The Forefront - Summer 2021 - UChicago Medicine

SUMMER 2021

Health, Science & Wellness

COVER STORY

Transplant journey How Quin Taylor lost 120 pounds, got a new kidney and took back her life ALSO IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 5

10 things to know about the COVID-19 vaccine PAGE 8

Meet one of the world’s most innovative robotic heart surgeons PAGE 11

Demystifying strokes and aneurysms PAGE 13

Preventing and treating playground injuries

Insights from the President Tom Jackiewicz

Do your part and get a COVID-19 vaccine In my last message to you three months ago, we were in a very different place with the COVID-19 pandemic. I had two specific requests for you at that time: Continue to get routine medical care for yourself and your family and wear a mask.

Now I have a third equally important request: Please get vaccinated.

One of the best examples I’ve seen of the joy many are feeling about getting vaccinated was seeing cellist Yo-Yo Ma give an impromptu concert in the waiting area after receiving his second vaccine dose. If you need something to lift your spirits, look on YouTube to see the video of this joyful event.

Looking back to earlier this year, I did not feel confident that vaccines would be widely available by May. After months filled with steadily worsening news, being optimistic about vaccine availability felt, well, overly optimistic. We have seen the very best and brightest minds in our country working on vaccines and bringing hope to millions of people around the world these last few months.

To all of the scientists, researchers, lab technicians, government officials, clinical trial participants and vaccine clinic staff and volunteers, we will never be able to thank you enough for your sacrifices and dedication that have brought us to a more hopeful place.

In the midst of this optimism, there are many people, myself included, who are still feeling the weight of the pandemic. Five months after I settled into my new role at UChicago Medicine, my 92-year-old mother passed away during a COVID-19 stay-at-home order. I am still trying to come to terms with whether I did enough or said what needed to be said in her final days, when I could not be physically present with her. I know I share these feelings and experiences with many of you who lost friends or loved ones during the pandemic.

soon as you are able. UChicago Medicine is working diligently to get shots in arms, especially in hard-hit communities.

Working with our community partners, we are sending text messages and other patient alerts and calling people directly to help them access appointments.

Now we need for you to do your part.

I know there are many reasons for not getting vaccinated – it will take too much time, you’re young and healthy, you’re scared of the side effects and worried about missing work. But for yourself, for your loved ones and for those you interact with on a daily basis, please consider getting vaccinated. If you have questions about vaccine safety and availability, I encourage you to go to UChicagoMedicine.org or contact your physician or local health department.

With warm regards,

It is from this experience of very personal loss that I say, please get vaccinated as

To all of the scientists, researchers, lab technicians, government officials, clinical trial participants and vaccine clinic staff and volunteers, we will never be able to thank you enough for your sacrifices and dedication that have brought us to a more hopeful place.”

NELSON MANDELA Senior Vice President, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer: William “Skip” Hidlay The Forefront magazine features stories about life-changing care and breakthroughs in medical research at the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences.

Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD Dean of the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Thomas E. Jackiewicz President of the University of Chicago Medical Center

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Editor: Anna Madrzyk

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Assistant Editor: Angela Wells O’Connor

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Design: SBDWorks, Inc.

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Contributing writers

Science, health and wellness news

Jamie Bartosch, Venus Brady,

UChicagoMedicine.org/forefront Main number 1-773-702-1000 Appointments 1-888-824-0200

Alison Caldwell, PhD, Thea Grendahl Christou, Kate Dohner and Angela Wells O’Connor

Email us at imagine.editor@uchospitals.edu Facebook.com/UChicagoMed Instagram.com/UChicagoMed Twitter.com/UChicagoMed

Contributing photographers Mark Black, Jean Lachat and Nancy Wong

This publication does not provide medical advice or treatment suggestions. If you have medical problems or concerns, contact a physician, who will determine your treatment. Do not delay seeking medical advice because of something you read here.

For urgent needs, call 911 right away.

The Forefront

SUMMER 2021 IN THIS ISSUE C MO

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ON THE COVER CONVENIENT CARE

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After complex cancer surgery at UChicago Medicine’s Hyde Park campus, Jerry Siadek was able to have chemotherapy and follow-up care minutes from his suburban home.

ASK THE EXPERT

A pediatrician shares tips for when to take your child to the doctor, an urgent care center or the emergency room.

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Cover photo by Mark Black

Quin Taylor needed a kidney transplant — but first she had to lose more than 100 pounds.

READ ONLINE

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Outdoor play sometimes leads to mishaps.

Pediatric orthopaedic surgeons discuss broken bones and other injuries.

COVID-19 UPDATES

KEEPING THE ROBOT BUSY

Get the latest information from our experts on COVID-19.

Husam H. Balkhy, MD, has performed more than 2,000 robotic cardiac surgeries, and continues to develop new ways to use the advanced tool to help patients.

UChicagoMedicine.org/ forefront

MORE NEWS FROM THE FOREFRONT Sign up for our Health & Science e-newsletter.

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MMER SAFETY

HEART TO HEART

What you need to know about robotic cardiac surgery.

16 Community health workers continued serving the community throughout the pandemic.

THROUGH COVID-19 AND BEYOND How UChicago Medicine is meeting community need through partnerships, programs and investment.

PERSONALIZED THERAPY. CLOSE TO HOME. In collaboration with a dedicated team of clinicians from Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the rehabilitation experts at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial can help you regain independence and improve your quality of life after an illness or injury.

For more information, call 855-826-3878 or visit UChicagoMedicine.org/Therapy

SAFE, NEW TREATMENT FOR SYMPTOMATIC UTERINE FIBROIDS WITHOUT SURGERY

Uterine fibroids are a common cause of heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain in women of reproductive age, and may even recur after surgery. Now a University of Chicago Medicine researcher working with an international team of scientists has developed a daily oral combination therapy that is reliable, safe and effective for long-term treatment. The therapy combines the drug relugolix — which reduces fibroid symptoms, but also causes such menopause symptoms as hot flashes and decreases in bone density — with small doses of estrogen and synthetic progesterone — to reduce these undesirable side effects. In the clinical trial, more than 70 percent of participants showed significant improvement in such key measures as volume of menstrual blood loss, pain, anemia, distress from bleeding and pelvic discomfort. “I think this therapy will make a paradigm shift in treatment of uterine fibroids and improve the quality of life for women,” said Ayman Al-Hendy, MD, PhD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and lead author of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

NEWS CLUES ON WHY PREGNANCY MAY INCREASE RISK OF ORGAN TRANSPLANT REJECTION

A study of pregnancy and organ transplants has yielded insights into transplant rejection. The immune system, the body’s defense against foreign cells, employs a unique adaptation to prevent rejection of a fetus. But post-pregnancy, women are more likely to reject an organ transplant. University of Chicago researchers Maria-Luisa Alegre, MD, PhD, and Anita Chong, PhD, studied the immune system’s defenses in female mice and found that T cells, which attack foreign cells directly, learned to tolerate fetal cells during pregnancy and did not react to transplants. Other defensive cells — B cells and the antibodies they produce — did react, prompting rejection. “Future research may lead to better transplant acceptance not only in people who have been pregnant, but in everybody,” said Alegre, co-senior author of the study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

BIOMARKERS IMPROVE TREATMENT FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

Customized, adaptable treatments have improved outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer. But genetic variation between cancers in different patients, and even between tumors within the same patient, make it difficult to determine the most effective treatment.

A University of Chicago Medicine research team biopsied patients’ tumors and identified genetic biomarkers.

Using a novel statistical approach, they then prescribed an optimal therapy for specific biomarkers. “We were able to adjust therapeutic approaches if a patient’s cancer became resistant to their original treatment,” said Daniel Catenacci, MD, Director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program.

His team is working on expanding the program through further trials.

The study was published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

A NEW VIEW ON WHAT RAISES THE RISK FOR ALCOHOL ADDICTION

The first-ever study of how responses to alcohol could predict a drinker’s risk of becoming an alcoholic has upended previous theories. “Alcoholics were thought to need to drink more and more to get their desired effect,” said University of Chicago Medicine addiction expert Andrea King, PhD, who led a laboratory-based, controlled 10-year study of 190 young adults.

“Instead, we found that people who develop alcoholism get the

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desirable alcohol effect early in the drinking bout, which seems to fuel wanting more alcohol. Having a higher sensitivity to alcohol’s rewarding effects puts such individuals at higher risk for developing addiction.” The results of the study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, could lead to better treatments and earlier interventions for individuals at high risk of developing an addiction.

UChicagoMedicine.org/forefront

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SICKNESS IS RELENTLESS. SO ARE WE. We are a leading community of physicians, researchers and game changers.

We embrace challenges and turn them into opportunities to make a difference in your life.

UChicagoMedicine.org/Relentless | 1-888-824-0200

Dr. Jessica Donington Thoracic Surgery U C M C O N N E C T 1 - 8 8 8 - 8 2 4 - 0 2 0 0 | UCHICAGOMEDICINE.ORG » 3

Top cancer care, closer to home To get the best possible care for his esophageal cancer, Jerry Siadek was willing to drive hours from his home in south suburban Manhattan.

Because of UChicago Medicine’s collaboration with a local hospital, he didn’t have to.

Siadek, 62, is among a growing number of cancer patients who have benefited from a joint venture between Silver Cross Hospital and UChicago Medicine, aimed at keeping cancer care local. It means patients can get the same world-class medical expertise and care associated with the Hyde Park-based academic medical center at locations in the suburbs.

Siadek had complex cancer surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine’s main campus in Hyde Park, a 45-minute drive from his house. But his chemotherapy treatments, blood work and other pre- and post-surgery tests were performed just 10 to 20 minutes away at the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and UChicago Medicine Orland Park.

treatment, said that the doctors at the New However, an upper endoscopy led to a diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus, a condition Lenox cancer care center and UChicago where acid reflux damages the esophagus lining. Medicine in Hyde Park communicate regularly. “You still have the medical For the next eight years, Siadek’s condition expertise of the Hyde Park campus without was under control. Then, during his having to go all the way there,” he said. annual esophagus check in August 2020, Following chemotherapy, Posner performed he was shocked when doctors found a Siadek’s surgery in Hyde Park, removing cancerous mass and diagnosed him with two-thirds of his esophagus, some of his adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, which lymph nodes, and one-third of the top of requires complex surgery. his stomach.

Siadek and his wife, Lori, met with surgeon “The care was excellent,” Siadek said. “Every Mitchell Posner, MD, Physician-in-Chief doctor. Every nurse I had. Every physician of the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive assistant that came in. I felt very well taken Cancer Center, and oncologist Daniel Catenacci, MD, in Hyde Park to learn more care of.” about treatment options. In addition to the Siadek spent Christmas 2020 in the hospital, medical team’s expertise and world-class and because COVID-19 prevented him reputation, convenience was a top factor from having visitors, the ICU nurse moved that convinced Siadek to choose UChicago him to the window so he could wave to his Medicine for his cancer treatment. family members outside.

Siadek’s treatment began at Silver Cross, “I struggled to get through it, but now I’ve where he received chemotherapy to made it,” Siadek said. “I want to make people shrink the cancerous mass. who have acid reflux aware that they need to get in to see their doctor and get a scope done, Oncologist Shayan Rayani, MD, who just to make sure nothing’s going on.” is overseeing Siadek’s chemotherapy | L E F T | Jerry Siadek | B E L OW | Siadek’s family sent encouragement from outside his hospital window.

“To be able to do chemotherapy in New Lenox was huge,” Siadek said. “I felt like I was dealing with a team of doctors and one institution.”

Siadek’s cancer diagnosis came as a surprise. In 2012, he dismissed occasional heartburn as acid reflux.

CONVENIENT CANCER CARE LOCATIONS NEAR YOU Chicago University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center 5841 S. Maryland Ave. New Lenox UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital 1850 Silver Cross Blvd.

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Flossmoor UChicago Medicine at Ingalls 19550 Governors Highway Harvey UChicago Medicine Outpatient Center at Ingalls Memorial 1 Ingalls Drive Orland Park UChicago Medicine 14290 S. La Grange Road Tinley Park UChicago Medicine at Ingalls 6701 W. 159th Street

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Comprehensive Cancer Center A Cancer Center Designated by the National Cancer Institute

Learn more at UChicagoMedicine.org/cancer

10 things to know about the C VID-19 vaccine Thanks to COVID-19 vaccines, there’s finally light at the end of the long pandemic tunnel. But as the nation races to reach herd immunity, many people still have questions.

Here are 10 things you need to know.

1.

The vaccines are new.

The science isn’t.

It’s the first time mRNA technology — found in Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s vaccines — has been used for immunizations. But other mRNA therapeutics are already in use.

The pandemic let scientists build on decades of research to quickly manufacture safe and effective vaccines.

2.

Two vaccines were tested at UChicago Medicine.

Before being OK’d by regulators, vaccines were tested in large-scale clinical trials for safety and efficacy. They included tens of thousands of people of different ages, races, sexes and health conditions. University of Chicago Medicine scientists conducted some of this research, recruiting patients for Johnson & Johnson and Moderna trials.

3.

The best vaccine is the one you get first.

You likely won’t get to choose your vaccine.

Instead, experts say you should get whatever’s offered first. All have powerful protection against severe COVID-19.

4.

Don’t get other immunizations around the same time.

You don’t want to get another vaccine two weeks before or after your COVID-19 injection. That ensures your body builds the best immune response to keep you safe.

5.

Allergic reactions are rare.

You’ll be monitored for 15 minutes after your vaccine, or for 30 minutes if you’ve ever had a severe allergic reaction. Staying put means

8.

you can get medical attention right away You might still get sick. if something goes wrong. You can still get vaccinated if you have seasonal or food allergies. There have been limited “breakthrough cases” after vaccination. We’re learning more, but Don’t stress about there’s good news: Vaccinated people don’t get side effects. nearly as sick, and it appears they’re less likely to transmit COVID-19. Still, be careful. You Short-term side effects can be strong — can get sick and expose others while you’re particularly within 24 to 48 hours — but they not fully protected, which doesn’t come until go away quickly. Even though the vaccines 14 days after your final dose. are new, scientists feel confident they won’t pose long-term risks. That’s because almost You’ll have to get all long-term vaccine side effects start within vaccinated again. the first six weeks. Safety data for COVID-19 vaccines extends well beyond that.

We’re learning how long protection lasts in real time, thanks to clinical trial participants They may impact your who were vaccinated months before everyone mammogram. else. However, it’s safe to assume you’ll need to get another dose at some point.

The vaccines may briefly enlarge your lymph nodes. Radiologists say women should Masks and social consider scheduling routine screening distancing aren’t mammograms before their vaccine or wait going away. four to six weeks after their final dose. This gives lymph nodes time to return to normal Vaccines make you immune, not invincible. and prevents unnecessary follow-up scans As cases decline and vaccination increases, or biopsies. But if you see new breast issues close contact with others gets safer. But until or you need diagnostic scans, get care ASAP we reach herd immunity, expect to wear regardless of your vaccine date. masks and practice social distancing.

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Losing 120 pounds, gaining a new kidney When doctors tell patients they must lose weight in order to have a kidney transplant, most people don’t do it.

Quin Taylor wasn’t going to, at first. The Bronzeville resident was morbidly obese and despondent that her kidney failure was preventing her from finishing a master’s degree in psychology.

At the same time, she was seeing her father struggle with kidney disease. The kidney transplant he had a decade earlier — after 18 years on dialysis — was starting to fail.

“I saw what my dad had been through,” she said. “But after two years of dealing with this, I decided I have to do it. I have to get out of this chair and get my life started.

I had to lose the weight so I could have the transplant.”

Obesity increases the risk of complications for a kidney transplant, including rejection.

That’s why doctors generally require patients to have a BMI below 42 before they will list them for a donor kidney. Taylor’s BMI was almost 60.

YOLANDA BECKER, MD

Director, Kidney and Pancreas Program 6 » THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE

Her first step was to join Fitness Formula Clubs, a health club chain that would later be part of a groundbreaking University of Chicago Medicine study on helping kidney dialysis patients shed pounds to be eligible for a transplant.

Taylor began workouts with one of the club’s personal trainers, who cheered her on while a UChicago Medicine dietitian helped her revamp her eating habits. Slowly and steadily, Taylor, who is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, lost 120 pounds. After a year, when her doctors saw her progress and commitment — her BMI had dropped to 43 — they put her on a transplant waitlist. She had a successful kidney transplant in 2015, which was not only life-saving but life-changing.

With support and long-term care from UChicago Medicine’s kidney transplant program, Taylor now lives a full life, maintains a healthy weight and runs her own consulting business, Tayloring Gratitude, which helps people facing chronic illness find gratitude, cope with reality and manage their lives.

“I have so much respect for Quin,” said her kidney transplant surgeon, Yolanda Becker, MD, Director of the Kidney and Pancreas Program. “She could have easily said, ‘I can’t.

It’s too hard.’ Because it is so hard to lose weight and eat right! But she stayed positive and did it. This is an ‘I can’ story.”

MICHELLE JOSEPHSON, MD

Medical Director, Kidney Transplant Program The Forefront | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1

Taylor was a 20-year-old sophomore at Iowa State University when her kidneys first started to fail. Bloated, fatigued and needing to urinate every 20 minutes, she came home from school and saw her doctor at UChicago Medicine.

“They called me with my test results, and they said, ‘Ms. Taylor, you need to go to the emergency room…now,’” she said.

Taylor was later diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a type of kidney failure. UChicago Medicine nephrologist Mary Hammes, DO, sustained Taylor’s kidney function for several years with medications. When they stopped being effective, Taylor spent five years on kidney dialysis.

It was time to decide: Did she want a kidney transplant? And if so, could she lose more than 100 pounds in order to have the surgery?

She made the decision to fight the disease and take her life back.

‘YOU’RE GOING TO LIVE AGAIN’

It took a while to find her a donor, in part due to her less-common B+ blood type.

On November 4, 2015, she recalls feeling sad and starting to lose faith that a donor would be found. Before she went to bed, she said a prayer and turned over all her

MARY HAMMES, DO

Director, Chronic Hemodialysis

cares and worries to God, because she had done all she could do. The next morning, the phone rang at 3 a.m. It was the UChicago Medicine transplant team.

They’d found a kidney. She had the successful transplant surgery later that day.

Today, five years since her kidney transplant, Taylor is thriving and healthy. She is diligent about regular follow-up appointments, and members of her UChicago Medicine care team have become her friends. They were especially supportive after her father, Eddie Taylor, died of kidney failure six weeks after her transplant. He had been a UChicago Medicine kidney patient for 30 years — one of its longest-term kidney patients.

“After the surgery, I opened my eyes in the ICU, and I saw the world again for the first time in a long time. Everything was brighter.

The colors were more vibrant. Like I woke up from a long sleep. I just kept thinking: “What makes UChicago Medicine’s ‘You’re going to live again,’” she said. transplant program so special is that they care about you beyond just your health.

During that tough time after my dad died, they were there for me. They made sure I was healthy in spite of everything that was going on around me,” she said. “If I ever need anything, I know that I can reach out to a member of the team and they will graciously help. Not because they have to, Quin Taylor but because that’s simply who they are.”

Taylor, now 38, said her transplant not only gave her a second chance at life, but also an ingrained feeling of hope and gratitude. She often thinks about the person who lost their life and made the selfless decision to donate their kidneys.

“I’d be taking their life in vain if I didn’t keep on living and taking care of myself to use this priceless, priceless, priceless gift,” she said. “I am so forever grateful to them.”

Throughout her journey, Taylor has helped others, said UChicago Medicine transplant nephrologist Michelle Josephson, MD, Medical Director, Kidney Transplant Program.

“I will always be grateful to Quin for the time she spent volunteering to work on an international project, on which she spoke of improving the quality of life for transplant recipients, helping to empower and giving a voice to others with kidney disease,” Josephson said.

Black patients are at a greater risk of kidney failure because they have higher rates of type 2 diabetes, obesity and genetic kidney failure — all factors that make a kidney transplant riskier, Becker said.

“Hopefully, her story will move someone to say, ‘I can do this, too,’” Becker said.

Kidney transplant evaluation clinics CHICAGO Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine 5758 S. Maryland Ave., 2F FLOSSMOOR 19550 Governors Highway, Suite 2000 HINSDALE 12 Salt Creek Lane, Salt Creek Suite 106

Virtual kidney transplant education sessions (in English and Spanish)

UChicagoMedicine.org/kidney-transplant-education

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‘We do everything we can with the robot’ Husam Balkhy, MD, has long been captivated by the human heart. “It’s the most intelligent organ,” he said. “It’s the organ of life.”

Balkhy is Director of Robotic and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine. One of the most experienced and renowned robotic heart surgeons in the world, he has performed more than 2,000 robotic heart surgeries.

But when he was a young medical student in Saudi Arabia and then later as a resident physician in Boston, minimally invasive and robotic heart surgery was still in its infancy. It was during his residency that Balkhy started to feel dissatisfied — not with the procedures he performed on patients’ hearts, but the techniques he had to use to access them.

SEEKING ANOTHER WAY

Evolution has graced humans with a large, sturdy rib cage, which surrounds and protects the heart and lungs. Traditional open-heart surgery requires surgeons to cut directly through the breastbone and open up the rib cage to reach the heart.

This means — in addition to recovering from heart surgery — patients have to recover from cracked ribs and a broken breastbone.

“That’s how I was trained and how I worked for many years, but I was unhappy making these big cuts in people,” Balkhy said. “I thought all the time about ways that I could fix a problem without invading the body in such a big way.”

The surgeon also was struck by the emotional struggles faced by many patients after an open-heart surgery.

“One of the unspoken problems with major open surgeries like these is that patients have a hard time recovering — not just physically, but psychologically,” he said. “Patients sometimes feel that their body has been seriously violated, and they’re left with these massive scars that they have to see every day in the mirror. It can leave patients feeling like they’re not the same person they were before.”

In the early 1990s Balkhy, then a junior general surgery resident, saw laparoscopic techniques emerge as a minimally invasive option for abdominal operations. In cardiac surgery, however, there were few alternatives outside of the usual open-heart surgery techniques.

After a couple of years in practice, Balkhy began to explore new, less-invasive surgical options, using tools such as small cameras and extra-long surgical instruments to conduct surgeries through small

8 » THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE

incisions between the ribs. While these techniques led to reduced recovery time and less scarring, they didn’t give him the dexterity needed to expand the approach to a broader range of surgeries.

BREAKING NEW GROUND

As he continued to test new methods, Balkhy eventually began to hear about another option: robotic surgery.

“I was still learning the ropes of heart surgery and perfecting my art when the first robotic heart surgery was performed in Paris in 1998,” he said. “But as I was building on these less invasive approaches, it quickly became apparent to me that the robot was going to be the best option to achieve my minimally invasive goals.” Robotic arms could go where his hands and long tools could not, making those delicate procedures possible.

He convinced the hospital where he was working to invest in a surgical robot.

With the new system in place, Balkhy was able to break new ground, conducting coronary artery bypass surgeries, mitral valve repairs and arrhythmia corrections using dexterous robotic arms and cameras inserted into the chest through incisions between the ribs less than a centimeter across. The use of robots allowed him to work on developing new applications for the technology in surgical settings, but he knew he could do so much more with this technique.

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N OW I N R I V ER E AST Robotic heart surgery consultations are offered at: UChicago Medicine River East 355 E. Grand Ave. Chicago

UChicagoMedicine.org/ robotic-heart

“Most programs don’t internalize the use of robotics as a philosophy,” said Balkhy. “So they don’t operate on certain kinds of patients — those who are obese, elderly, medically frail or have already had heart surgery — because they’re considered too risky.” But these patients are the ones who would often benefit the most from these minimally invasive approaches.

WORLD-RENOWNED PROGRAM

In 2013, UChicago Medicine invited Balkhy to establish a robotic cardiac surgery program. “I was so impressed with UChicago Medicine’s commitment to innovation and to supporting a program like mine,” Balkhy said. “The leaders saw my work as something that they could help grow. This was before all of the other big programs started espousing robotics. UChicago Medicine really saw the potential here.”

Balkhy has worked with his highly skilled team to continue to develop new surgical approaches using the robot. Today, nearly all of his heart surgeries are executed using a robotic approach.

“Many hospitals that perform robotic heart surgeries use them for only one kind of surgery, and you have to fit a very narrow profile to be eligible for it,” Balkhy said. “I think these robots can facilitate all kinds of surgeries — most procedures could probably be done less invasively and, in most cases, robotically.

“Sometimes the traditional open-heart approach is the best option for a patient, but in our program, we do everything we can with the robot. No other program in the world uses the robot for as many procedures as we do.”

In August 2020, Balkhy and his team performed their 1,000th robotic heart surgery since he started the program at UChicago Medicine seven years ago. He has realized many of his goals in bringing the benefits of less-invasive surgery to his patients, who are usually in the hospital for only a couple of days and are back to normal activity within a week or two after robotic surgery — compared to three to four months after traditional surgery.

“In our program, if you’re high risk but you need a coronary bypass, I’ll operate with the robot, because I know that it’s the best thing for you,” said Balkhy. “It doesn’t matter if it’s hard, if it takes all day, if it takes extra resources to find the right angle or figure out the right route. We’re going to do it, if that’s what will benefit you the most.”

‘It doesn’t matter if it’s hard, if it takes all day, if it takes extra resources to find the right angle or figure out the right route. We’re going to do it, if that’s what will benefit you the most.”

H USAM BALK HY, M D

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ASK T HE E XPE R T

What you need to know about robotic heart surgery YOU ARE CONSIDERED A PIONEER

Husam Balkhy, MD, is a pioneer in the field of minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery. He has extensive experience in performing robotic totally endoscopic beating heart coronary bypass grafting (TECAB), robotic mitral valve surgery, robotic atrial fibrillation surgery and minimally invasive (port access) aortic valve surgery.

OF THE BEATING HEART TECAB PROCEDURE. WHAT SETS THIS APPROACH APART FROM OTHERS?

HUSAM BALKHY, MD

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF ROBOTIC HEART SURGERY?

Traditional heart surgery requires surgeons to open up the chest to access the heart for repair. With a robotic approach, surgeons don’t have to cut through the breastbone.

Instead, we slip instruments through small incisions between the ribs. This reduces the risk of postsurgical complications like infections and blood loss, dramatically reduces scarring, requires shorter hospital stays and allows for a much faster return to normal day-to-day activities. Patients also tend to experience much less pain during their recovery, because they’re not healing from a broken breastbone.

WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR ROBOTIC HEART SURGERY?

Every patient is different, and you should talk to your doctor and treatment team to figure out the best option for you. At UChicago Medicine, we perform hundreds of these minimally invasive robotic surgeries every year, including new and innovative procedures that are not widely available.

Some patients who are seen as high risk, such as those who are obese, diabetic or who have had open heart surgery in the past, may not be considered eligible for robotic heart surgery at most institutions.

But our robotic cardiac surgery team will work to customize care for every patient, and we are always striving to provide the least invasive and most effective therapies for our patients.

At the University of Chicago Medicine, some robotic heart surgeries are also performed without the use of a heart-lung bypass machine, thus reducing the risk of stroke and other neurological complications.

Open Open Heart Heart Surgery Surgery

RIBS RIBS HEART HEART

Surgeons Surgeonsmust must open openup upthe the breastbone breastbone to toaccess accessthe the heart heartwith withaa 6-8” 6-8”incision incision

SURGICAL SURGICAL OPENING OPENING

RETRACTOR RETRACTOR

Time Timein in hospital: hospital: 5-7 5-7days days

Time Timeto toreturn returnto to normal normalactivities: activities: 3-6 3-6months months

RIGHT RIGHT ROBOTIC ROBOTICARM ARM

HEART HEART CAMERA CAMERA

Surgeons Surgeons insert insert precision precision instruments instruments and andminiature miniature cameras cameras through throughsmall small (< (<1”) 1”)incisions incisions

Time Timein in hospital: hospital: 1-3 1-3days days

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We offer the TECAB procedure, which involves no hands accessing the chest cavity, using all robotic instruments to perform coronary bypass in a totally endoscopic fashion. This entails operating on the beating heart without use of a cardiopulmonary bypass machine.

We’re currently the only program in the world that performs the TECAB procedure on a regular basis and the only ones who do the procedure routinely without stopping the heart.

LIVE AT T H E F O R E F R O N T

Robotic Robotic Heart Heart Surgery Surgery such such as as TECAB TECAB BREASTBONE BREASTBONE

RIBS RIBS

Many other institutions offer a similar surgical approach called robotic minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB), but it’s not the same as TECAB. In MIDCAB, surgeons use a robot to harvest the replacement artery from the chest, then remove the robot and cut an incision between the ribs so the surgeon can manually access the chest cavity and attach the artery to the heart by hand. While this is better than a fully open-heart surgery, it still requires an incision and spreading of the ribs to allow the surgeon’s hand to get inside the chest, and is usually limited to a single bypass.

EXTRA EXTRA ARM ARM

PORTS PORTS (INCISIONS) (INCISIONS) LEFT LEFT ROBOTIC ROBOTICARM ARM

Time Timeto toreturn returnto to normal normalactivities: activities: 2-4 2-4weeks weeks

The Forefront | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1

Watch Husam Balkhy, MD, talk about the benefits of robotic and minimally invasive heart surgery.

UChicagoMedicine.org/robotic-cardiac-live

Demystifying strokes and aneurysms Strokes occur when the blood flow to an area of the brain is blocked, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching brain tissue. In the case of an acute stroke, this can happen suddenly. Brain cells are very fragile and begin to die within minutes.

The University of Chicago Medicine is one of 10 Joint Commission-certified comprehensive stroke centers in the state of Illinois — and the first in Chicago to receive the designation. Neurovascular experts Shyam Prabhakaran, MD, MS, Chair of Neurology, and Tareq Kass-Hout, MD, explain what people need to know about strokes and aneurysms.

STROKES

Symptoms include numbness or weakness in the face and limbs, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion; trouble speaking and difficulty understanding others; sudden difficulty seeing and walking; and sudden severe headache.

other brain tissue. This pressure can cause pain behind the eye, facial paralysis, numbness and weakness, changes in vision, and a dilated pupil. Unruptured aneurysms still carry a significant risk for bleeding in the brain.

There are three primary types of strokes:

Symptoms of ruptured aneurysms include an extremely severe headache, nausea, vomiting, double vision, seizures, loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest.

An ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, often due to a blood clot. Most strokes fall into this category (87%).

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a “mini-stroke” that occurs when blood flow in the brain is blocked for only a short time. TIAs are considered warning signs of future strokes that could occur within hours to days after the TIA. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an artery in the brain leaks or ruptures, putting pressure on the surrounding brain cells and causing damage. This type of stroke can be caused by high blood pressure and weakened blood vessels, including aneurysms and other conditions.

TAREQ KASS-HOUT, MD

Lifestyle factors can also contribute to risk of stroke, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and diabetes.

Other risk factors include heart disease, hormonal medications, sleep apnea, age and ethnicity.

BRAIN ANEURYSMS

Brain aneurysms, or cerebral aneurysms, are weak spots found on the arteries of the brain that fill with blood and bulge out. The bulge can put pressure on surrounding brain tissue, causing damage, and it can also rupture, which can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.

SHYAM PRABHAKARAN, MD, MS

Chair of Neurology

An unruptured aneurysm does not usually cause symptoms, unless it is pressing on

The weak spots in the brain’s blood vessels that lead to cerebral aneurysms can be congenital, meaning they are present from birth. Risk factors that contribute to aneurysms rupturing include the size, shape and location of the aneurysm, a family history of aneurysms, high blood pressure and lifestyle factors such as smoking.

RECOVERY

If someone is showing symptoms, call 911 immediately. Paramedics can help recognize stroke, stabilize patients who are at risk of immediate complications such as blocked airways, and transport patients to stroke centers to receive emergency treatments proven to reduce death and disability from stroke.

For the best care, patients should look for a comprehensive stroke center. This designation is awarded to institutions that demonstrate dedication to evidence-based medicine and advanced treatment options.

UChicago Medicine’s stroke team provides comprehensive, individualized care to help stroke patients recover and achieve the highest quality of life possible. As an academic medical center, UChicago Medicine is also involved in a wide range of stroke research projects, working to develop new medications and treatments for preventing and treating strokes.

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Kitzia Ayala-Avila

ASK T HE E XPE R T

ER, urgent care or doctor’s office?

When your child is sick, it’s sometimes hard to know if the illness warrants a doctor, emergency room or urgent care visit.

Especially with the pandemic, you may question which visit is worth the risk. While any of the University of Chicago Medicine locations will be safe for you and your child, it’s important to go to the right place to get the proper care and save time.

UChicago Medicine pediatrician Caroline Olaleye, MD, explains how to decide where to seek care. If possible, it’s always best to contact your child’s pediatrician first.

EMERGENCY ROOM

If you suspect a broken bone — especially if there is a visible bump or deformity — you should take your child to the emergency room to expedite care with a specialist (orthopaedic surgeon). You should also go to the ER if your child suffers a head injury, loss of consciousness or a seizure. If your child has a cut that won’t stop bleeding, seek emergency care immediately to prevent excessive blood loss and to evaluate if stitches are needed.

And if you have a baby younger than two months old with a fever over 100.4 degrees, go straight to the ER. URGENT CARE

Urgent care facilities can provide outpatient care for acute and chronic illnesses and injuries. Most urgent care clinics are available after hours, so they

can be a convenient option if your pediatrician’s office is closed. However, make sure the urgent care location you intend to visit can treat children, to ensure they can provide proper care. Generally, you should take your child to a pediatric urgent care if the child is older than two months old and is experiencing a fever with cold symptoms or if you suspect that your child has an ear infection, strep throat or pink eye.

DOCTOR’S OFFICE

If your child is sick and you are concerned about a possible exposure to COVID-19, call your child’s pediatrician. The doctor will conduct a screening over the phone and may recommend testing. If your child is experiencing lingering cold symptoms, you should schedule an appointment with the child’s provider. You should also schedule an appointment with the Get the healthcare your child needs. pediatrician if your child has sustained primary care locations » Pediatric primary carePediatric with ready access to specialist expertise an injury, but is not in acute pain. Your » Safe in-person appointments or secure video visits available Chicago — Hyde Park and South Loop » Extended weekday and Saturday hours in select locations child’s doctor is also the place to go for: » School physicals available

Don’t wait.

Flossmoor • Orland Park

»

Routine immunizations

»

School and sports physicals

»

Wellness visits

If you’re registered on MyChart, you can schedule an appointment, often the same day. You can also send a message to the physician or nurse on call through the MyChart system and receive an answer within 24 to 48 hours. Video visits are also currently available, and providers are available to assess symptoms, make a diagnosis, recommend treatment and send prescriptions to your pharmacy virtually.

Pediatric primary care locations Chicago — Hyde Park and South Loop Flossmoor • Orland Park Pediatric specialty care locations Chicago — Hyde Park and South Loop • Flossmoor Naperville • Orland Park • Tinley Park • Merrillville, IN

Pediatric specialty care locations

Chicago — Hyde Park and South Loop Flossmoor • Naperville • Orland Park

SCHEDULE YOUR CHILD’S VISIT TODAY Tinley Park •orMerrillville, IN Call 773-702-6169 visit ComerChildrens.org

SCHEDULE YOUR CHILD’S VISIT TODAY Call 773-702-6169 or visit ComerChildrens.org

Caroline Olaleye, MD, sees patients at UChicago Medicine at Ingalls in Flossmoor.

CAROLINE OLALEYE, MD

12 » THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE

UChicago Faculty Physicians who provide services at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial are not employees or agents of UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial.

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C MO

RE

Summertime brings warmer temperatures and outdoor play, but there can also be a risk of injury from activities taking place outside. University of Chicago Medicine orthopaedic experts share suggestions to help kids and families play safely while enjoying summer activities.

COMMON INJURY CULPRITS

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency departments in the United States treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger each year for playground-related injuries. Approximately 56% of these injuries are fractures and contusions/abrasions.

“We often see a sharp uptick in broken bones in association with the start of summer outdoor activities,” said Clarabelle DeVries, MD, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at UChicago Medicine. “Broken elbows, wrists and broken bones around the knee ­— these are very common with monkey bars, bicycles and scooters, and even with trampoline use.”

Pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Laura Lewallen, MD, agreed: “Many of the

common injuries we see are accidental, including falling from playground equipment or on slippery pool decks, and falls resulting from going too fast on bikes or scooters.”

DeVries and Lewallen provide care for patients at UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital in Hyde Park, as well as at UChicago Medicine’s Orland Park location, which recently opened an orthopaedic walk-in clinic. The walk-in clinic provides urgent orthopaedic care for adults and children needing treatment for recent bone, joint or muscle injuries, including broken bones (fractures).

DeVries and Lewallen emphasized the importance of prevention and taking common-sense precautions when participating in outdoor activities: Always have an adult around to supervise use of playground equipment.

» P laygrounds:

»

Pools: Make sure parents and lifeguards monitor swimming activities and discourage running on pool decks. and scooters: Wear protective equipment when riding, including helmets and wrist guards.

» B ikes

» Trampolines:

Always have a net around the trampoline and allow one child to use the trampoline at a time. (“Many trampoline injuries come from the infamous double bounce!” DeVries said.)

TREATING INJURIES FROM FALLS

Even with precautions, falls and accidents happen. For more minor orthopaedic injuries such as sprains and strains, DeVries recommends treatment to include rest, ice, elevation and an anti-inflammatory painkiller like ibuprofen. If the injury results in persistent pain, swelling, or inability to walk on or use the affected extremity, further evaluation may be needed.

DeVries and Lewallen urge immediate evaluation for injuries involving large open wounds or significant deformity of the limb, or those causing the foot or hand to turn white or cold.

Visit the new Orthopaedic Walk-in Clinic!

With no appointment required, the Orthopaedic Walk-in Clinic at UChicago Medicine Orland Park offers a convenient option for kids and adults seeking treatment for sports injuries, fractures, broken bones and more. The clinic is open Monday and Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

CLARABELLE DEVRIES, MD

LAURA LEWALLEN, MD

UChicago Medicine Orland Park 14290 S. La Grange Road, Orland Park, IL 60462 773-834-3531

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Customized rehab care, closer to you UChicago Medicine and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab have joined forces to offer inpatient and outpatient treatment options throughout the Southland for: » Stroke » Orthopaedic illness or injury » Neurological disorders » Brain injury » Spinal cord injury »D isease-related symptoms (such as cancer, cardiac, pulmonary) » Pelvic floor dysfunction » Amputation PERSONALIZED THERAPY TO MAXIMIZE RECOVERY

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is the premier rehabilitation hospital in the country.

UChicago Medicine has partnered with Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to expand our physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

All of our rehabilitation programs utilize an interdisciplinary team that includes physiatrists (physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians), as well as speech, occupational and physical therapists.

These experts work with you to create a customized plan of care that meets your personal needs, while helping you regain your independence and improve your overall quality of life.

OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION

Our therapists specialize in the treatment of injuries and functional impairments, particularly those sustained by trauma, orthopaedic or neurological injuries. Our treatment plans are customized to each patient’s particular needs, in collaboration with their referring physician.

290

Locations INPATIENT

Harvey 1 Ingalls Drive

HYDE PARK 55

OUTPATIENT

Calumet CIty 1600 Torrence Ave.

We offer private rooms and 24-hour medical and nursing care along with daily therapy. Our inpatient rehabilitation program helps patients regain function and improve ability in the initial acute stages of injury or illness caused by, for example, trauma, orthopaedic or neurological injury, burns, cancer or stroke illness. Our evidence-based practice benefits from over 60 years of pioneering therapy and care.

Flossmoor 19550 Governors Highway

Hyde Park

90 94

CRESTWOOD 57

TINLEY PARK

HARVEY

355

SOUTH HOLLAND

5758 S. Maryland Ave.

South Holland 16246 Prince Drive

Tinley Park

CALUMET CITY

80

FLOSSMOOR 57

6701 W. 159th St.

LEARN MORE

UChicagoMedicine.org/therapy

14 » THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE

294

Crestwood 4742 Cal Sag Road

INPATIENT REHABILITATION

94

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MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

1-855-826-3878

65

NEWS HONORS

SPOTLIGHT

Gynecologist ANITA BLANCHARD, MD, received a Diversity Leadership Award from the University of Chicago. The award honors members of the UChicago community who demonstrate leadership and a sustained commitment to justice and equality.

Gastroenterologist CAROL SEMRAD, MD, received the Master Endoscopist Award, the highest honor granted by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Anesthesiologist MOHAMMED MINHAJ, MD, MBA, was elected to the American Board of Anesthesiology board of directors.

HELEN TE, MD will receive the American Society of Transplantation’s Physician of Distinction Award at the American Transplant Congress in June. This award recognizes outstanding transplant physicians whose careers are focused on clinical care, and who have reputations as outstanding clinicians and innovators.

NEW PHYSICIANS Anesthesiology

Oncology

HEESUNG KANG, MD

MARINA GARASSINO, MD

BHUVANESWARI SANDEEP RAM, MBBS

Ophthalmology

PRATIBHA RASTOGI, MBBS

DAVID DAO, MD

VIDHI SRIVASTAVA, MD

Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine

JEFFREY YEH, MD

GADI REVIVO, DO

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

CHARLES SISUNG, MD

EMMA-LORRAINE BART-PLANGE, PHD

LINDSAY YASSAN, MD

Family Medicine

Pediatrics

SHELLEY SANDIFORD, MD*

ERIN JAMEN-ESPOSITO, MD*

Hematology and Oncology TABRAIZ MOHAMMED, DO Internal Medicine MOHANAD JOUDEH, MD* CATHRYN LEE, MD Nephrology YOUSEF KYESO, MD

Pathology

ROBERT ROJAS, MD* Radiology LIAM FISCHER, DO Transplant JOHN LAMATTINA, MD Trauma Surgery TIMOTHY PLACKETT, DO, MPH

*UChicago Medicine Medical Group is comprised of UCM Care Network Medical Group, Inc. and Primary Healthcare Associates, S.C. UChicago Medicine Medical Group physicians are not employees or agents of The University of Chicago Medical Center, The University of Chicago or UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial.

OUR ‘TOP DOCS’ FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN Children’s cancer specialists SUSAN and TARA HENDERSON, MD, MPH, are among 40 pediatricians and pediatric specialists on the “Top Docs for Kids and Moms” list in the February 2021 issue of Chicago magazine. The list also includes 11 women’s health specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, maternalfetal medicine and urogynecology.

COHN, MD,

Susan Cohn, MD, and Tara Henderson, MD, MPH

LEADERSHIP BRENDA BATTLE, MBA, BSN, RN, has been appointed Senior Vice President for Community Health Transformation. Battle also serves as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. In this new role, she will unify the resources and strategies of the organization and community to meet healthcare needs.

VINEET ARORA, MD, MAPP,

is the new Dean for Medical Education, and will oversee all aspects of the medical education continuum, including undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education. She succeeds HALINA BRUKNER, MD, who is retiring after 35 years of service to the University of Chicago as a physician, leader and medical educator.

ERIKA DAVIS, PHD, MPH,

has joined the Urban Health Initiative (UHI) team as Executive Director, Community Benefit Strategies and Evaluation.

Davis will lead community benefit strategies and a team of analysts to monitor and evaluate the impact of UHI programs. She also will lead the execution of a new program, Liaisons in Care (LinC), funded by the AbbVie Foundation.

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Whether addressing a chronic condition, preventing violence or helping a community overcome a disaster, community health workers can play a critical role in helping individuals navigate healthcare options and find essential resources.

Thanks to an $8 million donation from biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, plans are underway at the University of Chicago Medicine to expand its local team of community health workers serving Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods. AbbVie’s gift will establish the Liaisons in Care (LinC) program, made up of community health workers dedicated to promoting health equity through increased access to care and resources.

| A B O V E | Community health worker Dameka Edwards-Hart works directly with residents in their

neighborhoods and homes to provide health education and resources.

The gift also will build the capacity of community partner organizations through annual grants of $250,000.

“AbbVie’s donation will allow for the hiring of 14 additional community health workers, increasing our capacity to holistically serve and meet the needs of greater numbers of South Side residents,” said Brenda Battle, RN, BSN, MBA, Senior Vice President for Community Health Transformation and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.

As the South Side’s only academic medical center, UChicago Medicine is committed to caring for residents of one of the most under-resourced communities in the nation. The community’s 800,000 residents, the majority of whom are Black, face significantly higher rates of chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as economic challenges, community violence and trauma.

Many community health workers serve their own communities.

“I am a product of Englewood, and I am proud to serve the area in which I grew up,” said Dameka Edwards-Hart, a community health worker supervisor. “I love being an advocate and a voice for families.”

With this donation, AbbVie and UChicago Medicine can help play an important role in integrating the strengths and assets that exist on Chicago’s South Side to promote health equity and justice.

16 » THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE

Through investment

In the neighborhoods

SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY

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Through its community benefit programs, partnerships and other investments, UChicago Medicine and its community and healthcare partners seek to improve health equity for residents of Chicago’s South Side — ensuring everyone has the opportunity to live their most healthful life.

In 2020, COVID-19 surfaced stark evidence of the health disparities that work against health equity.

Chicago’s Black and Brown communities bore the heaviest burden of the pandemic, through illness, loss of life and economic hardship. The demands for social and racial justice converged with the outcomes of the pandemic, crystalizing the understanding that racism is a public health crisis and making it clear that the pursuit of health equity not only must continue, but must accelerate.

In fiscal year 2020, UChicago Medicine invested $567 million in benefits and services to the community — an increase of 9% over the previous year.

The 2020 Community Benefit Report highlights the ways UChicago Medicine worked in partnership with the community to respond to crisis, address community health priorities and contribute to building a healthier and more equitable South Side. Read the report at Community.UChicagoMedicine.org/2020.

TACKLING A TOUGH CANCER Gift propels research to advance understanding of pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer touched Chicago resident Bonnie Rothman’s life twice. First, her maternal grandmother was stricken with the disease and passed away soon after. More than 30 years later, Rothman’s mother was diagnosed and died three and a half months later.

“I don’t think any disease should have the impact of a train wreck, especially in this day and age with the amount of knowledge we have in cancer,” Rothman said.

After losing her mother and grandmother, Rothman felt frustrated by the limited treatment options available and committed herself to helping advance understanding of the disease.

Following her mother’s advice, she underwent pancreatic cancer screening at the University of Chicago Medicine. There, she found Sonia Kupfer, MD, Director of the Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic, which offers personalized risk assessment for patients and families who may be at increased risk for developing gastrointestinal cancer.

“We are not willing to accept the current state of affairs for pancreatic cancer, for which survival rates have generally not improved over the last 40 years,” Kupfer said. “Early detection holds promise because pancreatic cancer typically does not show symptoms until it has advanced or spread, when the cancer is more difficult to treat.”

Despite the family’s history of pancreatic cancer, they learned through genetic testing that the cancer was not caused by a genetic syndrome associated with the disease. In fact, the majority of cases of pancreatic cancer do not have a known genetic link.

There has to be a huge leap forward for pancreatic cancer research, and I think UChicago Medicine’s expertise and collaborative approach are poised to accomplish that.”

BO N N IE ROTH MAN

Sonia Kupfer, MD

“We see cases where multiple family members across generations are afflicted by the same cancers, but without a genetic risk factor,” Kupfer said. “These families may share other types of risk factors, such as environmental factors, shared habits or potentially related gut bacteria.”

Seeking to improve diagnosis and prevention of pancreatic cancer, Rothman made a $100,000 gift supporting the Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Program within the GI Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic at UChicago Medicine.

Rothman’s gift will enable Kupfer and her team to advance research studies aimed at finding innovative and less invasive ways to detect pancreatic cancers earlier. The gift will also foster collaborations with other academic medical centers and research companies in the U.S. and abroad.

“Bonnie’s gift will help us build the infrastructure to identify new biomarkers and develop new genetic tests to catch these cancers earlier,” Kupfer said. “Without philanthropic support from donors like Bonnie, we wouldn’t have the resources to get this important work off the ground.”

Through enhanced detection and close monitoring, Kupfer and her team can catch early signs of pancreatic cancer, and more lives may be saved.

“I feel very fortunate to have UChicago Medicine as my local medical center, where I have access to physician-scientists like Dr. Kupfer who are such brilliant thought leaders,” Rothman said.

Bonnie Rothman’s grandmother, Mary Landis, left, and her mother, Nancy Fry (with her husband, Barry). Both women died of pancreatic cancer.

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Don’t wait.

Get the healthcare you need. » Well-woman care with access to specialist expertise » Safe in-person appointments or secure video visits available » Extended weekday and Saturday hours in select locations LOCATIONS Chicago — Hyde Park, South Loop and River East Flossmoor • Harvey • Hinsdale • New Lenox • Orland Park Schererville • Tinley Park

SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TODAY. Call 773-702-6118 or visit UChicagoMedicine.org/womens-health