUCCESS STORY

Denison was administered the drug

combination through the clinical

trial. By the time she received her

final chemotherapy treatment in

September 2012, her tumor had

shrunk to the point of invisibility.

Ecstatic with the results and optimistic

about her future, she is extremely

grateful to have participated in this

groundbreaking study. Sitting at her

kitchen table at home in Houston’s

Memorial neighborhood, she reflects

on her cancer journey and says,

“I didn’t mind being one of the first

test subjects to come along. Now I

understand they have six patients,

and space for more.”

Denison, who received her care

at the Methodist Cancer Center,

feels that she has tolerated the

treatment well. “I’m not used to

being sick, and some days were

worse than others, but I don’t really

have any serious complaints. It was

virtually stress-free, and the Methodist

staff was incredibly helpful.”

42

DR. JENNYCHANG

DIRECTOR, METHODIST

CANCERCENTER

REV. NOELDENISONRETIRED

METHODISTMINISTER

AND CANCER PATIENT

Den

iso

n

Ch

ang


EARLY RESULTS

Chang, a member of the Research

Institute and a professor of medicine

with Methodist’s primary academic

partner, Weill Cornell Medical

College, is pleased with the initial

results she is seeing from the Super

Herceptin trial. “It is a very promising

drug,” she says. “HER2 used to be the

worst, most aggressive form of breast

cancer. You knew in three or four

years that it would metastasize, and

there was nothing we could do. Now,

when we catch it early enough, there

is a potential for a cure. And for some

women, perhaps for most women

with metastatic disease, it should be

considered a chronic disease that can

be treated.”

Chang explains that T-DM1 works

by linking the Herceptin antibody to

a potent drug called emtansine in a

way that delivers a powerful punch

directly to the cancer cells while

reducing side effects. If the current

study indicates that docetaxel, a

proven chemotherapy agent, can be

safely added to the mix, it could be

even more powerful.

The next challenge, says Chang,

is to find targeted therapies for other

forms of breast cancer, such as the rare

and highly aggressive Triple Negative,

where the hormone receptors

estrogen, progesterone and HER2

are all negative, and estrogen-blocker

drugs such as tamoxifen don’t work.

“We are extremely proud to be

leading this very critical study, because

it can potentially help so many

women,” Chang concludes. “It’s a

very exciting time.”

CLINICAL TRIALS

Mauro Ferrari, the president and

CEO of the Research Institute,

points out that the Super Herceptin

study is just one of about 700 clinical

trials currently under way within The

Methodist Hospital System.

“Most clinical trials originate

through pharmaceutical companies

who ask us to test their drugs, and we

are happy to do that,” Ferrari says.

“But we are dramatically increasing

the number of ideas that are

generated in-house. Our clinicians

identify medical problems that need

to be solved, then collaborate with

researchers here. Together, the

development starts to take place.”

“The Cockrell Center is the

catalyst for this process,” he adds.

Ferr

ari

MAUROFERRARI

PRESIDENTAND CEO

OF THE METHODISTHOSPITAL RESEARCH

INSTITUTE ANDTHE ERNEST

COCKRELL JR.DISTINGUISHED

ENDOWED CHAIR


MR. ERNEST COCKRELL JR.

CHAIRMANAND DIRECTOR

OF THE COCKRELL

FOUNDATION

Co

ckre

ll

THE METHODIST HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Mr. Ernest H. Cockrell, longtime

Methodist supporter and a life

member of the hospital’s board of

directors, was instrumental in bringing

the Research Institute to life. The

Cockrell family, through the Cockrell

Foundation, created the distinguished

endowed chair for the president

and CEO, first held by Dr. Michael

Lieberman and now by Ferrari,

and was a key player in the Research

Institute’s inception. When asked

about its miraculous development over

the past eight years, Cockrell shares

that he is not at all surprised that a

world-class academic research institute

was conceived at Methodist.

“When you think about it, I don’t

know where else this could have

happened. What other institution

had the financial wherewithal to

do it, or the ability to attract the

country’s top medical researchers?

What other institution had a history of

outstanding governance, both on the

hospital level and on the board level?

What other institution has a presence

and the potential for collaboration

offered by the Texas Medical Center?

You simply can’t find one.”

ADVANCING PATIENT CARE

The Research Institute was founded

in 2004 for the sole purpose

of supporting, managing and

conducting clinical and translational

research for the advancement of

patient care. As such, it is carrying on

the tremendous legacy of Dr. Michael

DeBakey, the world-renowned

cardiovascular surgeon and medical

educator who, during his long tenure

at Methodist, developed a great many

innovations that are still regarded

as the gold standard in heart and

vascular medicine.

In 2010, the Research Institute

opened the newly constructed, state-

of-the-art, 440,000 square foot

building adjacent to The Methodist

Hospital. This expanded the

dedicated research space at Methodist

to 560,000 square feet for the 1,500

researchers working on translational

platform technologies, including

nanomedicine, systems medicine,

bioengineering and imaging with

applications in cancer, neurosciences,

cardiovascular disease, metabolic

disease and infectious diseases,

among others. The Cockrell Center


for Advanced Therapeutics, which

was recently launched to oversee

clinical research trials, is located

in the heart of the main campus,

bridging the Research Institute

building to the main hospital.

COLLABORATION IS KEY

“We bring physicians, scientists and

patients together,” says Edward Jones,

vice president and chief operating

officer for the Research Institute.

“To me, that’s the only way you

can really have ‘bench to bedside’

translational research. I am not

aware of any institution that does it

as thoughtfully as we do.”

Ferrari believes that the Research

Institute’s interdisciplinary structure

gives it an advantage over more

narrowly focused medical research

institutions. “The philosophy here

is different from others,” he says

passionately. “Why have we not cured

cancer? It’s because we have always

looked at it with the same approaches,

under the same group of sciences.

To make big breakthroughs against

metastatic disease, I am deeply

convinced that we need oncologists

and biologists together with physicists

and engineers and mathematicians

and chemists. That’s how new

approaches come up. That’s how the

new frontiers are discovered. And

that’s how we are doing it here.”

LEADING THE CHARGE

Ferrari, who joined the Research

Institute in 2010 following the

retirement of founding CEO

Lieberman, is a living illustration

of this philosophy. Trained in

mathematics and engineering, he

was working as a tenured professor

at Ohio State University before

enrolling in medical school at age 43.

“Here, I can collaborate with the

best clinicians and biologists there

are in cancer, certainly, but also in all

the major fields – neurology, heart,

transplant and immunobiology,

orthopedics and diabetes and other

metabolic disorders,” he says. “That’s

how ideas arise – by bringing people

of different skill sets together.”

Cockrell agrees and adds that the

Research Institute has developed as

he and others envisioned but much

more rapidly than expected. He

encourages potential contributors to

consider Methodist a wise investment

of their philanthropic dollars.

ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS

“With Methodist’s track record and

the capabilities it has, one can have

confidence that this is an institution

that husbands its resources well,”

says Cockrell. “Secondly, it has the

size and critical mass to accomplish

things today. The science and clinical

care are advancing so rapidly, it

takes considerable muscle and focus

to be successful. Third, and most

important, the Research Institute has

the brain power to do this.”

“There’s the confidence in what

you have here – stability, sound

management, governance, financial

strength and the people to do it. You

have the ingredients to make something

happen. Benefactors and investors can

rest easy in knowing that every dollar is

not only well used, but that it will have

the maximum impact on finding cures

and better treatments for today’s most

pressing health concerns.”

“WITH METHODIST’S

TRACK RECORD,

AND THE

CAPABILITIES

IT HAS, YOU HAVE

CONFIDENCE

THAT THIS IS AN

INSTITUTION THAT

HUSBANDS ITS

RESOURCES WELL.”


spec

ial e

vent

s

Members of The Cockrell Foundation board observe a cardiovascular surgery through the dome at Leadership Grand Rounds, an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Methodist has hosted 57 Leadership Grand Rounds, providing more than 800 guests with the opportunity to visit high-tech research laboratories, view innovative surgical procedures and witness first-hand how Methodist is leading medicine.

More than 3,500 people participated in Methodist’s 2012 annual S tride4Stroke 5K Run & Walk, supporting stroke education and awareness in the Greater Houston area. Next year’s race will take place on March 2, 2013.

Celebrating Excel lence announced The Methodist Hospital System’s inaugural fundraising campaign. Emceed by legendary sports com-mentator Jim Nantz, the evening paid tribute to Methodist’s long-standing history of excellence in education, research and patient care.

CNN talk show host, Larry King, interviewed the former President of Poland and Nobel Laureate, Lech Walesa, and former U.S. Congressman, the late Charlie Wilson (both pictured), at Leading Hearts, The Methodist Hospital’s inaugural gala. Former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush served as honorary co-chairs for this event where more than $1.1 million was raised for the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center.


Dr. Dick Stasney welcomes guests to the home of Cam and Rod Canion at Methodist’s Peak Performances in Aspen, Colorado.Leading physician-scientists in surgery, translational research, cardiology and performing arts medicine shared the latest in their respective fields as it relates to achieving and maintaining the human body’s peak performance.

HeARTifacts, hosted by Debi and Ray Davis and co-chaired by Bill King, Cynthia Pickett-Stevenson and Eva Farha, honored Dr. William Zoghbi as the new president of the American College of Cardiology. The day’s festivities included brunch and a private showing of the Davis family’s extensive art and artifact collection.Davis Havens makes contact at Methodist’s

VIP Batt ing Pract i ce at Minute Maid Park. Participants had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swing for the fences and meet Houston Astros legends.

Committee members Kathryn Childers, Karen Walker and Gina Andrews smile for the camera at Methodist’s Just What the Doctor Ordered. Hosted by Young Leaders for Medicine, the evening included a reception, private auction and dinner with “on-call” Methodist physicians.


JIM NANTZENDOWED

THE NANTZ NATIONAL

ALZHEIMER CENTER

TO HONOR HIS FATHER.

DR. GUSTAVO ROMÁNDIRECTOR, NANTZ NATIONAL

ALZHEIMER CENTER,

METHODIST NEUROLOGICAL

INSTITUTE

48


DR. STANLEY APPELPEGGY AND GARY EDWARDS

DISTINGUISHED ENDOWED CHAIR,

DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY,

THE METHODIST HOSPITAL

PEGGY ANDGARY EDWARDS

ENDOWED THE CHAIR AT

THE METHODIST HOSPITAL’S

DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY

TO FIGHT ALS.

UNLOCKINGTHE MYSTERIE

OF OUR BRAINSONE IN FIVE AMERICANS IS AFFECTED

BY NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS.

OUR BENEFACTORS AND DOCTORS

HAVE TEAMED UP TO FOSTER

DISCOVERY AND HOPE.

49


ALS

STANLEY H. APPEL, M.D., director

of the Methodist Neurological Institute,

has a passion to cure ALS (Lou Gehrig’s

disease). “That passion comes from our

ALS patients here at the institute,” he says.

“Every day I see these tough, courageous

people and how they fight.”

ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in

the brain and spinal cord that control

voluntary muscle movement. “It used

to be about three years from diagnosis

to death,” Appel explains. “Today,

even without a cure, life expectancy has

doubled to five or six years. It’s because

our multidisciplinary team approach can

help improve breathing and nutrition,

and maintain mobility in our ALS

patients. Most especially, it’s about

giving hope to these remarkably

courageous people.”

Appel holds the Peggy and Gary

Edwards Distinguished Chair for

the Treatment and Research of ALS,

established in honor of Gary Edwards’

mother, Sonja Edwards, who suffered

from the disease. Appel was her physician.

“I can’t say enough good things about

Peggy and Gary and their generosity

to the Neurological Institute. With

philanthropic support, we are able to take

an idea that would never be funded by an

agency, and turn it into hope for quality

of life.”


GARY AND PEGGY EDWARDS

have made philanthropy a family affair.

Both of their daughters, and now their

five grandsons, are invited to make

recommendations for their family

foundation’s giving. One of their largest

gifts was used to fund the Peggy and Gary

Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair

for the Treatment and Research of ALS at

the Neurological Institute, held by Appel.

“My first experience with Methodist

was when my mother came to Houston

to be treated for ALS by Dr. Appel. I was

very impressed by the work he was doing

and the care he provided,” says Edwards.

“My next experience with Methodist was

when I was asked to consider going on

the Board of Directors in 2003.” He has

been on it ever since.

“Methodist has embarked on a

strategic plan to become a true academic

medical center, and that requires

philanthropy in order to continue

meaningful discoveries. The hope is

that, through all the research being

done, we’ll find a cure for these diseases.

We have been very blessed in many ways,

and it’s a privilege and an honor to do

our part.”


GUSTAVO C. ROMÁN, M.D., is

the director of the Nantz National

Alzheimer Center and the Jack S.

Blanton Distinguished Chair at the

Methodist Neurological Institute. A

native of Colombia, his education and

subsequent work have taken him around

the globe several times when expert

diagnoses and treatment were needed.

“I am inspired by history,” he

says. “I first became interested in

Alzheimer’s when reading about

Auguste Deter, a German woman

with profound memory loss and

dementia in the 1890s. Her doctor

was Dr. Alois Alzheimer. After

she died, the post-mortem

showed her brain had atrophied.”

Deter was the first diagnosed

Alzheimer’s sufferer.

Today, Román and his colleagues

do not have to rely on post-mortems

to accurately diagnose. They have the

latest diagnostic equipment and

methods, many financed by the

generosity of Methodist Hospital

benefactors. “Jack Blanton and the

Scurlock Foundation donated money

for my endowed chair, which allows me

to do research and treatment of the

highest order,” Román explains.

“Their donation is a continuation

of the Scurlock and Blanton families’

long history of supporting this

organization.”

ALZH IMER’S

E


SPORTS COMMENTATOR

JIM NANTZ is the Emmy Award-

winning voice of CBS Sports. He

currently serves as the lead play-by-play

announcer for The NFL on CBS, the

NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship

and CBS’s golf coverage, including

the Masters and PGA Championship.

And he’s also the creator of the Nantz

National Alzheimer Center (NNAC), in

partnership with The Methodist Hospital.

Nantz’ donation to fund the center

was made in honor of his own father,

Jim Nantz, Jr., who died in 2008

after suffering from Alzheimer’s

for 13 years, and as a lasting tribute

to his mother, Doris, and sister,

Nancy, who represent the millions

of people who have lived through

the hardship of caregiving.

The Nantz Center conducts cutting-

edge research and provides state-of-the-

art training for physicians and health

professionals related to Alzheimer’s disease

and dementing illnesses. Its researchers are

working with the Methodist Concussion

Center to understand the potential

of head injury as a causative factor in

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

In addition, the Center provides an

environment for comprehensive care of

Alzheimer’s patients and their families.


DEREK LEONARD (left) was only

41 when he suffered a stroke in

April 2011. He didn’t know he

was having a stroke; he thought

he slipped in his wife’s closet. She

called 911, and he was admitted to

Methodist’s ER. “I kept thinking

it was funny there were all these

people whizzing around me because

I didn’t think anything was wrong

with me.” He spent an entire month

in the hospital and did 12 months of

intensive therapy. “The treatment I

received was phenomenal,” Leonard

says. He has made a complete recovery

and often shares his inspiring story

in hopes of raising community

awareness about stroke.

MATT KROHN (right) had a

silent and subtle stroke at the end of

2010. His only symptom was a loss

of balance, but the condition got

worse. At the Methodist ER, he was

diagnosed with a hemorrhagic stroke

resulting from a leaky blood vessel

in his brain. He was moved to the

Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center for

treatment and rehabilitation.

“I was in great hands at Methodist,”

he says. By March 2011, Krohn was

walking in Methodist’s annual 5K

Stride4Stroke event. STRO

KERE

COVERY

THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR RECOVERY FROM STROKE OCCURS

WHEN EMERGENCY TREATMENT IS STARTED IMMEDIATELY.


T H E S C U R LO C K , B L A N T O N

A N D WA R E I N G FA M I L I E S have been

generous benefactors of The Methodist Hospital

since the 1940s.

Among their many contributions over the

years was a major gift in 2002 to establish the

Methodist Neurological Institute Eddy Scurlock

Stroke Center, the largest dedicated stroke unit in

the Texas Medical Center. The center is named for

the late Eddy Scurlock, a former Methodist trustee

and, historically, one of its most loyal supporters.

The current family patriarch is Scurlock’s

son-in-law, Jack S. Blanton, Sr., who has

faithfully served on the board for 45 years.

Recently, Blanton and the Scurlock Foundation

provided an additional gift to further advance the

Stroke Center’s research and outreach initiatives.

The family also supports other programs at

Methodist, including the Nantz National

Alzheimer Center, where Dr. Gustavo C.

Román holds the Jack S. Blanton Distinguished

Endowed Chair. “My family and I are extremely

proud and grateful to support the wonderful

work that is being accomplished by experts like

Dr. Román at Methodist,” says Elizabeth Blanton

Wareing, granddaughter of Eddy Scurlock and

daughter of Jack Blanton, Sr.

Wareing herself now serves on Methodist’s

board, and her brothers, Jack Blanton, Jr. and

Eddy Scurlock Blanton, are heavily involved

as well – making them the third generation of a

family truly devoted to investing in the future of

leading medicine. “I see our family’s involvement

continuing far into the future,” adds Wareing.

“What we have has been given to us by God, and

we have a responsibility to give back. I hope our

support will inspire others to contribute as well.”

DR. BARBARA BASS


IT‘TTS‘‘ AWOWW MOO AMM NAA ‘NNS‘‘WOWW ROO LRRDLL

Sevenyears ago, The Methodist

Hospital Board of Directors embarked on an ambitious campaign to expand the legacy of renowned

heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey and transform Methodist into a leading, independent academic medical center. In order to do

this, Methodist had to recruit the best of the best academic medical leaders from throughout the world to infuse research and education into its already

world-class clinical enterprise. Aiming high, they identified the then current chair of the American Board of Surgery as the worthy candidate to lead the effort in surgery – one

of the most critical components of an academic medical center. After a persistent four-month recruitment process, Dr. Barbara Lee Bass accepted their offer. She is one of only two

women ever to hold the prestigious chair position on the American Board of Surgery, and one of only seven women in the country ever to serve as chief of surgery of a major academic medical center. As part of that tiny early wave of women surgical leaders, Bass was one of a few who reached the rank of professor in the 1990s. She also served as principal investigator for a research program funded by the National Institutes of Health and Veterans Affairs Merit Review programs for 17 years, sat on the leading scientific review and editorial boards, led the Governors of the American College of Surgeons and served as president of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. An accomplished trailblazer, Bass found the invitation to create the academic surgery department of her dreams irresistible. John F. Bookout, chairman of the Board at the time, was impressed from the start. “Our golden opportunity came when we found Dr. Bass,” he says. “She has the same vision and aspirations as Dr. DeBakey, and she is determined to provide Methodist

patients with a new generation of skills.” Mr. Bookout laughs as he describes her first days at Methodist. “Barbara inherited a floor of empty offices, basically.” Since her

arrival, she has reinvented the department, recruiting world-class surgeons, both male and female, and captivating onlookers and colleagues alike with

her sparks of brilliance, including being the inspiration behind the extraordinary Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation

and Education (MITIE). In the process, she also earned the John F. and Carolyn Bookout

Distinguished Endowed Chairof Surgery.



BARBARA LEE BASS, M.D., F.A.C.S.

FIRST CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

JOHN F. BOOKOUT DISTINGUISHED

ENDOWED CHAIR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, METHODIST INSTITUTE

FOR TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND

EDUCATION (MITIE)

PROFESSOR OF SURGERY, WEILL CORNELL

MEDICAL COLLEGE

ass knows just

how slowly the

wheels of progress

have turned for women

as surgeons. As a student

in the late 1970s, she had

no female role models.

“I very clearly remember

the first woman surgeon I

ever met,” she says, “and,

years later, the second one.”

Today, she sees the journey

as less daunting for her

female peers, and she is

proud to serve as an example

and mentor in her role as

a surgeon, educator, re-

searcher and pioneer. Build-

ing upon the existing clinical

platform at Methodist, she

has developed an academic

department of surgery that is

second to none, gaining rec-

ognition and setting records

through the transplantation,

surgical critical care, complex

surgical oncology and

thoracic surgery programs.

Just as exciting is her

revolutionary MITIE concept.

“When I first saw this

magnificent medical center,”

Bass explains, “it dawned

on me. Why not use this

clinical platform, not only

for delivery of high-quality

surgical care and the educa-

tion of our residents, but

also couple it to a new type

of facility that would support

the lifelong educational needs

of surgeons in practice.”

MITIE was specifically

developed for that purpose:

to provide an educational

home for established health

care providers to stay at the

top of their performance

curves. By giving surgeons in

practice access to sophisticated

hands-on training in an

efficient, non-patient-based

laboratory environment,

surgeons can safely acquire

new skills in technologies

that weren’t around when

they started in practice. As

Bass notes, “Appropriately

utilized by trained surgeons,

these technologies make

surgery safer for our patients

and foster more rapid

recovery after surgery.

To date, more than

14,000 health care providers

from around the city, the

state and the world have

participated in an education

program in MITIE, in virtu-

ally all surgical disciplines,”

says Bass. “That’s an astonishing

number. Clearly, we have

an exceptional need in our

health care environment for

high-performance training

centers to serve the edu-

cational needs of providers

in practice.”

MITIE also collaborates

with national organizations

to establish policies that

ensure that health care

professionals are trained to

use modern technologies.

MITIE’s research agenda

is substantial as well,

with funded initiatives

focused on the develop-

ment of rigorous

educational curricula and

skill assessment tools,

creation and implemen-

tation of tele-mentoring

technologies, and design

and application of

novel devices. Moreover,

MITIE programs allow

Methodist to expand

training opportunities to

health care providers from

smaller hospitals around

the state. The program has

garnered support from the

philanthropic community,

including one of the city’s

foremost philanthropic

foundations, Houston

Endowment.

With this support, MITIE

is able to provide a safe,

virtual hospital environment

where practitioners can gain

confidence and learn new

skills in a simulated envi-

ronment – just as Bass and

Bookout had envisioned.

B


SHANDA H. BLACKMON, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S.

ASSISTANT MEMBER, THE METHODIST HOSPITAL

RESEARCH INSTITUTE

ATTENDING PHYSICIAN, DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

PROFESSOR OF SURGERY, WEILL CORNELL

MEDICAL COLLEGE

ven by today’s

standards, where

moms routinely put

in 15-hour days, Dr.

Shanda Blackmon’s

schedule is impressive.

She’s up before dawn, at

the hospital by 4 a.m., and

somehow home in time

for dinner with her family

each night. In between,

she has likely performed

surgeries that no one else

can in a city famed for

its world-class medical

expertise.

Blackmon’s list of firsts

at Methodist begins with her

clinical specialty. She is the

first surgeon at Methodist to

focus her practice solely on

non-cardiac thoracic surgery,

averaging more than 300

cases a year. Blackmon and

her pioneering team have

performed the hospital’s

first super-charged pedicled

jejunal interposition

esophageal reconstruction –

a procedure that rebuilds

the esophagus using the

small bowel. She also

spearheaded the first robotic

lobectomy at Methodist,

using a robot to remove an

entire lobe of the lung, a

much less invasive method

than traditional open

lung surgery. Blackmon’s

history-making list goes

on, with her innovative

procedures minimizing

pain and vastly improving

the quality of life for cancer

patients. She is also

dedicated to research and

education in esophageal

reconstruction and

pulmonary metastasectomy.

“The biggest challenge

in science is finding the

funding for research,” she

says. “More people die of

lung cancer than breast,

colon or prostate cancer

combined, and yet the

funding for those diseases

is ten times what’s allocated

to patients with lung or

esophageal cancer.”

Blackmon oversees

monthly Esophagus

Support Group meetings

at Methodist’s Institute for

Technology, Innovation

and Education, where her

team studies outcomes as

they help patients learn to

live with their disease.

E


SHERILYN GORDON BURROUGHS, M.D., F.A.C.S.

GENERAL SURGERYAND ORGAN

TRANSPLANTATION

HOLDER OF THECONNIE AND BYRON

DYER FELLOWSHIPAT THE METHODIST

HOSPITAL

ass’s colleagues

readily acknowledge

the value of her

innovative spirit to their

success.

For Dr. Sherilyn

Gordon Burroughs,

a Methodist surgeon

who specializes in

liver transplants, the

transformation of the

surgery department since

Bass’s arrival has been

truly remarkable.

Gordon Burroughs,

one of very few African

American liver transplant

surgeons in the country,

thrives in the transplant

arena, citing instant

gratification as one

reason why.

Given a fairly finite

pool of possible donors

in the community, the

transplant program

offering the best service

and the best outcomes

naturally stands to attract

the most patient referrals,

according to Gordon

Burroughs.

“That’s why it’s exciting

to be at Methodist. We

expect to triple our volume

here soon,” she says.

She sees this as a clear

reflection of the hard

work of Dr. A. Osama

Gaber, the visionary

surgeon who leads the

Methodist J.C. Walter

Jr. Transplant Center.

Supported by the

leadership of Dr.

R. Mark Ghobrial,

the director of liver

transplantation at

Methodist, the liver

program has not only

grown in volume but has

also achieved exceptional

outcomes in national

registry data.

Gordon Burroughs,

a visionary surgeon

herself, has plans for

an intestinal transplant

program at Methodist.

This novel procedure

would give hope of a

more normal life to

patients who otherwise

are saddled with pumps

and IVs for taking in

nutrition.

B


ALDONA J. SPIEGEL, M.D.

MEMBER, THE METHODIST HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR BREAST RESTORATION

AT THE METHODIST INSTITUTE FOR

RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SURGERY,

WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE

n stark contrast to

other surgeons who

say the profession

chose them, Dr. Aldona

J. Spiegel’s decision

to become a plastic

surgeon was all hers, and

it was an early one.

With undeniable artistic

talents at the age of 13,

she planned her future in

plastic surgery, knowing

it would allow her to do

beautiful, meaningful

work.

Spiegel joined

Methodist in 2005. She

specializes in microsurgery

for breast cancer patients

at the Center for Breast

Restoration in the

hospital’s Institute for

Reconstructive Surgery.

There, she dedicates her

efforts to helping her

patients understand their

options to achieve the most

natural results possible.

“My patients really

inspire me,” she says.

“To see these women go

back to a totally regular

life, even better in some

cases, is very satisfying.”

Spiegel loves the

intricate technical and

aesthetic details of her

work, routinely striving

not only to create the

most pleasing look but to

reconnect very small blood

vessels microscopically,

in the hopes of restoring

sensation as well.

She believes in the

innate qualities a woman

brings to the table,

namely, the ability to

multi-task. In addition

to maintaining a robust

surgical practice, Spiegel

is a highly requested

speaker and presenter

who travels the world

sharing her expertise at

professional meetings

and conferences. As the

mother of two sons and a

daughter, ranging in age

from two to seven years

old, her days are long, but

she happily juggles the

demands – knowing that

her efforts are making

a huge difference in the

lives of her patients.

I


THE METHODIST HOSPITAL SYSTEMBOARD OF DIRECTORSMorrie K. AbramsonCarlton E. Baucum, TreasurerJohn F. Bookout, Senior ChairMarc L. Boom, M.D., President and CEOEmily A. Crosswell, Asst. SecretaryMary A. DaffinConnie M. DyerGary W. EdwardsVictor Fainstein, M.D., President of the Medical Staff (Advisory)Eric J. Haufrect, M.D., President-Elect of the Medical StaffMark HouserLawrence W. KellnerRev. Kenneth R. LevingstonVidal G. MartinezRobert K. Moses, Asst. SecretaryGregory V. Nelson, SecretaryThomas J. Pace III, D.Min.Keith O. Reeves, M.D,Bishop Janice Riggle HuieDavid M. Underwood, Sr., Vice ChairJoseph C. “Rusty” Walter IIID. Gibson Walton, Vice ChairElizabeth Blanton WareingStephen P. Wende, D.Min.The Honorable Ewing Werlein, Jr., ChairRev. B.T. Williamson (Advisory)Sandra Gayle Wright, Ed.D., R.N.

Life MembersJack S. BlantonErnest H. CockrellJames C. DishmanCharles W. Duncan, Jr.Isaac H. Kempner IIINat S. Rogers

THE METHODIST HOSPITALRESEARCH INSTITUTE BOARD OF DIRECTORSMorrie K. AbramsonEdward R. Allen IIICarin M. BarthAllen J. BeckerJack S. Blanton, Jr.John F. Bookout, Senior ChairAlbert Y. ChaoM. Scott ConeMary A. DaffinCharles W. Duncan IIIMauro Ferrari, Ph.D.Laurie H. Glimcher, M.D.Antonio Gotto, M.D., D.Phil., ex officioRenu Khator, Ph.D.John P. KottsLeo E. Linbeck IIIGregory V. Nelson, ChairL.E. SimmonsC. Richard Stasney, M.D.David M. Underwood, Jr.Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter IIID. Gibson WaltonEwing Werlein, Jr.

THE METHODIST DEBAKEY HEART & VASCULAR CENTER COUNCILRobert J. Allison, Jr.J. Denny BartellDixie D. BartellChristopher R. BlackJohn R. Butler, Jr.Philip J. CarrollGerardo A. ChapaMary A. DaffinRay DavisProf. Lois E. DeBakey, Ph.D.Prof. Selma DeBakeyDenis A. DeBakeyJoann P. DiGennaroWilliam J. Doré, Jr.William J. Doré, Sr.Connie Dyer, ChairEva K. FarhaLinda C. GillWilliam E. GipsonMarc P. GordonMiguel A. HernandezJo Ruth KaplanWilliam E. KingGeorge J. KostasCarole E. LookeJohn M. McCormackRobert K. Moses, Jr.Frank D. PerezCynthia Pickett-Stevenson, Co-ChairDouglas R. QuinnValentina Ugolini, M.D.Elizabeth Walter

THE METHODIST HOSPITALPHYSICIANS ORGANIZATIONBOARD OF DIRECTORSStanley H. Appel, M.D.Barbara L. Bass, M.D., F.A.C.S.Marc L. Boom, M.D.Timothy B. Boone, M.D., Ph.D.E. Brian Butler, M.D.Stuart M. Dobbs, M.D.Victor Fainstein, M.D.Jaime Gateno, M.D., D.D.S.Robert G. Grossman, M.D.Alan L. Kaplan, M.D.Andrew G. Lee, M.D.Alan B. Lumsden, M.D.Kenneth B. Mathis, M.D.James M. Musser, M.D.Joseph J. Naples, M.D.Miguel A. Quiñones, M.D.Richard J. Robbins, M.D.Roberta L. SchwartzH. Dirk Sostman, M.D., Chair

THE METHODIST NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE NATIONAL COUNCILMorrie K. AbramsonJames R. BathEddy S. Blanton Jack S. BlantonJohn F. BookoutMarc L. Boom, M.D.J. David CabelloGary W. Edwards, ChairThomas D. FriedkinKate H. Gibson, Co-ChairS. Malcolm Gillis, Ph.D.Robert H. GrahamDorothy JenkinsMary F. JohnstonThomas C. KnudsonGregory A. KozmetskyLeon M. PayneOmar A. SawafArthur A. Seeligson IIIDonna S. StahlhutHenry J.N. “Kitch” Taub IIAnne G. ThobaeDavid M. UnderwoodDancie Perugini WareElizabeth Blanton WareingW. Temple Webber III

THE METHODIST CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS MEDICINEBobby R. Alford, M.D.E. William BarnettJanice H. BarrowSidney L. Berger, Ph.D.Jack S. BlantonVirginia BlantonAnthony K. Brandt, Ph.D.Philip J. CarrollAlbert Y. ChaoEvan D. Collins, M.D.Lavonne C. CoxJames W. CrownoverFrancoise DjerejianDeborah K. DuncanVictor Fainstein, M.D.Jerry E. FingerJeremy Finkelstein, M.D.Gina E. FishJ. Todd FrazierRobert Freeman, Ph.D.Elizabeth GhristSusanne M. GlasscockRichard L. Harper, M.D.Eric J. Haufrect, M.D.Patricia P. HubbardRobert E. Jackson, M.D.Christof Karmonik, Ph.D.Tom Krouskop, Ph.D., P.E.Michael W. Lieberman, M.D., Ph.D.Sharon Ley LietzowJudy E. MargolisHoyt T. “Toby” MattoxNicholas A. PhillipsKeith O. Reeves, M.D.Ann Scanlon McGinity, Ph.D.Michael E. ShannonL.E. SimmonsJerome B. SimonH. Dirk Sostman, M.D.Lois F. StarkC. Richard Stasney, M.D.Ron Tintner, M.D.Laura Jennings TurnerKevin E. Varner, M.D.Richard E. Wainerdi, P.E., Ph.D.D. Gibson WaltonMargaret Alkek WilliamsAline WilsonEd WulfeRobert A. Yekovich, D.M.A.

LEA

DER

SHIP


GRATITUDEMR. AND MRS. GLENN R. SMITH EXPRESS THANKS BY ESTABLISHING LEHANE CHAIR

Understanding firsthand the impact of cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery, Judy and Glenn Smith credit Methodist oncologist Dr. Daniel Lehane’s exceptional care as instrumental to the health of their family for more than 20 years. The Daniel E. Lehane, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Medical Oncology, given both in honor of and in the name of Dr. Lehane, is a remarkable testament to the Smiths’ spirit of generosity.

The Dottie and Jimmy C. Adair Distinguished Chair in Hematology. Endowed by Dottie and Jimmy C. Adair.

The M.D. Anderson Foundation Distinguished Chair in Radiology and Imaging Sciences. Endowed by The Methodist Hospital.

The Jack S. Blanton Distinguished Endowed Chair. Endowed by Jack S. Blanton/Scurlock Foundation and held by Gustavo C. Román, M.D.

The John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout Chair in Surgical Innovation and Technology. Endowed by Carolyn and John Bookout and held by Brian James Dunkin, M.D.

The John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout Distinguished Endowed Chair. Endowed by Carolyn and John Bookout and held by Barbara Lee Bass, M.D., F.A.C.S.

The Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Distinguished Endowed Chair.* Endowed by The Cockrell Foundationand held by Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D.

The Michael E. DeBakey, M.D. Chair in Cardiac Surgery. Endowed by Robert and Carolyn J. Allison/ The Carolyn J. and Robert J. Allison, Jr. Family Foundation and held by Gerald M. Lawrie, M.D.

The Charles and Anne Duncan Distinguished Endowed Chair. Endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Duncan, Jr. and held by Richard J. Robbins, M.D.

The John S. Dunn, Sr. Distinguished Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering.* Endowed by John S. Dunn Research Foundation and held by Stephen Wong, Ph.D., P.E.

The John S. Dunn, Sr. Chair in Clinical Cardiovascular Research and Education.* Endowed by John S. Dunn Research Foundation and held by William L. Winters, Jr., M.D.

The John S. Dunn, Sr., Chair in General Internal Medicine.* Endowed by John S. Dunn Research Foundation and held by Clifford C. Dacso, M.D.

The John S. Dunn, Sr., Chair in Orthopedic Surgery.* Endowed by John S. Dunn Research Foundation and held by Philip C. Noble, Ph.D.

The Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair in ALS Research. Endowed by Peggy and Gary Edwards and held by Stanley H. Appel, M.D.

The Fondren Endowed Distinguished Chair. Endowed by The Fondren Foundation and the held by James M. Musser, M.D., Ph.D.

The Walter W. Fondren III Distinguished Endowed Chair for the Medical Director of the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. Endowed by The Fondren Foundation and held by Alan B. Lumsden, M.D.

The Harriet and Joe B. Foster Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences. Endowed by Harriet and Joe B. Foster.

The Robert W. Hervey Endowed Chair for Parkinson’s Research and Treatment. Endowed by Mrs. Doris Delhomme Hervey and held by Eugene C. Lai, M.D., Ph.D.

The Robert G. Grossman Chair in Neurosurgery. Endowed by Carolyn W. Payne and Family and held by Robert G. Grossman, M.D.

The Daniel E. Lehane, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Medical Oncology. Endowed by Judy L. and Glenn R. Smith and held by Daniel E. Lehane, M.D.

The Bob and Vivian Smith Chair of Internal Medicine. Endowed by Bob and Vivian Smith Foundation.

The C. Richard Stasney, M.D. Distinguished Endowed Chair in Performing Arts Medicine. Endowed by Dr. and Mrs. Bobby R. Alford; Dr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Barrow; Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Y. Chao; Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation; Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Finger; and The Alkek and Williams Foundation and held by C. Richard Stasney, M.D., F.A .C.S.

The W. Bryan Trammell Jr. Family Endowed Chair for Allergy and Immunology Research. Endowed by Mrs. Ann G. Trammell.

The David M. Underwood Chair in Digestive Disorders in Surgery and The David M. Underwood Chair of Medicine in Digestive Disorders. Endowed by David M. Underwood.

The J.C. Walter Jr. Distinguished Chair in The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center. Endowed by Walter Oil & Gas Corp.; Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III; Carole W. Looke and held by A. Osama Gaber, M.D.

The Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Research. Endowed by Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke.

ENDOWED CHAIRSGROWTH FROM ZERO TO 26 ENDOWED CHAIRS

Endowed chairs represent transformative gifts that provide vital funding and open new possibilities for advancing health care. At Methodist, such gifts allow for the recruitment of leaders who enhance the hospital’s comprehensive excellence in patient care, teaching and research.

DR. AND MRS. LEHANE (LEFT) WITH JUDY AND GLENN SMITH

* Endowed prior to The Methodist Hospital’s Leadine Medicine. Giving Hope. campaign.



LEAVING ALegacyBARBARA MONROE KIRSCH IS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNER,

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER, GENEROUS PHILANTHROPIST AND WORLD TRAVELER

WHO BELIEVES THAT AGE IS JUST A NUMBER – AND LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE

FULL OF EXCITING EXPERIENCES.


What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

-- PERICLES

“


A HEART FOR SERVICEKirsch became connected to The Methodist Hospital more than three decades ago as a volunteer with The Methodist Hospital Service Corps. As a teen, she developed a heart for service while working as a “candy striper” at other hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. At Methodist, she devoted most of her service hours to working in the Ambulatory Medicine and Main Surgery areas, where she was fortunate to get to know the late Dr. John W. Overstreet, one of Houston’s most respected surgeons. Her volunteer experience in Methodist’s surgical department planted a philanthropic seed that has recently blossomed through her decision to establish an estate gift in the Monroe family name. The gift will provide significant support to the Methodist Department of Surgery and the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education (MITIE).

KINDRED SPIRITSDr. Barbara Bass serves as the executive director of MITIE – and the two Barbaras are definitely kindred spirits. Bass’s vision for MITIE as “the surgeon’s flight simulator” fits perfectly with Kirsch’s own sense of adventure and discovery – and her desire to advance medicine. Dr. Marc Boom, Methodist’s President and CEO, admires Kirsch’s giving spirit and her desire to make a difference well beyond her life-time. “Ms. Kirsch wants to fund research to help others, and her desire is to support the future needs of Methodist – to leave a legacy that will make a difference for generations to come.”

ENJOYING LIFE TO THE FULLESTFor today, Kirsch has plenty to do. She has seen nearly all the world except Antarctica and China, and “both are planned for the very near future.” She has continued her education through the years, and is now enrolled in a Ph.D. program in international market trading and finance. In her spare time, she plays the piano, knits, gardens and works out almost daily. She especially enjoys boxing, which she recently resumed after a 15-year absence. A couple of dear friends have described Kirsch best as “resourceful, independent and candid.” “Women are amazing,” says Kirsch. “We’re smart, we’re strong, and we can do anything!”

PLANNED GIVINGP l a n n e d g i f t s a l l o w i n d i v i d u a l s t o s u p p o r t M e t h o d i s t f a r i n t o t h e f u t u r e w h i l e p r o v i d i n g a v a r i e t y o f t a x a n d o t h e r b e n e f i t s t o t h e c o n -t r i b u t o r. T h e s e c h a r i t a b l e b e q u e s t s c a n b e a s s i m p l e a s a f e w s e n t e n c e s w r i t t e n i n t o a w i l l o r a l i v i n g t r u s t , a n d b e c a u s e t h e s u p p o r t e r c a n c h a n g e h i s o r h e r m i n d a t a n y t i m e , t h i s t y p e o f p l a n n i n g i s f l e x i b l e a n d v e r s a t i l e . C o n t a c t T h e M e t h o d i s t Hospital Foundation at 832-667-5816 o r p l a n n ed g i v i n g @ t m h s . o r g w i t h a n y q u e s t i o n s . We ’ r e h a p p y t o h e l p , w i t h o u t o b l i g a t i o n .

THE VALUE OF GIVING BACKAs the granddaughter of the late oilman Dan T. Monroe with Humble Oil & Refining Company – now ExxonMobil – and the daughter of the late Texaco marketing executive Dan B. Monroe, Barbara Kirsch inherited her zest for life and critical thinking skills from these two powerful men who taught her the value of helping others and giving back to the community. A native Houstonian, Kirsch attended Texas Christian University, then returned to her hometown to work for the Houston Bar Association. She worked as a corporate secretary/treasurer for 23 years for an international corporation and also completed a double major in management and marketing from Houston Baptist University. She started her own company, which developed into home health care, and she has been involved with the Texas Medical Center for many years as a member of boards, as a volunteer and through philanthropy.


MANYThanksTO THE GENEROUS INDIVIDUALS,

FAMILIES, CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS

WHO ENABLE THE METHODIST HOSPITAL

TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS,

WE OFFER OUR HEARTFELT THANKS.

CONTRIBUTORS ARE LISTED ONLINE AT



The Methodist Hospital Foundation6565 Fannin, Sunset 2Houston, Texas 77030832-667-5816 I [email protected]

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DHouston, Texas

Permit No. 2034

Documents

Houston Methodist 2012 Foundation Magazine