Houston Methodist Foundation Annual Report 2023

HOUSTON METHODIST

HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

UNLOCKING MEDICAL DISCOVERIES TOGETHER

CHANGEMAKERS AT WORK

Susan Coulter, Dr. Marc L. Boom and Flynn Andrizzi

It’s been said that the only constant is change. With a mission to provide unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation to our patients, we continually refine and improve the research, treatments and approaches we employ. In fact, our very understanding of many diseases and conditions is ever changing. As you will read in the following pages, we are making great strides in battling neurodegenerative disorders, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and training future oncologic leaders to attack cancer with groundbreaking new therapies.

Much of this progress is made possible by dedicated philanthropists who make selfless gifts to relieve suffering, improve lives and help shape the future of medicine. One example of the impact of such gifts is the endowments that help us attract and retain the superstars of tomorrow. In addition to education, training and professional development for nurses, physicians and scientists, endowed positions provide protected time from clinical practice so they can pursue critical translational research.

Philanthropic support is also helping to accelerate the speed of medical advances, particularly in areas like robotics and imaging — where change happens in months, not years. We are delighted with the establishment of a thriving hub for such progress: The Bookout Center for Medical Innovation, Technology, Research and Education in the Houston Methodist Academic Institute. As you will learn in our cover story, we are also thrilled that a recent gift from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation will increase the number of Katz Investigators to further elevate discovery. Additionally, critical support from The John M. O’Quinn Foundation will provide essential resources to aid in our work against neurodegenerative disorders.

We closed 2023 with another significant change. After 13 years of exceptional leadership, Susan Coulter, JD, retired as president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation.

During her tenure, Susan oversaw the creation of the Translational Research Initiative funds, shepherded a transformational gift from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation, and was the catalyst for the single largest gift in the hospital’s history from Rusty and Paula Walter. As you read this, Susan is likely on a golf course somewhere or enjoying family time with her husband, three children and their spouses, and three granddaughters.

Our path forward is an exciting one. I am pleased to introduce you to the foundation’s new president and CEO, Flynn Andrizzi, PhD. Flynn has been a leader in philanthropy for three decades and came to us from the Hoag Hospital Foundation in Newport Beach, California, where he served as president from 2010-23. Prior leadership positions included senior vice president and chief development officer at the University of Iowa Foundation and vice president for institutional advancement at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Flynn also held top fundraising positions at the University of Utah. Flynn and his wife, Alison, are wonderful additions to our Houston Methodist family, and I hope you will join me in welcoming them.

MARC L. BOOM, MD PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

ELLA FONDREN AND JOSIE ROBERTS PRESIDENTIAL

DISTINGUISHED CENTENNIAL CHAIR

HOUSTON METHODIST

FOUNDATIONS of OUR GROWTH

A HEART for HOUSTON

Charles Darwin once noted, “A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.” Such is the story of the 50-year history shared between Houston Methodist, Claud and Marie Hamill, and The Hamill Foundation, the milestones of which read like a timeline of the hospital’s remarkable growth.

A keen and prudent Houston oilman, Claud Hamill served on the board of then Methodist Hospital from 1941-49. His relationship-focused style in both business and altruism was key when he and William N. Blanton approached fellow philanthropist Hugh Roy Cullen in 1945 to secure a $1 million gift that would ensure the hospital’s relocation to the fledgling Texas Medical Center.

In 1969, Claud and beloved wife Marie created the philanthropic foundation that would bear their own legacy for decades to come as well as help launch Houston Methodist’s Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center and the hospital’s first transplant program.

“They wanted to make Houston great,” says Tom Brown, longtime grants director at The Hamill Foundation. “Mr. Hamill made philanthropic decisions the same way he made oil deals: He knew who he was partnering with inside and out. It was all about personal connection.”

Today, Brown and fellow directors Bill Miller, Charlie Read, Charlie Snider and Barbara Strobel assure that the Hamills’ vision for a better future takes root in some of Houston’s most revered nonprofits, including

Highlighting those philanthropic foundations whose enduring friendship and visionary partnership have laid the groundwork for Houston Methodist’s growth for more than a century

Houston Methodist. In 2023, the foundation granted $13.2 million to more than 85 Houston organizations.

What this mission has meant for Houston Methodist is inestimable. Substantial giving has helped build programs benefitting stroke education, nursing excellence and bereavement intervention, while the foundation’s longstanding support of comprehensive urologic health and neurodegenerative disease research carries far-reaching implications for the future of care.

“Through the generosity of The Hamill Foundation, we’ve launched multiple clinical trials, including a vaccine for recurrent prostate cancer,” says Dr. Brian J. Miles, the Centennial Chair in Urologic Oncology in the Houston Methodist Department of Urology. “Hamill directors realize that it’s not enough to treat urologic conditions — we must be totally invested in the outcome of that treatment as well, including quality of life.”

Foundation funding established the Houston Methodist Men’s Comprehensive Health Initiative in 2016, followed by seed funding for a companion Urology Clinic for Women in 2023. The purpose of both is to provide best-in-class treatment and survivorship care for sensitive urologic issues, pairing with related care in cardiology, endocrinology and wellness. Support for an Advanced Urologic Imaging Center will also mean innovative diagnostic and therapeutic imaging to aid in treatment of urologic cancers and challenging female urologic issues.

Dr. Stanley H. Appel, the Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Chair in ALS Research and director of the Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics, appreciates shared vision as well. Both physician and friend to Marie Hamill during her courageous fight against Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Appel’s own translational research has benefitted from Hamill Foundation giving for more than a decade.

Brown points out that the common goals and mutual respect that have driven a philanthropic friendship spanning a half-century have also spurred physician-patient bonds between foundation members and trusted Houston Methodist health care partners. Speaking to the genuine care shown both inside and outside hospital walls, he adds, “We feel that when you work at Houston Methodist, it’s not just a job — it’s a ministry.”

“The Hamill Foundation’s continuing support for and confidence in our mission to enhance the quality of life for our deserving patients with ALS and other neurological illness sends an all-important message of hope.”

— DR. STANLEY H. APPEL

Honoring a half-century of friendship, Tom Brown, Charlie Read and Dr. Brian J. Miles visit at The St. Regis Houston Hotel

MEDICINE IN MOTION

JEROLD B. KATZ FOUNDATION SUPPORT ELEVATES RESEARCH TO NEW HEIGHTS

Science is full of vexing unknowns. Remarkable advances in medical imaging allow neurologists to diagnose dementia earlier than ever, but there is still no cure for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The root cause of artery-clogging plaque may affect how a doctor decides to clear it, but best practice in the case of patients with diabetes remains a mystery. And why do people living in certain parts of Texas get cancer at higher rates than others? A tangle of contributing factors is difficult to unravel and even harder to address. Houston Methodist physicians and scientists appointed to the Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research search for answers to these and other medical mysteries to make life longer — and healthier — for us all.

The generosity of Nicole and Evan H. Katz drives medical breakthroughs at Houston Methodist

Translational Research on the Rise

The Katz Academy was established in 2016 with a significant gift from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation to recruit and retain the world’s most promising scientists in health care. Although such philanthropic support often is directed toward research in a specific field, funding from the Katz Academy strategically empowers eligible researchers from any medical specialty to be nominated for consideration. The group of multidisciplinary physician-researchers selected to serve as Katz Investigators receives five years of support to develop groundbreaking studies and trials for a wide variety of biomedical challenges. Each researcher retains the Investigator title throughout his or her career.

Fundamental to translational research is delivering important discoveries to patients as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible — a major goal for all Katz Investigators. In 2023, the Jerold B. Katz Foundation recommitted to this aim and expanded the Katz Academy from eight to a total of 12 awardees. The Foundation’s generous contribution to this endowment not only ensures the Katz Academy’s longevity but also increases the steady and flexible funding provided to current awardees.

When asked about the inspiration for their generosity, Evan H. Katz, president of the Jerold B. Katz Foundation and an officer of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute Board, explains, “Research is a journey of discovery, an uncertain voyage of successes and failures — Katz Investigators are our modern-day explorers, fueled by a passion to find clues hidden, complex and unique.”

Katz adds, “Medical breakthroughs are a part of the heritage at Houston Methodist.” The kind of targeted investment made by the Jerold B. Katz Foundation is what fuels those breakthroughs.

As Katz Investigators, Drs. Matthew D. Cykowski and Trisha Roy delve into research that could improve and save lives

“The Katz family has been the largest benefactor to the Houston Methodist Academic Institute in its history,” says Dr. H. Dirk Sostman, the Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair and president and CEO of the Academic Institute. “They have helped Houston Methodist bring innovative treatments and pathbreaking medical devices to patients as quickly as possible. This is the very essence of what translational medicine means.”

Reaching New Heights in Health and Longevity

On any given day, you might find Katz Investigator Dr. Trisha Roy in an operating theater at The Bookout

Center for Medical Innovation, Technology, Research and Education testing how commercial lasers clear peripheral arterial blockages (mostly in the legs), some as tough as a copper penny. Dr. Roy’s challenge lies in the precision needed to break up this plaque — without also breaking the delicate blood vessel wall.

As a materials engineer, vascular surgeon, imaging specialist and wound care physician, she is clearly the right person for the job.

Though 1 million procedures are performed each year to open up blood vessels, 70% of patients are back within a year for further peripheral artery disease treatment, in part because the devices used

the first time were either inappropriate or inefficient. With support from the Katz Academy, Dr. Roy partners with commercial entities to better understand how available devices can be improved while also developing gentler balloons and precision catheters in her own lab.

Since her appointment to the Katz Academy in 2020, Dr. Roy’s and her team’s transformative findings have had an immediate impact on the medical community and in patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease. In fact, their development of a novel method for using advanced MRI technology means that they can view details otherwise missed with conventional approaches. This safe, radiation-free technique not only enables more personalized care and helps mitigate the risks inherent in invasive procedures but also puts Houston Methodist at the forefront of the vascular surgery f ield.

Like Dr. Roy, Katz Investigator Dr. Matthew D. Cykowski is a triple threat in medicine: an excellent clinician, superb educator and talented scientist. Dr. Cykowski rose to prominence through the prestigious Houston Methodist Academic Institute Clinical Scholars program after completing his neuropathology fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital. He now conducts cutting-edge research on degenerative brain diseases in the Academic Institute.

With a special interest in dementia and ALS, Dr. Cykowski studies diseases that are at epidemic levels in our country and globally — and which are bound to increase in frequency and prominence due to the aging population. During his research and clinical fellowships, he investigated a molecule that becomes dysfunctional at the early stages of multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Thanks to his appointment as a Katz Investigator in 2023, Dr. Cykowski can build on his discovery and pursue implications of his research findings. Understanding and potentially targeting this protein in patients could be a transformational treatment for many.

Funding the Next Steps for Patients and Their Physicians

The Katz Academy promotes solutions to pressing problems in health care across fields and enables Investigators to focus their research efforts on potentially lifesaving discoveries without the continuous stress of applying for external funding. In addition, through their ongoing work and support from the Katz Academy, the first two Katz Investigators appointed are today full professors who have been awarded endowed chair positions.

JEROLD B. KATZ ACADEMY OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH INVESTIGATORS

2018 | Nestor F. Esnaola, MD, MPH, MBA, FACS

2019 | Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH

2020 | Trisha Roy, MD, PhD, FRCSC

2021 | Rodney J. Folz, MD, PhD, ATSF

2022 | Tariq Shafi, MD, MHS

2023 | Sadeer G. Al-Kindi, MD, FACC

2023 | Jimmy D. Gollihar, PhD

2023 | Matthew D. Cykowski, MD

SPOTLIGHT ON THE SCIENCE

Katz Investigator Jimmy D. Gollihar, PhD, is head of the Antibody Discovery and Accelerated Protein Therapeutics (ADAPT) laboratory, which played a pivotal role in Houston Methodist’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, his group contributed to screening convalescent plasma, identifying neutralizing monoclonal antibodies from patient samples and uncovering mechanisms of immune escape by the virus. Gollihar recognized early in the pandemic that a lack of SARS-CoV-2 antigen created an international bottleneck for the development of diagnostics and therapeutics for COVID-19. To mitigate these concerns, his group created stable cell lines and led the mass production of the “spike” antigen, which was used to screen convalescent plasma for treatment of critically ill patients at Houston Methodist, enabling lifesaving treatment.

These positions not only confer prestige but also protect research time for Dr. Nestor F. Esnaola, the Diane Harkins Modesett Chair at the Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center, and Dr. Khurram Nasir, the William A. Zoghbi, MD Centennial Chair in Cardiovascular Health.

After being selected as a Katz Investigator, Dr. Nasir began building a dynamic Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness Program that has succeeded in attracting top-tier talent and allowing for pursuit of detailed studies aimed at intercepting cardiovascular events at their inception. His work extends beyond traditional boundaries — shedding light on the deep impact of social and environmental inequities on health risks — and includes use of digital health programs that leverage big data analytics and foster cross-discipline partnership.

By focusing on translation instead of a specific disease area, the Katz Academy supports experts across fields and impacts multiple areas of medicine at Houston Methodist and beyond.

“It was important to our family to lay a foundation that would provide a lasting resource to find better treatments, improve quality of life and, ultimately, give hope to patients who previously had none.”

— EVAN H. KATZ

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

Research Shapes the Future

No one is surprised to be prescribed antibiotics for strep throat or administered anesthesia prior to knee surgery. Though these medical miracles are now taken for granted, both existed as unproven theories that required research and investment before becoming part of mainstream practice.

With the support and commitment of its philanthropic community, Houston Methodist physicians and scientists incorporate groundbreaking laboratory research into life-altering clinical practice every day.

So we can all envision a day when neurodegenerative conditions are managed with medicine, when cancer cells are routinely reprogrammed to self-destruct, when artificial intelligence detects disease at ever-earlier stages — and when these and other emergent advances move from the complex to the commonplace.

This is the promise of translational medicine at Houston Methodist.

BUTTERFLY FROM THE DARKNESS

THE DUNN FOUNDATION MEETS HARDSHIP WITH A HUMAN TOUCH

The so-called “butterfly effect” is a collision of science and theory. It suggests that the slightest variance in the conditions surrounding an event can radically affect its outcome. On a rainy day in March 1963, a twin-engine plane went down near Andrau Airpark in West Houston. The singular conditions of the incident — including a father’s profound love for his son — would set off a cascade of events whose ripples today benefit thousands of patients in Houston and beyond.

“I didn’t volunteer to go down in that plane,” says John S. “Steve” Dunn, Jr., of his decision that day to visit Houston before returning to law school at The University of Texas. “It changed the trajectory of not only my life but also my family’s, particularly my father’s.”

Steve suffered burns over 75 percent of his body in the crash. The hours following were a blur of pain and motion, but he recalls the presence of his father at his side during the excruciating ambulance ride from Spring Branch to the Texas Medical Center (TMC).

John S. Dunn, a prominent businessman and founder of the eponymous insurance firm, was deeply affected by his son’s anguish on that jolting ride. A man of action inspired by humble roots, John eventually would have Steve transferred to Houston Methodist for essential — and at times pioneering — burn care. He then worked with acclaimed TMC surgeon Dr. James “Red” Duke to make Houston home to the second critical care “air med” service in the nation, known today as Life Flight® .

Father and son never forgot the care received at Houston Methodist. Today, the John S. Dunn Foundation and the institution share a 35 -year history of realizing life-changing advances in science and education.

“We put a great deal of confidence in Houston Methodist because we consider it the best of the best in multidisciplinary care,” says longtime foundation board officer David Key. In fact, a transformational gift in 1987 prompted the naming of the John S. Dunn Tower, which at the time established the hospital’s status as the largest private teaching hospital in the country.

“The generosity of the John S. Dunn Foundation exemplifies the transformational impact that is possible through philanthropy. To a person, its board members have helped write the history — and the future — of Houston.”

— SUSAN COULTER, JD FORMER PRESIDENT AND CEO HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Since then, the Dunn Foundation has funded nine endowed positions at Houston Methodist — the most of any single philanthropic organization — ranging from a hallmark investment in brain cancer research to support for behavioral health, cardiac care, biomedical informatics and orthopedic surgery. A recent gift also established the John S. Dunn Foundation Advancing Nursing Excellence Award to recognize exemplary early-career nurses. Trustee Terri Lacy explains that staying engaged with hospital leadership on current channels of need and conducting annual visits with Dunn chairholders keep foundation members plugged in to progress.

Perhaps the foundation’s most visible fingerprint in recent years lies in the Eva Lynn and John S. Dunn, Jr.

Center for Research and Education in Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery — and a 2023 gift to enhance the center through the addition of the Eva Lynn and John S. Dunn, Jr. New Century Chair in Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery, currently held by Dr. Michael J. Klebuc. The center pairs world-class research with residency programs to bring young physicians together with leading minds in the field, including Dr. Klebuc — whose work in advanced microsurgery has made him a global authority in facial nerve reconstruction.

“Reconstructive microsurgery is a discipline that allows a surgeon to move large volumes of tissue from one part of the body to another and ‘hook up’ the nerves and

ENDOWED CHAIRS & PROFESSORSHIPS

blood vessels to allow muscles and nerves to function again,” explains Dr. Jeffrey D. Friedman, the Cathy and Ed Frank Centennial Chair in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and division chief of reconstructive surgery.

“We owe much of our academic and clinical success to Steve and Eva Lynn and the Dunn Foundation, who recognize the complexity and importance of such procedures — allowing us to bring new therapies and medical devices to patients,” he continues.

“It’s almost mind-boggling what we see doctors of this caliber accomplish,” says Charles Lusk III, Dunn Foundation board president. “The bottom line is that we see the great things that they are doing with the support they receive.”

Eva Lynn Dunn, Steve’s wife, would be the first to agree. In 2014, she underwent lifesaving surgery that required a simultaneous microsurgical procedure by Dr. Friedman. Of her care and interaction with the surgical team, she says, “They are just as fine people as they are surgeons.”

These days, the couple acknowledges the delicate balance of living life with gratitude, just as the ephemeral butterfly dances on each new day’s breeze. Together, they hold to the mantra Make something good come out of everything. More than 60 years after the accident that nearly claimed his life, Steve reflects:

“My dad taught me that. I am very proud of him for making a difference.”

The Dunn Foundation has funded nine endowed positions at Houston Methodist — the most of any single philanthropic organization — ranging from a hallmark investment in brain cancer research to support for mental health, cardiac care, bioinformatics and orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Michael J. Klebuc holds the Eva Lynn and John S. Dunn, Jr. New Century Chair in Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery

THE BEAT GOES ON

GIFT ACCELERATES CARDIOVASCULAR DATA ANALYTICS

“You may find this surprising, but there are remarkable synergies between the oil and gas industry and the cardiovascular system,” says Dr. Alan B. Lumsden of the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. “Whether you’re talking about pumping blood through the human body or drilling to extract oil from the ocean floor, it really comes down to fluid dynamics.”

Indeed, these similarities are what initially brought Dr. Lumsden, the Walter W. Fondren III Presidential Distinguished Chair and chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, together with retired petroleum engineer and oil field executive Bob Allison. The two met through Pumps & Pipes, a Houston Methodist DeBakey CV Education initiative that unites top minds from Houston’s medical, energy

and aerospace industries for an annual field day of collaboration, idea exchange and problem-solving.

The ensuing friendship, forged over crossindustry intuition and curiosity, has proved a boon to heart patients worldwide.

Since 2007, Bob and wife Carolyn have helped to elevate cardiovascular care at Houston Methodist through gifts from The Carolyn J. and Robert J. Allison, Jr. Family Foundation. Support for vital endowed research positions has paired with funding for physician assistant residencies, surgical robotics simulation training and a renowned education platform that shares medical progress with practitioners across the globe. The Allisons’ most recent gift, though, marks a new chapter in personalized health care.

“Computational medicine is rapidly coming to the forefront of cardiovascular research and clinical care,” says Dr. Lumsden, speaking of the predictive analytics program the Allisons’ newest gift will set in motion. “Advanced data analysis allows us to study readmission rates, complication factors and mortality data to inform immediate and long-term care plans.”

If medicine, by its very nature, culminates in a mountain of collective data, then surgical practice is likely its peak. From the medical history and vitals that accompany a patient into the operating room to the copious data points collected through surgery and recovery, big data allows physicians to develop quantitative models of disease and best-practice care. Applied to individual patients, these models offer a mathematical window into improved diagnostics and better prediction of disease progression and care outcomes.

The Allisons’ gift will benefit Dr. Lumsden’s team through the Allison Family Cardiovascular Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Endowment as well as the addition of a computational scientist who will interface with surgeons to build on patientspecific, algorithm-based models.

“The groundbreaking research and good work Dr. Lumsden and his team are already doing has resulted in safer and less invasive procedures,” says Bob. “The engineer in me is pleased to see mathematics playing such an important role in allowing scientists to investigate areas beyond the scope of traditional research.”

As for strengthening an internationally recognized program whose surgeons perform more than 1,600 cardiovascular procedures a year, Dr. Lumsden adds, “The ability to leverage data accurately enables us to study trends and preempt complications before they occur.”

The Allisons say their support of Houston Methodist is a matter of the heart. Concludes Bob, “The Lord has been good to us, and we want to share with people who are doing good around the world, including Houston Methodist.”

REALIZING BIG DREAMS

SHARED OUTLOOK SPURS GOODWILL

Dr. Pedro T. Ramirez dreams big. As chair of the Houston Methodist Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, he envisions a world where women receive the care they need throughout their lives, regardless of social status, age or ethnicity. A world where that care includes novel therapeutics like molecular targeting to define personalized treatments for cancer. Where enhanced recovery after surgery improves patient outcomes. And where innovative treatments borne out of cutting-edge research bring knowledge and understanding to new heights.

Women in the U.S. currently trail their counterparts in other high-income countries in terms of health status. In fact, women’s health disparities were cited as a public health priority by the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Research on Women’s Health. Disproportionately affected by issues such as chronic pain, autoimmune diseases, depression, osteoporosis and dementia, American women also face a rising frequency of maternal morbidity and mortality.

These surprising statistics were what prompted Elaine Finger’s generous decision to partner with Dr. Ramirez by establishing the Elaine W. Finger Distinguished New Century Chair in Women’s Health — a position that will enable Dr. Ramirez to grow the department’s reach and breadth.

“Elaine and I share a vision for women’s health. Her gift allows us to expand the scope of our research and identify new ways to tackle the health conditions that are unique to women,” says Dr. Ramirez. “We are extremely grateful.”

Finger has been involved in advancing women’s health since she co-chaired a Houston Methodist

luncheon at which former first lady Barbara Bush spoke on inequities in women’s health care. For nearly 20 years, Elaine and her late husband, Marvy Finger, committed their resources toward medical advances at Houston Methodist. With this first gift since his untimely death in 2022, Finger was intent on making another meaningful contribution toward health care.

“Dr. Ramirez’s extensive research background demonstrates a level of curiosity and insight that offers real promise in the field of women’s health,” says Finger. “I’m looking forward to these issues getting more of the attention they deserve.”

The new endowed position will home in on gaps in care and the need for an increase in women’s health studies. Dr. Ramirez’s plan includes ensuring patients receive timely, seamless care as well as benefit from a robust research program targeting female-specific conditions and effective diagnostic and treatment options. Ultimately, Finger and Dr. Ramirez foresee the creation of a comprehensive women’s wellness center that provides women of all ages and backgrounds with powerful education and prevention tools, including mental health and wellness resources.

Finger reveals that what excites her most about philanthropy — besides the chance to influence medical progress — is her participation on various trustee boards, including the Houston Methodist Academic Institute board.

“It really is exhilarating to be in the same room with diverse peers, all working toward the same mission and goals,” she reflects. “There’s nothing like working together on a shared cause.”

Dr. Pedro T. Ramirez and Elaine Finger take a moment to catch up at Houston Methodist Hospital

MEANING OF LIFE THE

COMBATTING NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES WITH HEART AND COMMITMENT

As they were discussing wellness on the way to a Houston Texans football game one fall morning, John M. O’Quinn told his longtime business partner and foundation trustee Rob Wilson III, “At some time, I want to give a meaningful gift to Houston Methodist — that’s number one on my list.”

Discovering meaning and purpose in life energized O’Quinn. He rose from a modest start to graduate first in his class at the University of Houston Law Center before becoming one of the most sought-after plaintiffs’ attorneys in the country. Driven by a powerful sense of justice and the desire to change lives for the better, O’Quinn represented the underserved in his professional life and championed societal advances in education, health care, the environment and services for underprivileged youth through the eponymous foundation he created in 1986.

O’Quinn’s admiration for Houston Methodist in life translated to philanthropic support following his unexpected passing in 2009, including endowments establishing The John M. O’Quinn Centennial Chair in Concussion Research and Care in 2018 and The John M. O’Quinn Foundation Presidential Distinguished Chair in Neurology in 2021. His stated intention from that fall morning, though, truly became a reality in 2023, when The O’Quinn Foundation made a transformational gift — one of the largest gifts made by the foundation since his death — to Houston Methodist to support research, education and patient services across a full spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders.

“We’re very passionate about brain research,” says Wilson, O’Quinn’s friend of three decades and now president of the foundation. Wilson adds that members of the foundation and their families know firsthand the impacts of neurological diseases.

The recent philanthropic investment establishes The John M. O’Quinn Foundation Neurodegenerative Disorders Laboratory, through which an interdisciplinary team of neurologists and neuroscientists in the Houston Methodist Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology conducts innovative research, runs clinical trials and develops new treatments for disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, peripheral neuropathies, ataxia and Parkinson’s disease. The gift will support ongoing and new research as well as help attract the brightest in the field thanks to the creation of two endowed chairs for neurodegenerative disorders research and an endowed fellowship.

A confluence of factors makes this research an urgent matter. The World Health Organization projects the number of people over age 65 will at least double in 30 years, resulting in a larger population most at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, these conditions are among the most complex due to a wide range of potential causes — or none at all — a variety of symptoms, and few to no biomarkers that can be accurately and reproducibly measured.

GLOBALLY, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OVER 65 WILL AT LEAST DOUBLE IN 30

YEARS

Furthermore, mild cognitive impairment is often dismissed as a byproduct of the aging process rather than a potential precursor to disease, thereby missing opportunities for early intervention.

In addition, attracting and training the next generation of neurologists and neuroscientists has become a pressing issue. While the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases increases, the U.S. already faces an 18% shortage of neurologists. This philanthropic support will enable the Neurodegenerative Disorders Laboratory to train young talent in exploring biomarkers, molecular targets for therapeutics and more in the decades to come.

18%

SHORTAGE OF NEUROLOGISTS IN THE U.S.

“As our population continues to live longer, it’s critical to help now,” says Wilson. He points out that O’Quinn was determined to make an investment that could profoundly change lives. “Houston Methodist is best positioned to do that by improving the quality of life for those suffering from these diseases with treatments and, ultimately, cures.”

The investment made by The O’Quinn Foundation is critical to accelerating research and treatment discoveries to outpace the increasing number of people affected by the diseases. Although cures are currently elusive, treatments for some neurodegerative disorders, as well as promising research and clinical trials, are underway at Houston Methodist.

For example, the use of anti-inflammatory mediators in cell therapy to combat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis demonstrates that this novel type of cell therapy could slow or even arrest the course of the disease.

Houston Methodist researchers are also studying whether lecanemab — a recently FDA-approved drug shown to slow the progression of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease — can prevent this form of dementia if given to predisposed people before symptoms develop. Clinical trial results for a similar medication, donanemab, are also very promising.

Studies also suggest that the use of high-resolution, high-contrast, quantitative MRI could be useful in providing noninvasive and objective biomarkers in the evaluation of peripheral neuropathies.

When speaking of O’Quinn, Wilson likens his late friend to a modern-day Robin Hood on a mission to make a difference. Thanks to the ongoing philanthropic investment by the foundation, the Department of Neurology can continue its meaningful work combatting diseases of the brain.

And time is of the essence. Indeed, Wilson chuckles as he envisions what O’Quinn would say about the gift: “Why didn’t you do this five years ago?”

TRAINING & EDUCATION

Setting the Future in Motion

Every first-rate physician begins as a resident new to the field. It takes expert instruction, hands-on learning and attentive mentorship to train the leaders who will change the medicine of tomorrow. When these bright young minds meet top clinicianscientists, the result is novel research and scholarly activity that benefit not only student and teacher but also society at large. For patients, this means broader access to expert providers and the kind of highly specialized care only available at academic medical institutions.

At Houston Methodist, philanthropic support enhances a competitive graduate medical education program that hosts nearly 400 high-achieving residents and fellows each year. With partners including Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston and Rice University, Houston Methodist’s education programs pique the imagination and power innovation. Together, we all drive the translational research that sparks solutions.

GENERATIONS of GENEROSITY

BRINGING SURGERY INTO THE FUTURE

Medicine is advancing more rapidly now than ever, protecting us from once ubiquitous diseases and curing illnesses before they become debilitating. Still, many common issues can be addressed only by a medical intervention more than 6,000 years old: surgery .

At Houston Methodist, this ancient practice stands at the forefront of change thanks to a transformational gift from longtime supporters Ann and John F. Bookout III to establish The Bookout Center for Medical Innovation, Technology, Research and Education.

The Bookout Center is an advanced, state-of-the-art surgical training and technology innovation facility. The training mission includes all levels of surgeons, from students to practicing experts. The innovation mission is dedicated to development of robotic, imaging and digital surgery platforms. Translational research and education programs at the world-class center are focused on precise, efficient and personalized surgical interventions for enhanced patient care and improved outcomes.

The Bookout Center builds on the work of the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education (MITIESM), which John’s father, John F. Bookout, Jr., helped conceive in 2007 to enable health care professionals to learn and hone surgical and clinical skills using virtual and advanced technologies. Each year, approximately 6,000 Houston Methodist medical trainees visit MITIE to augment their learning through hands-on education. “Everybody needs to be retrained at some point, and the best way to do that is in a learning environment,” says John F. Bookout III, former chair and current member of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute Board. “It’s a really special place.”

“The Bookout Center continues the tradition of innovation that Mr. Bookout — who is 101 years old and

“The

Bookout

Center continues the tradition of innovation that Mr. Bookout helped make possible. It is inspiring to see Ann and John carry on his legacy.”

— DR. MARC L. BOOM

Simulation Specialist Robert Schnur (left) and Sr. Simulation Specialist Hajar Abdellaoui (far right) demonstrate to John F. III and Ann H. Bookout highly specialized tools used in precision robotic-assisted surgery

an active member of the Houston Methodist board — helped make possible,” says Dr. Marc L. Boom, Ella Fondren and Josie Roberts Presidential Distinguished Centennial Chair and president and CEO of Houston Methodist.

“It is inspiring to see Ann and John carry on his legacy.”

Indeed, it is difficult to speak about Houston Methodist’s history without mentioning the Bookout name. The family’s contributions toward innovation and education for the next generation of medical experts abound.

“The Bookout family’s help has allowed our faculty to investigate new avenues for developing technologies that will create better, safer outcomes for our patients,” says Dr. H. Dirk Sostman, Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair and president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute.

More than 15 million Americans undergo surgery every year. Whether to remove an inflamed appendix, replace an arthritic joint or excise a cancerous tumor, surgeries carry a certain amount of risk. The Bookout Center aims to mitigate these risks by supporting medical professionals at all levels and specialties as they refine and retool their surgical skills in simulated, highly realistic environments using resources such as high-resolution imaging and diagnostics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and robotics.

“ When you use robots, it’s all about data generation,” says Dr. Alan B. Lumsden, Walter W. Fondren III

Presidential Distinguished Chair in the DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, executive director of MITIE and medical director of The Bookout Center. “In medicine today, we have something we’ve never seen before in terms of data production and generation, and we need to leverage that.” Adds John F. Bookout III, “We can use that data to devise next-generation care that anticipates problems rather than reacting to them.”

“We foresee extended reality and spatial computing having a pivotal impact on surgical technology, education and training,” says Stuart J. Corr, PhD, director of innovation engineering and associate professor at the center. To achieve this goal, the center also will engage mechanical engineers, computational scientists and clinicians with an interest in robotics.

With academic excellence and expert training in mind, the Bookouts also endowed two positions.

The John F. III and Ann H. Bookout New Century Presidential Distinguished Chair in Medical Innovation and Research and the John F. III and Ann H. Bookout

Centennial Distinguished Chair will ensure the center recruits and retains top-caliber talent for generations to come.

“I envision The Bookout Center as a beacon for discovery,” says John F. Bookout III. “It’s been a journey that has brought many people together. We’ve now got the right leadership in place and are excited for the breakthroughs we can achieve together.”

Architects of ingenuity: Stuart J. Corr, PhD, Dr. Alan B. Lumsden and Dr. H. Dirk Sostman

Dr. William A. Zoghbi shares with Lois E. Davis his plans for a fellowship in women’s cardiovascular health

TAKE HEART

BRINGING WOMEN’S CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

FRONT AND CENTER

A marathon runner experiences shortness of breath and indigestion while playing with her children. Should she chalk up her discomfort to stress or check in with a cardiologist? If she’s like the majority of American women, she might miss these potential early signs of a heart attack.

“Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America,” says Lois E. Davis. “But it is such a silent killer that women are often unaware they’re at risk.” The Lois E. and Carl A. Davis Women’s Heart Health Fellowship Endowment in the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center is designed to change that, improving care for women and bringing more doctors to the field.

“There is a common misconception, even among medical professionals, that cardiovascular disease is less prevalent in women; it is not,” says Dr. William A. Zoghbi, The Elkins Family Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Health.

“This endowment will help Houston Methodist attract early-career physicians — most notably women, who are currently underrepresented — to focus on women’s heart health.”

Even as the rate of heart attacks has decreased among older individuals, women between the ages of 35 and 54 are having heart attacks more frequently. Despite this uptick, they remain less likely to see a cardiologist. Since key warning signs, like extreme exhaustion and jaw pain, are less common in men, they are often overlooked. According to a 2022 American Heart Association report, only 22% of physicians and 42% of cardiologists said they felt prepared to assess heart disease in women.

“We have many women in the family,” says Davis. “With two daughters, a sister, four nieces, grandnieces and granddaughters, this is very close to my heart. I’m really excited about what Dr. Zoghbi has planned.”

Thanks to Davis’ generosity, clinicians and physician-researchers who prioritize women’s heart health will now receive dedicated training and mentorship to better understand and discern women’s unique cardiovascular health needs.

Scan here to learn more about heart attack warning signs in women

CULTIVATING TALENT

PHILANTHROPIC DREAM FUELS CAREER ADVANCEMENT AT HOUSTON METHODIST CLEAR LAKE

Monica Millican first glimpsed the collective benefit of generosity as a child visiting Hermann Park’s green expanses. “After learning that a donor gave that wonderful park to Houston, I felt determined to become a philanthropist,” she recalls. “It truly became a lifelong goal.”

Today, native Houstonians Monica and husband Larry Millican know well the joy of generous giving to change lives. Their gift to create the Monica and Larry Millican Education Endowment to support entry- and mid-level employees seeking to advance their careers at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital is one example.

With the intent of helping to retain health care talent and keeping employees from feeling stagnant in their professional roles, the endowment will cover education costs including scholarships, tuition, and book and lab fees. In addition, internal career planning will pair with initiatives targeting high school students in programs that foster community connection and help cultivate a talent pool for careers in health care.

“College isn’t for everyone — it wasn’t for us,” Monica says. “But if an employee can earn accreditations to move into health care or a more advanced position at Houston Methodist, we’d like this gift to help them do that.”

The Millicans both began working in their teens, building successful careers in real estate, the mortgage industry and property management. Given her longstanding dream of helping the community at large, it was only natural that Monica found herself involved in several local nonprofit organizations. At Houston Methodist Clear Lake (and a community hospital that preceded it), she served on the ethics committee and governing board, chairing the latter. Passionate about health care and effecting change, Monica gave of her time and talent in nearly 20 years of service to the institution.

“I’m guided by the Margaret Mead quote ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world,’ ” notes Monica.“Truly, never doubt the impact you can have on others’ lives.”

MONICA AND LARRY MILLICAN KNOW WELL THE JOY OF GENEROUS GIVING TO CHANGE LIVES

CENTER of GRAVITY

CANCER GIFT REFLECTS PHILANTHROPY ANCHORED BY HOPE

For Martha A. “Marty” Dudley, vice president and secretary of the Dudley Family Foundation, Houston has been a “center of gravity” since 1981. Though she lived away from Houston for business at various times, she returned to the city for good in 2021. Feeling settled, she sought to become more involved in the community and connected with Houston Methodist through friends and family.

Dudley was pleased to discover like minds in the leaders she encountered at Houston Methodist, noting a refreshingly common mindset. “First, take care of people,” she observes. “Then work to get ahead of health issues — to understand genetics and identify issues early to prevent serious problems. It’s a very health-forward strategy.”

She notes that her heart lies in what she describes as “things that make the trains run on time — the infrastructure.” So she began focusing on the fundamentals of education and research.

In 2022, the Dudley Family Foundation became a Founding Member of the Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist. Additional 2023 support for the Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center is dedicated to fellowships and the establishment of the Dudley Family Foundation Oncology Fellowship Endowment.

Making a point of personally connecting with the specialty areas she supports, Dudley has built a friendship with Dr. Jenny C. Chang, the Emily Herrmann Presidential

Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research and director of the Neal Cancer Center. An active member of the Houston Methodist President’s Leadership Council, Dudley hosted a gathering of Neal Cancer Center Council friends, including Dr. Chang and fellow members, at her home.

Dudley says she supports oncology research and education, in part, because of cancer’s prevalence.

“Cancer affects nearly every family somehow, but there’s hope in how enthusiastically Dr. Chang and her team speak about their work,” she explains. “It’s wonderful to be able to help world-class oncologists who are advancing the future of cancer medicine through research, medical education and academic training.”

Dr. Chang notes that the new fellowship endowment will enable the training of future leaders in oncology by supporting a rigorous graduate medical education program in the center. “This generous gift represents a pivotal factor in the realization of the center’s vision to prepare the next generation of medical oncologists, and I am extremely grateful,” Dr. Chang says. “Training graduate students in the lab and clinical fellows in medical practice means they walk the path of medical innovation as it flows from hypothesis to translational research to new clinical therapies.”

About the center, Dudley adds, “They’re helping patients, finding new answers, passing on expertise — their work is my future and yours. It means all the world to patients and their families for doctors to be empowered to accelerate their research to find cures and manage cancer faster.”

ANATOMY OF A FELLOWSHIP

Dr. Chidinma Ejikeme is a postdoctoral fellow in the field of pulmonary disease and critical care

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PULMONARY SUBSPECIALIST IN TRAINING

A little before 7 a.m., pulmonary and critical care fellow Dr. Chidinma Ejikeme works with an anesthesiologist to set up equipment and supplies for the first patient of the day. Together, they review the case and discuss an anesthesia plan.

When the patient arrives 30 minutes later, Dr. Ejikeme and other fellows assist — and learn — as the managing anesthesiologist administers medications, intubates the patient and monitors progress. It’s an intricate dance the young physician will partner in for seven more cases today, breaking only for a quick lunch before wrapping up patient care at about 4 p.m.

One of 372 Houston Methodist graduate medical education residents and fellows, Dr. Ejikeme is in her second year of a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in pulmonary disease and critical care. By subspecializing in this field, she aims to provide the most expert emergency medicine to patients suffering from ailments and diseases of the respiratory system, primarily of the lungs, trachea, diaphragm and related structures.

Through a primary national academic affiliation with Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston Methodist offers fellows a rotation of 13 “blocks” that span approximately four weeks each. Dr. Ejikeme is currently in the anesthesia and thoracic surgery rotation; about half of the rotations in her three-year fellowship are in her focus area. In the advanced pulmonary and critical care blocks, she serves as the junior attending physician, helping to manage the medical intensive care unit and the medical students who report to her.

“It’s exciting to perform as the attending physician that we aspire to be, and I love that,” she says with a smile.

Dr. Ejikeme’s interest in medicine began as a child in her native home of Nigeria, but her path to critical care medicine was paved by watching her dear “fun uncle” and her grandfather battle cancer. “I had planned to become a doctor, but I knew then that I really wanted to help people who were critically ill,” she relays.

While those experiences attracted her to the field, the appeal of working on a spectrum of diseases — from the common to the rare — and the chance to learn from professors on both national and international research trajectories were what drew her to Houston Methodist.

Training the next generation of experts to tackle health care’s toughest challenges is central to Houston Methodist’s identity as an independent academic medical center. “I’d choose Houston Methodist for my fellowship again — the kind of training we get here sets us apart,” Dr. Ejikeme says.

Indeed, her fellowship at Houston Methodist speaks to the future of medical innovation and discovery. “Our hope is to diagnose earlier and treat better using new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve mortality and morbidity rates in our patients,” she explains. “In the future, will we be able to see the blockage or other condition at a smaller size than we see it now and treat cancer earlier? I think in a few years we will be able to do that.”

BACK SADDLE IN THE

HIP SURGERY RESTORES MOBILITY, PROMPTS GIFT

An avid equestrian show jumper and Zumba® practitioner, Henrietta “Henri” Hall was accustomed to leaping out of bed. But one Friday morning, after months of increasing hip irritation, she was in too much pain to throw off the sheets and stand.

By Saturday, Henri was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital. On Monday, she underwent emergency double-hip replacement surgery performed by Dr. Stephen J. Incavo, section chief of adult reconstructive surgery at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.

“The work done in surgery was terrific, and we were so grateful that Dr. Incavo was able to operate on an emergency basis,” says Henri’s husband, Terence “Terry” Hall. “It’s amazing when your wife can’t get out of bed one day and then she’s on her feet again a few days later!”

“He gave me my life back,” says Henri, who used a walker in the initial weeks following surgery but has since returned to horseback riding and squat-lunge moves.

The couple matched their gratitude with generosity in 2023 with a gift to establish the Henrietta and Terence Hall Distinguished New Century Chair in Orthopedics. The endowed position will fund scholarly activities aimed at enhancing orthopedic care.

The support builds on the impact of a 2017 gift that created the Henrietta and Terence Hall Distinguished Centennial Chair in Orthopedic Surgery, which is held by Dr. Shari Liberman. A specialist in elbow and hand orthopedic surgery, Dr. Liberman had operated on Terry’s injured elbow and treated a staph infection he had developed in an out-of-state hospital.

“She’s just wonderful — down to earth and very talented,” Terry says about Dr. Liberman. “We’ve truly had all-around excellent experiences at Houston Methodist, from the doctors to the kind and attentive nurses. We hope that many others will make like-minded gifts so that this level of advanced care will continue long into the future.”

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Leading With Compassion

There’s so much more to health care than the treatment of illness and disease. Patients want to know that they’ve been heard and understood and that they have a trusted partner walking alongside them as they navigate uncertainty. Houston Methodist’s distinctive approach to wellness is centered on providing care for the body, mind and spirit, underscoring our imperative commitment to individualized, holistic care. Core values of integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence come to life in our patients’ health care journeys. While Houston Methodist leads medicine by integrating worldrenowned expertise with first-rate research and innovation, we do so by leading with compassion for our patients and their families. These are their stories.

BLENDING HEART & SCIENCE

GIFT HONORS COMMITMENT TO HOLISTIC HEALTH

Barbara and Rusty Schlattman are thankful to live in a northwest Houston community where world-class neurology and stroke care are readily available to family and friends in their local health care home of Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. The Department of Neurology at Houston Methodist Willowbrook offers leading medical experts, state-of-the-art neurosurgical facilities and advanced treatment options for neurological issues ranging from brain and spinal tumors to stroke, epilepsy, sleep disorders and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

“Having a full-service neurology care program in our suburban area has been transformational,” Barbara says. “We have quite a few friends suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and it affects the person and the entire family.” Rusty’s own family endured the difficult challenges of Alzheimer’s, and he has seen the effects of this terrible disease on patients and caregivers he has treated in his dental practice over the past 50 years.

In September 2023, the neurology department earned certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center from DNV Healthcare USA Inc. The prestigious title is awarded to institutions meeting rigorous criteria and offering the resources, infrastructure and expert staff to diagnose and treat the most complex stroke cases.

Apart from accolades, the Schlattmans appreciate Houston Methodist’s holistic approach to health care, which involves caring for not only the body but also the mind and spirit. In providing a generous gift to create the Barbara and Rusty Schlattman Neuroscience Endowment at Houston Methodist Willowbrook, the couple wishes to create a special memory care program and an environment that, together, help the entire family when a loved one is diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease.

“We want to bring together heart and science,” Barbara says. “I visualize a beautiful, serene place — a designated space where people who are suffering and their families will find help, comfort and peace.”

Barbara serves on the board of trustees of Houston Methodist Willowbrook and is active in the community. She and Rusty hope their gift will inspire others to join in their vision of a tranquil space where specialists understand that overall wellness includes nourishing the soul with holistic health and education resources.

“Houston Methodist Willowbrook is definitely on the right path,” Rusty says. “It’s been our family hospital for decades, and we are so proud of the ways it has grown and expanded. It’s a blessing for families to have neurology emergency and long-term care so close to home.”

Keith Barber, CEO of Houston Methodist Willowbrook, agrees. “We are profoundly grateful to our remarkable community members, Barbara and Rusty. Their unwavering support and boundless generosity have lit the path for us to embark on a transformative journey to confront challenging neurological diagnoses in a way that empowers both patient and caregiver to embrace a life defined by hope and resilience.”

Barbara concludes, “Anything we can do to help the caregiver and give dignity to the patient is vital. We want to ensure they are respected, nurtured and given the best quality of life they can have — every day.”

HOPE THEIR GIFT WILL INSPIRE OTHERS TO JOIN IN THEIR VISION

BARBARA AND RUSTY

NEVER SUSPENDING HOPE

SURGEON RESTORES

MUCH MORE THAN EYESIGHT

Sitting in their living room, Betty and Glen Willis joke as they share stories about their 66 years of marriage and raising three daughters. Themes of faith, togetherness and happy memories are woven throughout the close-knit family’s narratives, so much so that one might not guess that Betty experienced a life-altering health crisis nearly 60 years ago.

Standing up after working in her Houston garden one day in 1965, the young mother suddenly felt as if she were looking through Venetian blinds. Thus began a decades-long optical-health journey with recurrent setbacks that would test the most fortitudinous of families — punctuated by two remarkable turning points that would take place at Houston Methodist.

The Willis family’s first encounter with the institution began with retinal surgeon Dr. Alice R. McPherson in the 1960s. The pioneering ophthalmologist eventually recommended laser surgery for Betty’s retinas, which had deteriorated to the point of hemorrhaging. Unusual for the time, the vitreoretinal surgery had to be performed within 48 hours of stoppage of the bleeding. One snowy morning in January of 1970, the family made their way to Houston from their then home of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The worst seemed to be behind them as Betty subsequently enjoyed a decade of stable vision. But once again, her eyesight began to decline, and she underwent several procedures over the next 20 years —

averaging one every five years. “She never, ever complained,” youngest daughter Beth Alexander recalls.

In August 2022, Betty had a fall that resulted in a complete loss of the little vision she had left. Weary, the family was resigned to the likelihood of no remaining clinical interventions. As a last-ditch effort, they visited the Houston Methodist Blanton Eye Institute in February 2023. “I was just praying for any help, no matter how small,” remembers Glen.

They met with Dr. Garvin H. Davis, a retina specialist who had trained as a fellow under Dr. McPherson 20 years prior and who conducted tests and discovered — to Betty’s delight — that her retina was stable. However, the artificial lens in her eye was displaced. He then introduced her to his partner, Dr. Rahul Pandit, an ocular surgeon and the medical director of the ophthalmology operating room at the Blanton Institute.

The family was stunned as Dr. Pandit described a path forward for Betty, instilling confidence and conveying compassion they remembered from their experience at Houston Methodist 50 years earlier. Pandit’s goal was simple — reposition Betty’s dislocated ocular lens. The plan and techniques involved were far more complex, entailing mastery shared by a relatively small community of ocular surgeons.

Surgery on the front (anterior) region of the eye, known as advanced anterior segment surgery, is especially challenging because of the highly individualized structural variability of the eye. Put simply, Dr. Pandit built “suspenders” to hold Betty’s lens in place and made some adjustments to her pupil. After her surgery, Betty was thrilled and surprised by the improvement in her vision, which progressed virtually every day.

The surgery restored much more than Betty’s eyesight — it restored the couple’s independence and, in so many ways, the family’s optimism. “When we walked in,

she couldn’t see a hand in front of her; now she can read at 20/100,” points out daughter Glenda Jett.

Remarkably, Betty never lost hope. A tenaciously independent woman, she values her experience with the hospital’s holistic approach to compassionate care.

To the family, the result is nothing short of a miracle — with a good dose of medical innovation and humanity.

“It was like coming home,” concludes daughter Janet Luby. “It’s been such a blessing in every way for us to come back to Houston Methodist.”

Betty Willis, center, surrounded by daughters Glenda Jett and Janet Luby and husband Glen Willis

NATURE OFFERS A WINDOW TO BETTER HEALTH

Can virtual reality gardening help alleviate cancer patients’ symptoms? What is nature’s effect in easing workplace stress? Will exposure to urban green spaces improve pedestrian health?

While it’s long been recognized that connecting with nature is good for us, new research suggests that such exposure, even in controlled clinical or workplace environments, can have direct, measurable impact on our well-being. The Center for Health & Nature — a special partnership between Houston Methodist, Texas A&M University and Texan by Nature — aims to quantify links between the outdoors and relief from stress, physical pain, depression, high blood pressure and a host of other conditions.

Established in 2018, the center is the only known collaboration between a health system, a university and a conservation foundation for the study of nature as an innovative health care delivery system. Supported by a generous gift from the Kinder Foundation, researchers pursue evidence-based programs to explore how nature-based therapies influence public health and improve patient outcomes.

One example is determining how virtual “windows” may offer a healing alternative in patient rooms. Already, projects are yielding results and amplifying interest in the field. One pilot study being conducted at the center uses functional MRI to assess nature’s effect in alleviating workplace burnout, possibly leading to novel interventions to reduce employee anxiety. A recurring health and nature symposium will bring together global research experts to explore the effects of nature on human health and healing through strategic urban planning, including proximity to green spaces. And a rooftop garden planned for Centennial Tower, currently under construction on Houston Methodist’s main campus, will provide a “laboratory” for researchers to measure the impact of green expanses on health indicators. Insight from these and other programs will inform best practices in health care and urban design as well as workplace wellness plans — confirming nature’s potent yet peaceful impact on patient wellness.

BEATING THE BABY BLUES

While pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood are some of the most meaningful times in a woman’s life, they may also be among the most difficult. Feelings of loneliness, worry and inadequacy can become overwhelming, and the related mood and anxiety conditions many women may face can result in long-term consequences.

Often, general health practitioners lack behavioral health training specific to these periods in a woman’s life, and issues such as generalized anxiety disorder and depression can go undiagnosed. Fortunately, a new program at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital is poised to bring about change. Thanks to a pivotal gift from the Woodforest Charitable Foundation, the campus’s Marling Family Childbirth Center initiated the Maternal Behavioral Health Services program, which is helping save women and their families from the heartache that often accompanies these challenges.

Through the inaugural program, providers integrate behavioral health training and tools into Houston Methodist’s holistic approach to health care,

offering women immediate intervention, education, therapy, peer groups and access to mentors who guide them on the path to total health. The program will provide women, their partners and other caregivers with thoughtful, comprehensive care for physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Educating physicians on recognizing and addressing patients’ behavioral health symptoms before and after childbirth is a critical goal. Another is to train a new generation of clinicians to appreciate the need for women’s mental health awareness and arm them with expert care and treatment options. Ultimately, the program sets the stage for a broader understanding of women’s health care during a beautiful yet emotionally demanding time.

With more than 500 interactions to date, the Maternal Behavioral Health Services program is changing lives and reducing risks for women. Says Elizabeth Barnett, director of the Marling Family Childbirth Center, “Through heartfelt gifts like this, we anticipate expansion of this critical program to benefit every Houston Methodist campus in the coming years.”

IN REVIEW

NEWS & UPDATES

UNDERWOOD CENTER CELEBRATES 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

The Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders has seen impressive growth since opening its doors in May 2013. Empowered by philanthropic support and the leadership of the Underwood Center Council, the center serves as a beacon in the field — ranking No. 5 in the U.S. for gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Special initiatives, such as the Fondren Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program and the Metabolic Liver Disease Program, give hope to those living with debilitating digestive illnesses. Faculty also continue to push boundaries in emerging areas like neurogastroenterology and robotic surgery to offer life-changing care to patients. Houston Methodist extends special thanks to Robert E. Fondren and Duncan K. Underwood for their exceptional leadership as co-chairs of the Underwood Center Council.

SPIRITUAL CARE GETS A BOOST AT HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK

On behalf of The Engraved Pencil Foundation, Mindi H. and Griffin E. Jones made recent gifts toward the Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Spiritual Care Fund. The gifts support the Clinical Pastoral Education Program — an accredited, yearlong hospital chaplain residency — and related spiritual care programs tailored to patients, families and employees.

The hospital’s chapel, now named the Mindi & Griff Jones Chapel, provides a physical focal point for spiritual care where patients and families can visit for prayer, spiritual care consultations and one-on-one interactions with loved ones or a chaplain.

“We are deeply grateful,” says Keith Barber, CEO of Houston Methodist Willowbrook. “Spiritual care programs are vital in a hospital environment as they cultivate an atmosphere of caring, healing and hope that is so valuable during times when individuals face health challenges.”

COCKRELL FOUNDATION DEEPENS

INVESTMENT IN BIOMEDICINE

Since 2010, the Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics within the Houston Methodist Academic Institute has served as a world-class epicenter for biomedical advancement. A 2023 philanthropic investment by The Cockrell Foundation reinforces the progress being made in the more than 7,000 square feet of clinical research space that hosts a full range of Phase 1 outpatient clinical care and study support services.

The shared vision, generosity and leadership of both the Cockrell family and The Cockrell Foundation have helped shape Houston Methodist for nearly 50 years, with giving to research spanning infectious diseases and hematologic oncology to tissue bioengineering and music therapy. In addition, a 2004 gift established the Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair at Houston Methodist, currently held by Dr. H. Dirk Sostman, president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute.

NIGHT CHAPLAIN FUND ESTABLISHED AT HOUSTON METHODIST WEST

Thanks to Dorothy T. Nicholson’s generosity, patients and families at Houston Methodist West Hospital can now meet with a chaplain or reflect in the chapel in the evenings without having to wait until morning staff members arrive. Nicholson’s gift established the Houston Methodist West Night Chaplain Fund to support an evening chaplain and other spiritual care activities.

“We are delighted that Dorothy’s gift allowed us to expand spiritual care coverage so patients and families can seek comfort in their time of need,” says the Rev. Stacy Auld, system director for Spiritual Care and Values Integration at Houston Methodist.

NEWS & UPDATES

ROBBINS RISING STAR AWARD TO RECOGNIZE TOP RESEARCHERS

Dr. Richard J. Robbins and wife Anne have generously funded the Anne and Richard J. Robbins, MD Rising Star Award Endowment in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Robbins retired in 2023 after serving as longtime chair of the Houston Methodist Department of Medicine, where he held the Charles and Anne Duncan Presidential Distinguished Chair in Medicine.

The endowment will provide one or more awards annually to young faculty or fellows who show particular promise in translational research through development of innovative therapies that offer potential for improved patient outcomes. Each awardee will receive vital funds to support research and related activities.

GRANT SUPPORTS COMPASSIONATE TRANSPLANT ASSISTANCE

The Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, one of the most comprehensive transplant centers in the nation, marked its 10,000th organ transplant in 2023.

A recent gift from the JLH Foundation augments the John L. Hern Fund for Transplant Patients and Their Families, which was established by the foundation in January 2005 to help ease the financial burden of transplant patients and families who visit the center. Created to honor and continue the legacy of the late John L. Hern, himself a heart transplant recipient, the fund offsets the costs of travel, parking, lodging, meals, and essential medications and supplies for patients awaiting and recovering from solid organ transplantation. John’s daughter, Paula Hern, says, “I’m so proud we’ve been able to accomplish what we set out to do — to fulfill my father’s wish.”

NORTON ESTATE GIFT TO ENHANCE DISCOVERY IN DUAL SPECIALTIES

For families grateful for care received at Houston Methodist — and passionate about making a difference in the lives of future patients — bequests allow for a legacy focused on preferred areas of research, education, training and the patient experience.

A gift from the Estate of Mr. James E. Norton will benefit scholarly activities in two areas of research at Houston Methodist through the Sylvia and James E. Norton

Distinguished New Century Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Sylvia and James E. Norton Distinguished New Century Chair in Otolaryngology. The endowed positions will support leading-edge medical discovery and education through the recruitment and retention of prominent physician-scientists who, in turn, will teach and train future leaders in their respective fields.

NEALS BOLSTER EDUCATION RESOURCES AT HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND

Longtime supporters Mindy L. and Murray L. Neal recently established the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Educational Excellence Endowment, which will support the highestpriority educational and training needs as determined by the president and CEO of Houston Methodist Sugar Land.

In recognition of the impact of the Neals’ cumulative philanthropic support to Houston Methodist, the Brazos Conference Center at the hospital has been renamed the Mindy and Murray Neal Conference Center.

CHAIRHOLDERS LEADING DISCOVERY NEW

The 24 Houston Methodist leaders selected to fill endowed chairs in 2023 represent exceptional expertise and innovation in their respective fields. Through the generous foresight of the benefactors who established these endowed positions, chairholders draw from an anchored, long-term financial resource to support their leading-edge work.

Valentin Dragoi, PhD

Rosemary and Daniel J. Harrison III Presidential Distinguished Chair in Neuroprosthetics

Dragoi is scientific director at the Center for Neural Systems Restoration, a collaboration between Houston Methodist and Rice University. He is also a professor of neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College, a core faculty member at the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University. He holds a doctorate degree from Duke University focused on learning and adaptive behavior as well as computational neuroscience and performed postdoctoral studies in systems neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research on the relationship between neural circuits and behavior has been published in distinguished journals such as Nature and Science and featured in national and international media outlets. Dragoi has received numerous prestigious grant awards, including several NIH BRAIN Initiative awards, the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, an NIH EUREKA grant and a Pew Scholars Award.

Nestor F. Esnaola, MD, MPH, MBA

Diane Harkins Modesett Chair in the Houston Methodist Cancer Center

Dr. Esnaola is a clinician-scientist dedicated to optimizing cancer prevention, control and care equity. As deputy director of Cancer Clinical Services at the Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center, he streamlines cancer care throughout the Houston Methodist system. As an experienced surgical oncologist, Dr. Esnaola has served since 2018 as division chief of surgical oncology and gastrointestinal surgery in the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist. In this role, he participates in multidisciplinary care of patients with gastrointestinal cancers, hepatico-pancreatico-biliary malignancies, melanoma and soft tissue sarcomas. In 2018, he was named a Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research Investigator at Houston Methodist. He has published numerous peer-reviewed studies in high-impact journals and served on many National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute study sections.

Christopher Fan, MD

The

Fondren

Centennial Chair in Gastrointestinal Microbiome

As a clinical and research gastroenterologist, Dr. Fan’s goal is to gain insights into the interactions between the gut microbiome, its metabolites and the immune system in order to develop targeted therapies for gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Fan serves as an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and as an assistant clinical member at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. After earning a bioengineering degree at Rice University, he received his medical degree at Duke University and completed his residency and gastroenterology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Fan’s current research focuses on the microbiome in inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Alireza Faridar, MD

Stanley H. Appel, MD Chair in

Translational Neuroscience

Dr. Faridar is an assistant professor of neurology and neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College. He serves as the principal investigator on several studies aimed at better characterizing underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders and developing novel immunotherapeutic strategies. As a neurology resident at Houston Methodist, he initiated research and worked with mentors and fellow clinician-scientists Drs. Stanley H. Appel and Joseph C. Masdeu on cellular immunology and molecular neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. With the support of the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health, their innovative strategy for restoring regulatory T cells has advanced to the clinical setting to benefit individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Faridar has published 33 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

Jaime Gateno, MD, DDS

Sylvia and James E. Norton

Distinguished New Century Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

A clinician-scientist and oral and maxillofacial surgeon with 30 -plus years of experience correcting craniomaxillofacial (CMF) deformities, Dr. Gateno chairs the Houston Methodist Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He is a professor of clinical surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and cofounder and director of the Surgical Planning Laboratory at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. Through a collaboration between the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the Houston Methodist Research Institute, he developed the most advanced CMF virtual surgical planning software, which has received FDA approval for clinical use. His laboratory’s groundbreaking work in this area has revolutionized the field and greatly improved surgical outcomes for thousands of patients.

Ashrith Guha, MD, MPH

Blake and Roswell F. Vaughan III Centennial Chair

Dr. Guha is medical director of the heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support program in the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center and director of the pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular (RV) failure program in the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. An associate professor of cardiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, he investigates the mechanisms and clinical implications of pulmonary hypertension and the resultant RV dysfunction in patients with heart failure, reduced ejection fraction and left ventricular assist devices. In his laboratory and clinical research, he strives to identify novel ways to diagnose and treat pulmonary hypertension and to explore mechanisms of RV failure and its impact on clinical outcomes.

Joshua D. Harris, MD

Bobbie Nau and John L. Nau III Distinguished Chair in Joint Preservation

An associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Harris is also assistant program director of the orthopedic surgery residency program at Houston Methodist. He has directed Orthopedic Surgery Residency and Fellowship Research Day since it was established in 2016 and takes part in weekly educational conferences with Houston Methodist Hospital residents, Houston Methodist sports medicine fellows and Texas A&M University medical students. A magna cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, he has authored 294 manuscripts and 26 book chapters, authored and edited three orthopedic surgery textbooks, and served on the editorial board for five orthopedic surgery journals.

Paul J. Holman, MD

Houston Methodist Chair in the Spine & Peripheral Nerve Center

As a neurosurgery specialist and assistant professor of clinical neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Holman has helped to develop innovative technologies to transform complex and minimally invasive spinal surgery. These include systems for spinal navigation, lateral fusion surgery and ultrasonic bone-cutting as well as the use of computer-assisted, preoperative planning software and patient-specific implants for adult scoliosis surgery. His training includes an advanced fellowship in Cleveland with renowned spinal neurosurgeon Dr. Edward Benzel and orthopedic spinal surgeon Dr. Izzy Lieberman, a pioneer in the use of robotics in complex scoliosis surgery. Dr. Holman plays an active role in the education of Houston Methodist neurosurgical residents and established the Department of Neurosurgery’s first spinal fellowship program.

Moonsoo M. Jin, PhD MD Anderson Foundation Chair in Biomedical Imaging

As vice chair of research in the Department of Radiology and director of its Translation Imaging Center PET Core, Jin’s major research goals are to develop multiscale approaches for molecular imaging and novel therapies for cancer and inflammation. He also aims to increase understanding of mechanisms for tumor resistance and response. Currently, he is studying combinations of T cells using whole-body imaging paired with immune stimulatory antibodies and ionizing radiation to develop new treatments for solid cancers. As a member of the Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center, Jin seeks collaborative opportunities to contribute to the center’s cell therapy programs, works to develop advanced cancer therapeutics and imaging agents, and trains the next generation of scientific leaders.

Stephen L. Jones, MD, MSHI

Occidental Centennial Chair in Quality and Outcomes Research

With the goal of leveraging technology to raise the standard of patient care, Dr. Jones leads the Center for Health Data Science and Analytics at the Houston Methodist Research Institute and serves as associate professor of clinical informatics in surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Jones’ research centers on the development of customized clinical informatics systems and databases for clinical practice and research, and he has co-authored 45 peer-reviewed papers. He also has managed teams responsible for designing, writing and developing software that safely and efficiently e-prescribes over 100,000 prescriptions per month across the nation.

Rose Khavari, MD

Ben and Wendy Moreland Distinguished Chair in Urology

As director of research at the Houston Methodist Center for Restorative Pelvic Medicine, Dr. Khavari specializes in male and female incontinence, reconstructive pelvic surgery, pelvic organ prolapse, neurogenic bladder (such as in multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury) and urinary issues after prostate surgery. She is also director of the Houston Methodist Neurourology and Transitional Urology Clinic. Her translational research focuses on identifying brain and spinal cord regions that control bladder function in order to develop novel modalities for noninvasive neuromodulation to improve lower urinary tract function. Dr. Khavari also founded and leads the Department of Urology residency program.

Michael J. Klebuc, MD

Eva Lynn and John S. Dunn, Jr.

New Century Chair in Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery

Dr. Klebuc is a plastic surgeon with the Houston Methodist Institute for Reconstructive Surgery and an associate clinical professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. In collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center surgeons led by Dr. Jesse Selber, Dr. Klebuc collaborated to perform the world’s first skull-scalp transplant. His clinical focus areas include surgical treatment of the paralyzed face, microsurgery, peripheral nerve surgery, limb salvage, cancer reconstruction and corneal neurotization. His research interests comprise polyethylene glycol nerve fusion, automated facial recognition systems and corneal neurotization for the surgical prevention of blindness. He has authored more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and 30 book chapters and has won numerous academic and research awards.

Kathleen C. Kobashi, MD, MBA

Judith Helmle Shaw and Roy Gordon Shaw, Jr. Centennial Chair in Urology

Dedicated to clinical medicine, research and the education of patients and future urologists, Dr. Kobashi serves as chair of the Houston Methodist Department of Urology and a professor of clinical urology at Weill Cornell Medical College. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on topics related to urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse. She is a trustee of the American Board of Urology, served as the first female president of the American Urological Association (AUA) Western Section, and currently serves as associate editor for both the AUA’s Urology Practice journal and the Canada-based Société Internationale d’Urologie Journal Her honors include receiving the esteemed AUA Victor A. Politano Award in 2023 .

Sylvia Martinez, MD

Barbara Lee Bass Centennial Chair for Surgical Education

Dr. Martinez is the division chief of acute care surgery and surgical critical care and the current director of the general surgery residency program at Houston Methodist. She is also an assistant professor of both surgery and clinical surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Martinez completed her medical degree at UTHealth Houston, her general surgery residency at Houston Methodist and a surgical critical care fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. As part of the inaugural class of the Houston Methodist general surgery residency program founded by Dr. Barbara Bass, she has a long-standing interest in and commitment to surgical education at Houston Methodist.

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, PhD

Charles and Anne Duncan Presidential Distinguished Chair in the Department of Medicine

Chair of the Houston Methodist Department of Medicine, Dr. Mylonakis studies host and microbial factors of infection and the discovery of antimicrobial agents in both clinical and laboratory studies. Previously, he served as the Charles C. J. Carpenter Professor of Infectious Disease at Brown University, chief of infectious diseases at Rhode Island Hospital and the Miriam Hospital, and director of the COBRE Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Therapeutic Discovery. His work has produced nearly 500 articles and has been cited more than 35,000 times. Dr. Mylonakis holds eight patents and has co-edited seven books about infectious diseases, including Antimicrobial Drug Discovery: Emerging Strategies and Antimicrobial Stewardship: Principles and Practice.

Sherif F. Nagueh, MD

Houston Methodist Chair in Cardiovascular Diseases

As medical director of the echocardiography laboratory at the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Dr. Nagueh holds a steadfast interest in evaluating cardiac function, particularly in the left ventricle and diastolic processes. Impaired diastolic function in patients with cardiovascular disease causes shortness of breath and reduced functional capacity. With a goal of developing new approaches for diagnosing abnormal function of the left ventricle, Dr. Nagueh chaired two medical society guideline writing groups on the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic performance. He leads several ongoing studies investigating left ventricular diastolic and left atrial pathology in patients with heart failure and with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH

William A. Zoghbi, MD Centennial Chair in Cardiovascular Health

Dr. Nasir is chief of cardiovascular prevention and wellness, co-director of the Center for Health Data Science and Analytics at Houston Methodist, and inaugural director of the Center for Cardiovascular Computational Health and Precision Medicine. His clinical and research interests lie in precision medicine, digital health, health equity and health systems research. He is a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and was named a Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research Investigator at Houston Methodist in 2019. After receiving his medical degree in his native Pakistan, he earned a master’s in health economics and policy management from the London School of Economics and Political Science as well as a master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins University.

Ashish Saharia, MD, MS

David M. Underwood Chair of Surgery in Digestive Disorders

Dr. Saharia is director of the liver transplantation program at the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center and surgical director of the liver transplantation program in the Department of Surgery. He also serves as associate professor of clinical surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, where he specializes in open and robotic/laparoscopic liver and pancreas surgery and abdominal transplant surgery. With a goal of intensifying research to find pathways and treatments for patients with liver and pancreatic cancers, his focus is in transplantation to address large, inoperable liver bile duct cancer — also known as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Dr. Saharia is actively involved in several clinical trials and has published many peer-reviewed articles on kidney and liver transplantation.

Raj Satkunasivam, MD, MS

Miles Family Chair in Urologic Surgery

As associate program director of the Hamill Fellowship in Urologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery at Houston Methodist as well as an associate professor of urology at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Satkunasivam has a passion for research, meticulous patient care, and the education of future urologists and researchers. He completed his Doctor of Medicine and his urologic residency at the University of Toronto, then earned a master’s degree in biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Southern California. In addition to training clinical fellows, he has mentored six postdoctoral research fellows and has been instrumental in establishing a robust foundation for and launching a strong genitourinary (male) oncology research program in the Houston Methodist Department of Urology.

Aldona Spiegel, MD

John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout Chair in Surgical Innovation and Technology

Dr. Spiegel, chief of the Division of Innovation in the Houston Methodist Department of Surgery and director of the Center for Breast Restoration, is a renowned expert in reconstructive surgery and microsurgery. Her focus is on patient-centered care, aiding women in physical and emotional recovery after mastectomy procedures. With her extensive surgical experience, she has patented two acellular dermal matrix designs for breast reconstruction. Dr. Spiegel also established a preceptorship program at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she shares her surgical expertise with plastic surgeons through live demonstrations multiple times each year. Her recent work in 3 D bioprinting and breast tissue and nerve regeneration opens new possibilities for innovative breast reconstruction approaches.

Masayoshi Takashima, MD

Sylvia and James E. Norton Distinguished New Century

Chair in Otolaryngology

Dr. Takashima serves as chair of the Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery at Houston Methodist and holds clinical specialties in minimally invasive sinus procedures, sleep apnea surgery and endoscopic skull base surgery. Under his leadership, the department created and earned accreditation for an otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) residency program and a facial plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship program. Dr. Takashima’s research focuses on the pathophysiology and treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis; he also has an interest in artificial intelligence in health care and education. He has directed training for over 70 residents, several of whom are now program directors, academic faculty and chairs throughout the country.

Juan “Jon” B. Toledo, MD, PhD

Ann and Billy Harrison Centennial Chair in Alzheimer’s Research

Dr. Toledo serves as scientific director of the Nantz National Alzheimer Center, where he has worked to establish a clinical unit focused on dementia with Lewy bodies and to move the center toward accreditation as a Research Center of Excellence by the Lewy Body Dementia Association. Dr. Toledo earned his Doctor of Medicine at the University of Navarra in Spain, where he also completed a neurology residency and doctoral program focused on Parkinson’s disease. He subsequently completed a second neurology residency at Houston Methodist and a fellowship in movement disorders at the University of Florida. He has published 100 peer-reviewed research articles and eight reviews, including research on biomarker data to understand similarities and differences among neurodegenerative diseases.

Jennifer Townsend, MMT, MT-BC

Susie and

Tommy

Smith Chair in Music and Creative Arts Therapies

As manager for Creative Arts Therapies at the Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine, Townsend guides a team of board-certified creative arts therapists in evidence-based arts interventions to address patients’ neurological, physiological and psychological needs. Also an assistant professor of anesthesia and critical care at Weill Cornell Medical College, Townsend holds a master’s degree in music therapy from Temple University. She seamlessly transitioned to adult medical care after more than 10 years in pediatric care. Townsend has published articles spanning music therapy for delirium, neurological constructs of music, and applications of technology in music therapy in epilepsy and neonatal treatment. She authored a chapter on medically fragile children in the book Guidelines for Music Therapy Practice in Pediatrics.

Amy D. Waterman, PhD

Deborah C. and

Clifton

B. Phillips Centennial Chair for Clinical Research in Transplant Medicine

Waterman examines how to reduce health disparities, expand access to optimal treatments and improve the patient experience as part of her health services and social psychology research laboratory. Currently the director of patient engagement, diversity and education, representing both the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center and the Houston Methodist Research Institute, she has published more than 140 journal articles focusing on patient-oriented research, clinical trials and development of new educational technologies, including digital storytelling and implementation of international best practices. Her NIH-funded research builds risk models using computational medicine to predict the need for medical interventions in kidney patients and living donors. In 2019, she received an award for national influence in transplantation by a nonphysician.

Thanks to the GENEROUS SUPPORT of our philanthropic community, Houston Methodist’s 147 endowed chairholders and professors are engaged in the RESEARCH, training and education, and care that enable Houston Methodist to lead medicine and accelerate the speed of medical INNOVATION

TOTAL COMMITTED

$ 91.9 MILLION

3,638 GIFTS

3,166 UNIQUE DONORS AREAS OF GIVING

42% ACCELERATE RESEARCH

33% TRAIN SUPERSTARS

25% PROMOTE HEALING SOURCES OF GIVING

72% INDIVIDUALS

28% FOUNDATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

EVENTS GALLERY

WOMEN’S HEALTH SYMPOSIUM

Leslie Margolis, Dr. Shlomit Schaal, Keynote Speaker Allison Massari, Roberta Schwartz and Marcy Margolis

UNDERWOOD CENTER FOR DIGESTIVE DISORDERS 10TH ANNIVERSARY Sarah Underwood, Duncan Underwood, Dr. Eamonn M. M. Quigley, Lynda Underwood, David Underwood, Jr. and Christine Underwood

STEP UP TO THE PLATE LUNCH WITH DUSTY BAKER

Dusty Baker, Dr. Kathleen C. Kobashi, Gerald Smith and Dr. Marc L. Boom

ANEW GALA CHAIRS

Steve and Anne-Laure Stephens and Courtney and Doug Swanson

Scan here to see more event photos

RENDEZVOUS

RENDEZVOUS ANEW GALA Honorees Peter and Elizabeth Blanton Wareing, Elaine Finger, and Dr. Mary and Ron Neal with Drs. Marc and Julie Boom (center)

LEADERSHIP

Houston Methodist Board of Directors

Gregory V. Nelson, Chair

John F. Bookout, Chair Emeritus

Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr., Senior Chair

Marc L. Boom, MD, President and CEO

Carlton E. Baucum, Vice Chair

Mary A. Daffin, Vice Chair

Elizabeth Blanton Wareing, Secretary

David M. Underwood, Jr., Asst. Secretary

Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III, Treasurer

Joe Bob Perkins, Asst. Treasurer

Emily A. Crosswell

Martha Smith DeBusk

Juliet S. Ellis

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey

Mark A. Houser

The Rev. Kenneth R. Levingston

Vidal G. Martinez

Constance M. Mobley, MD, PhD

W. Benjamin Moreland

Peter T. Nguyen, MD, President of the Medical Staff

Thomas J. Pace III, DMin

Armando A. Perez

Edmund W. Robb III, DMin

Douglas E. Swanson, Jr.

Spencer A. Tillman

Advisory

Karla M. Kurrelmeyer, MD, President-Elect of the Medical Staff

The Rev. Romonica Malone-Wardley

Life Members

Ernest H. Cockrell

James C. Dishman

Connie M. Dyer

Issac H. Kempner III

Robert K. Moses, Jr.

Sandra Gayle Wright, RN, EdD

Houston Methodist Academic Institute Board of Directors

Martha Smith DeBusk, Chair

W. Benjamin Moreland, Vice Chair

Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr., Senior Chair

Marc L. Boom, MD, President and CEO, Houston Methodist

Edward A. Jones, President and CEO, Houston Methodist Research Institute

H. Dirk Sostman, MD, President and CEO, Houston Methodist Academic Institute

Evan H. Katz, Secretary

Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., MD, DPhil, Ex Officio

Edward R. Allen III, PhD

Steven Birdwell

John F. Bookout III

P. Embry Canterbury

Martin Craighead

Leslie Doggett

Elaine M. Finger

Robert A. Harrington, MD

Sippi K. Khurana, MD

Ransom C. Lummis

David A. Modesett

James Muschalik

Gregory V. Nelson

Joe Bob Perkins

Mary Eliza Shaper

Edward D. “Ward”

Sheffield

Jeffrey F. Simmons

Suzanne H. Smith

Christopher G. Stavros

Steven D. Stephens

Douglas E. Swanson, Jr.

David M. Underwood, Jr.

Amy L. Waer, MD

Martha S. Walton

Donna Sims Wilson

Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation Board of Directors

John W. Johnson, Chair

John F. Bookout, Chair Emeritus

Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr.,

Senior Chair

Elizabeth Blanton

Wareing, Vice Chair

Flynn A. Andrizzi, PhD, President and CEO

Emily A. Crosswell, Secretary

Dorothy M. Ables

Marc L. Boom, MD

Charles W. “Carlos”

Duncan III

Vidal G. Martinez

Gregory V. Nelson

Gerald B. Smith

David M. Underwood, Jr.

Joseph C. “Rusty”

Walter III

James V. Walzel

Marcus A. Watts

Randa Weiner

Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Board of Trustees

Gilbert Santana, Chair

Wayne L. Baldwin

Marc L. Boom, MD

R. D. Burnside III

Pastor Tommy J. Clements

Adrienne Joseph, MD

Shawn M. Kuntz

Kelly N. Leblanc, MD, President of the Medical Staff

Richard A. Peebles

Gary T. Schmidt

Christopher D. Siebenaler

Lynda Villanueva, MD

Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Board of Trustees

Noel R. Rainey, Chair

Gary L. Kempf, President and CEO

Christopher D. Siebenaler, Vice Chair

Marc L. Boom, MD

Kevin J. Burns

Mick Cantu

Dick Cheney

Connie M. Dyer

Robert K. Moses, Jr.

Lynn Schroth, MD

Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Board of Trustees

Levi Benton, Chair

Christopher D. Siebenaler, Vice Chair

Carl T. Little, Secretary

Marc L. Boom, MD

John D. Kennedy

The Rev. Walter G. Neff

Vince Nguyen, MD, President of the Medical Staff

Charles E. Pulliam

Elaine Renola

Akhila Vijayakumar, MD, President-Elect of the Medical Staff

Judge Holly T. Williamson

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Board of Trustees

Sutapa Sur, Chair

Suehing W. Y. Chiang, Vice Chair

Marc L. Boom, MD

Elizabeth P. Butler

Anthony C. Francis

Michael L. Garcia

Gene E. Huebner, MD

Jeffrey A. Jackson, MD

Lonnie E. Meadows

Sindhu Nair, MD, President-Elect of the Medical Staff

The Rev. W. Martin

Nicholas

Scott R. Rivenes, MD, President of the Medical Staff

William F. Schwer

Christopher D. Siebenaler

Houston Methodist

The Woodlands Hospital Board of Trustees

Ann K. Snyder, MD, Chair

Mick Cantu, Vice Chair

David P. Bernard, Secretary

Ralph Alexander

Marc L. Boom, MD

Sayl H. Bunyan, MD, President of the Medical Staff

Paul Y. Cunningham, MD, Vice President of the Medical Staff

Susan L. Dio

Bishop Robert E.

Hayes, Jr.

Sallie T. Rainer

Laura A. Sugg

Samuel D. Warren, Jr.

Houston Methodist West Hospital Board of Trustees

Neice Lang, Chair

Vidal Ramirez, Vice Chair

Wayne M. Voss, Secretary

Marc L. Boom, MD

Sandra P. Bretting

The Honorable

William A. Callegari

Mick Cantu

Amito Chandiwal, MD, President of the Medical Staff

Donald Chaney

Stuart I. Levin

Rahul B. Mehta

Steven Morgan, MD

Christina Pramudji, MD, Vice President of the Medical Staff

Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Board of Trustees

The Rev. Reginald Lillie, Chair

Ewing K. Werlein, DMin, Vice Chair

Keith D. Barber, Secretary

Marc L. Boom, MD

J. David Cabello

Muhammad W. Hanif, MD

President-Elect of the Medical Staff

Linda B. Humphries

Griffin E. Jones

Sippi K. Khurana, MD

Stacy L. Norton, MD, President of the Medical Staff

Jennifer Pittman

Andrea L. Robison

Barbara J. Schlattman

President’s Leadership Council

Senior Cabinet

Steven D. Stephens, Chair

Robert J. Allison, Jr.

Eva C. Bisso

Kelli L. Blanton

Marc L. Boom, MD

Michael Casey

Art Chavez

David A. Cockrell

Clayton Erikson

Daniel M. Gilbane

Terry Giles

Michael J. Graff

Janet Gurwitch

George Kelly

John Kemp

David D. Kinder

John P. Kotts

William Gentry Lee, Jr.

Aylwin Lewis

Steve Lindley

Michael C. Linn

Rebecca MarkJusbasche

Rahul B. Mehta

Cynthia PickettStevenson

Veronica SelinkoCurran, MD

Douglas E. Swanson, Jr.

David M. Underwood, Jr.

Robert L. Zorich

At-Large Members

Arch H. Aplin III

Bruce R. Bilger

Isabel G. David

Jack Dinerstein

Carolyn W. Dorros

Jenny Elkins

W. Lawrence Elliott

Thomas L. Elsenbrook

Jeffrey H. Foutch

Linda C. Gill

Steven J. Kean

Michael J. Plank

Cullen R. Spitzer

Alan L. Stein

Scott Wegmann

Paul Yetter

Institutional Committees

Advocacy Committee

George M. Masterson, Chair

Gina B. Andrews

Jonathan Baksht

Eddy S. Blanton

Kelli L. Blanton

Muffin Clark

David A. Cockrell

Claudia Contreras

David R. Dominy

Janet Luby

Jeffrey E. Margolis

David R. McKeithan, Jr.

Mary Ann McKeithan

Denise D. Monteleone

Joel L. Moore

Cabrina F. Owsley

Rick Perez

Suzanne H. Smith

Franco Valobra

Karen D. Walker

Dancie Perugini Ware

Kelley Young

Patient Experience Committee

Edward D. “Ward”

Sheffield, Chair

Matthew K. Baird

Sarah Berges

Bruce Bilger, Jr.

George M. Britton, Jr.

R. D. Burnside III

Gerardo A. Chapa

Muffin Clark

M. Scott Cone

Denis A. DeBakey

William J. Doré, Jr.

Ann H. Elvin

Marc P. Gordon

Vicki A. Hollub

David D. Kinder

Laura Laux

Jeffrey E. Margolis

Dale L. Martin

Grant Martinez

Andrew D. McCullough, Jr.

Rahul B. Mehta

Frank D. Perez

Melanie C. Rothwell

Scott E. Schwinger

Veronica SelinkoCurran, MD

David M. Underwood, Jr.

Duncan K. Underwood

Judge Holly T. Williamson

Faculty Campaign Committee

Richard L. Harper, MD, Co-chair

H. Dirk Sostman, MD, Co-chair

Jett Brady, MD

Ron Gentry, MD

Robert E. Jackson, MD

Gerald Lawrie, MD

Brian Miles, MD

Todd Trask, MD

Specialty Councils

Houston Methodist Advancing Nursing Excellence Council

Emily A. Crosswell, Chair

Judy Ley Allen

Linda Clarke Anderson

Ginger Blanton

Leslie D. Blanton

Virginia Watt S. Chandler

Muffin Clark

Cathy Fitzpatrick Cleary

Allyson Priest Cook

Carla Dawson

Nancy Dinerstein

Marcy Duncan

Andrea R. Eastham

Lauren Weil Friedman

Jan Griesenbeck

Briana M. Grosvenor

Jes Hagale

Deborah M. Harper

Sonny Messiah Jiles

Catherine S. Jodeit

Judi Johnson

Kistal Key

Lucy C. Kormier, MD

Elyse B. Lanier

Judy Levin

Dana A. Miller

Julie Stone Payne

Sissy Roberts

Melissa B. Schnitzer

Tommye S. Torian

Jane C. Trotman

Lynda K. Underwood

Katherine E. Walsh, PhD

Mary E. Webber

Carolyn Josey Young

Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine Council

Robert E. Jackson, MD, Chair

C. Richard Stasney, MD, Founder

E. William Barnett

Ginger Blanton

Anthony K. Brandt, PhD

Sharon Bryan

Albert Y. Chao

James W. Crownover

Rod K. Cutsinger

Sue Nan Cutsinger

Gerald Dubin, MD

Victor Fainstein, MD

Jeremy Finkelstein, MD

J. Todd Frazier

Suzanne M. Glasscock

Carole J. Hackett, BSN, EdM, RN

Michael Hackett

Richard L. Harper, MD

Christof Karmonik, PhD

Thomas A. Krouskop, PhD, PE

Michael W. Lieberman, MD, PhD

Sharon Ley Lietzow

Judy E. Margolis

Gabby Martinez

Vidal G. Martinez

Hoyt T. “Toby” Mattox

Edwards U. McReynolds, MD

The Rev. Charles R. Millikan, DMin

James M. Musser, MD, PhD

Judy Nyquist

Nicholas A. Phillips

Patricia Rauch

Helen Shaffer

L. E. Simmons

Jerome B. Simon

Nancy C. Smith

Lois F. Stark

Apurva A. Thekdi, MD

Laura Jennings Turner

Kevin E. Varner, MD

Margaret Alkek Williams

Aline D. Wilson

Stephen T. Wong, PhD, PE

Jo Dee Wright

Robert A. Yekovich, DMA

Houston Methodist

DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center Council

Robyn Canterbury, Chair

Robert J. Allison, Jr.

Seth M. Barrett

J. Denny Bartell

Kristen Berger

Marc L. Boom, MD

Kenneth E. Breaux

John R. Butler, Jr.

P. Embry Canterbury

Carl M. Carter III

Gerardo A. Chapa

Mary A. Daffin

Denis A. DeBakey

Joann P. DiGennaro

Brad Dinerstein

William J. Doré, Jr.

William J. Doré, Sr.

Nan Duhon

Jean Durdin

Connie M. Dyer, Co-chair Emeritus

Danielle Ellis

Eva K. Farha

Marc P. Gordon

David B. Greenberg

Matthew Harris

Miguel A. Hernandez

Wendy Hines

Alard Kaplan

Fadila B. Kibsgaard

William E. King

William E. Kline, PhD

Cynthia G. Kostas

Carole W. Looke

John M. McCormack

David R. McKeithan, Jr.

Mary Ann McKeithan

Mason L. Mote

Lance Murphy

Taylor Norris

Frank D. Perez

Cynthia PickettStevenson, Co-chair Emeritus

Douglas R. Quinn

Elizabeth C. Walter

Houston Methodist Immunology Center Council

Lloyd “Lucky” Burke, Co-chair

James G. Frankel, Co-chair

Laura T. Baird

Sandy L. Burke

Louis B. Cushman

Stevan L. Dinerstein, MD

Annie Criner Eifler

Carol Frankel

Jennie Getten

Michael J. Graff

Rhonda Graff

Christy Jennings

Sippi K. Khurana, MD

Carolyn C. Light

David W. Light III

Moez Mangalji

Sultana Mangalji

Jeffrey E. Margolis

Aimee B. McCrory

Donald Poarch

Angela E. “Nikki” Richnow

Mary Eliza Shaper

Ann G. Trammell

David M. Underwood, Jr.

Aline D. Wilson

Houston Methodist

Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center Council

Dorothy M. Ables, Chair

Jud Bailey

Carin M. Barth

E. Brian Butler, MD

Jenny Chang, MD

Carolyn Davis

The Rev. Noel Denison

Martha A. Dudley

Ann H. Elvin

Nestor Esnaola, MD

Heather Firestone

Alice Helms

Carol Herder

Charles Herder II

Alan L. Kaplan, MD

Rita J. Leader

John W. Lodge III

Christine Lukens

Dale L. Martin

Peggy D. Martin

Maryanne W. McCormack

David A. Modesett

Diane Modesett

Vivian O’Leary

John Orton

Katharine Orton

Jackie Phillips

Anne Rappold

Cissie Rauch-Kaplan

Julie Robertson

Melanie C. Rothwell

Betsy R. Siff

Glenn R. Smith

Betty A. Sommer

Elizabeth S. Stone

Bin S. Teh, MD

Christine L. Underwood

Kent Walters

W. Temple Webber III

Stephen T. Wong, PhD, PE

Qing Yi, MD, PhD

Houston Methodist

Neurological Institute

National Council

William E. Chiles, Co-chair

Thomas C. Knudson, Co-chair

James P. Bailey, Jr.

James R. Bath

Everett E. Bernal

Randee K. Bernal

Eddy S. Blanton

Ginger Blanton

John F. Bookout

Allen Brivic

J. David Cabello

Mary Kay Cimo

Kathleen Crist

Elizabeth Dice

Kevin Dice

Gary W. Edwards, Member in Memoriam

Kate Fowler

Frank Gay

Paula Gay

Kate H. Gibson

Robert H. Graham

Sue Harris

Sylvia Harris

Titus H. Harris III

Billy Harrison

Gregory Hintz

Suzanne Hixson

Mary F. Johnston

Elise Joseph

Gregory A. Kozmetsky

Carol Linn

Jack B. Moore

Meg Murray

James W. Oden

Cabrina F. Owsley

Karen P. Payne

Leon M. Payne, Member in Memoriam

Arthur A. Seeligson III

Donna S. Stahlhut

Roxane R. Strickling

Henry J.N. “Kitch” Taub II

Anne G. Thobae

Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD

Dancie Perugini Ware

Elizabeth Blanton

Wareing

Lisa Wendell

Shawn Wendell

Steven B. Wyatt

Houston Methodist

Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders

Council

Rob Fondren, Co-chair

Duncan K. Underwood, Co-chair

James J. Braniff III

Hether Benjamin Brown

Pedro Durán Gomez

Anissa Friedman

Reid Friedman

Jay Golding

Lucie Harte

James C. Pappas

A. Carl Schmulen

Mark Schmulen

C. Loren Vandiver

Elizabeth Blanton Wareing

Marie Wise

William Wise

Michael Zilkha

Nina Zilkha

Specialty Task Forces

Houston Methodist Behavioral Health Task Force

David B. Lumpkins, Chair

Frank Amsler

Eliza Duncan

Kelly Hackett

Gayle G. Kennedy

Joseph S. Looke

Kristi P. Lumpkins

Caroline Negley

Peggy R. Roe

Robert L. Zorich

Houston Methodist

Jack S. Blanton Eye Institute Task Force

Eddy S. Blanton, Chair

Hilary A. Beaver, MD

Jack S. Blanton, Jr.

Leslie D. Blanton

Allen Brivic

David M. Brown, MD

Petros Carvounis, MD

Jorie Jackson

Frances M. Jones, DDS

Andrew G. Lee, MD

Herbert Lyman

Jean Lyman

Kevin Merkley, MD

Aaron Miller, MD

Lisa O’Leary

Cabrina F. Owsley

Rick Raanes

Sandy Rosenberg

Florence Rutherford

Michael G. Rutherford

C. Richard Stasney, MD

Ellen Wagnon

Dancie Perugini Ware

Charles Wykoff, MD

Houston Methodist

Brain and Bone

Collaborative/ Orthopedics Task Force

Jon D. Deutser, Co-chair

Cynthia R. Levin

Moulton, Co-chair

J. D. Bucky Allshouse

Lauren G. Anderson

Eric Brueggeman

Clint Cannon

Jennifer Davenport

Jace Duke

Heather Firestone

John Granato

Debbie Hance

Joshua D. Harris, MD

Vijay Jotwani, MD

Terry Lohrenz

Mark Loveland

Larry Margolis

Patrick McCulloch, MD

Hannah McNair

J. Mace Meeks

Keith Morris

Randy Nelson, Member in Memoriam

Kenneth Podell, PhD

Jeffrey Raizner

Margaret D. Reppert

James C. Rootes, Member in Memoriam

Todd Siff, MD

Alan L. Smith

S. Shawn Stephens

Donald Trull

Kevin E. Varner, MD

Daryl W. Wade

Houston Methodist

Sherrie and Alan Conover Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation Task Force

Paula D. Criel, Chair

Deborah Keener Brown

Alan Conover, Member in Memoriam

Sherrie Conover

Kandice Fogle

David B. Garten

Kathy Ghobrial

Elizabeth A. Hoff

Tami Houston

Edward A. Jones

George P. Joseph

Burt H. Keenan, Member in Memoriam

Lawrence W. Kellner

W. Gregory Looser

Linda G. Lykos

Barbara Manousso, PhD

Patricia Maxin

Walter McFadden

Eugene A. O’Donnell

Reena Patel

Elizabeth Rotan

Mary Seefluth

Patricia Sloan

Samuel Sloan

Cynthia Urquhart

Edward Urquhart, Member in Memoriam

Houston Methodist Reconstructive Surgery Task Force In development

Claudia Contreras, Chair

Houston Methodist Spiritual Care Task Force

Faisal Masud, MD

Carolyn Meyer

Steve Pate

Rabbi Adrienne Scott

The Rev. Dr. John

Stephens

Jim Walzel

Judge Holly T. Williamson

Nihala Zakaria

Anita Zapata

Sue Zinni

Houston Methodist Surgical Innovations Task Force

Marcos J. Basso

Clio Crespy

Michael Ellington

Douglas V. Getten

Ryan Martin

Dana L. Myers, MD

Jon Phillip Spiers, MD, JD

Jamie Taussig

Randa Weiner

John B. Young, Jr.

Anat K. Zeidman

Houston Methodist

J.C. Walter Jr.

Transplant Center Task Force

W. Gregory Looser, Chair

Wayne Baldwin

Deborah Keener Brown

Cole Dawson

John Dawson, Jr.

Martha Smith DeBusk

Jan Follansbee

Kenneth G. Follansbee, Sr.

Anita W. Garten

David B. Garten

Vicki H. Hitzhusen

Elizabeth A. Hoff

George P. Joseph

Alard Kaplan

Gayle G. Kennedy

Colter Lewis

Steven S. Looke

Vicki L. Massad

Michael M. Metz

Valerie Naifeh

Reena Patel

Deborah Phillips

Ahmed A. Rabie, PhD

Edmund W. Robb

Nora Smati

Terrell Eastman

Sprague

Ellis L. Tudzin

Christine L. Underwood

Martha S. Walton

Hilary S. Ware

Houston Methodist Urology Task Force

John Bonner

Cathy Derrick

Robert Derrick

Karen Feld

Larry Feld

W. Benjamin Moreland

Wendy Moreland

Carolyn Putterman

Leland Putterman

Steve Selsberg

Tricia Selsberg

Houston Methodist Women’s Health

Task Force

Marcy Margolis, Co-chair

Leslie Margolis, Co-chair

Elisabeth Bickham

Kelli L. Blanton

Lori Cohen

Nancy Dinerstein

Shari Fish

Fredda Friedlander

Melanie Margolis

Melanie Morgan

Cabrina F. Owsley

Barbara Ross

Elisha Selzer

Betsy R. Siff

Nina Zilkha

Women’s Advisory Groups

Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital

Sonya Cather, Co-chair

Mary Hartman Brown

Cody, Co-chair

Patti K. Albright

Laura Alvarado

Lanette Armstrong

Sarah J. Baldwin

Leila Bates

Sandra Bell

Helen Berrott-Tims

Margaret K. Boyd

Janet Brazzil

Ginger Burnside

Kelly Butler

Sue Chatham

Kathy Clausen

Gabrielle G. Cockrell

Sheila Crawford

Heather Dickens

Lynne B. Foley

Mary E. Garcia

Suzanne Heinrich

Debbie C. Holmelin

Susan Hotchkiss

Teresa B. Hotchkiss

Gena Hutto

Susan Jackson

Connie E. Jennings

LaToya Johnson

Gretchen Knowles

Linda Krisher

Connie Litteer

Ginger McKay

LaNelle L. McKay

Cherie Melendez

Susan G. MooreFontenot

Susan Passmore

Carolyn Polumbo

Tracey Prothro

Melinda Reichert

Sharon L. Rogers

Sherrill A. Santana

Lu Ann H. Schmidt

Carol Skewes

Charlotte A. Stephenson

Karen L. Stewardson

Susan Stewart

Sheron K. Stickler

Dana Taylor

Connie Tilton

Janet G. Wahrlich

Georgina E. Walker

Judy Wheat

Tracey Wheeler

Kathy Winn

Diantha K. Woodcox

Lena R. Yepez

Houston Methodist

Clear Lake Hospital

Elaine Renola, Chair

Susan Bailey

Trisha A. Barita

Kathleen M. Bastedo

Janis Benton

Jeanine Berwanger

Pamela Britton

Kippy Caraway

Ashley Cargle

Ashley N. Carner

Mary Alys Cherry

Peggy Clause

Joan P. Culpepper Cronk

Barbara Cutsinger

Linda S. DeMasie

Priscilla Fletcher

Janet Greenwood

Laurie Hall

Ronica Hall

Lela A. Hammond

Brenda Kennedy

Jeri Knapp

Kim Krist

Jordin N. Kruse

Cindy Lewis

Lindsey Little

Debra D. Mansfield

Joan McKinney

Monica Millican

Sandra Mossman

Kim Noto

Diane J. Overman

Jenee Pulliam

Becky Reitz

Denise M. Savrick

Mary Ann Shallberg

Margaret Sucre-Vail

Cathy Supak

Jane Sweeney

Dianne T. Vega-Flecklin

Diane Vest

Royce Walker

Judge Holly T. Williamson

Patricia P. Wilson, PhD

Gaynell N. Wylie

Rosanne L. Zarcaro

Houston Methodist

Sugar Land Hospital

Elizabeth P. Butler, Chair

Iman Ali

Waynette Brunkhorst

Yolanda Celestine

Nasheel Dodhiya

Mary Favre

Star S. Edwards Hand

Lynn C. Hewitt

Rajni Jain

Nancy Nunnery

Alicia G. Scala

Kavita Self

Patricia Somers

Sutapa Sur

Terryl Troyer

Sandra O. Varghese

Katherine E. Walsh, PhD

Jessica Williams

Houston Methodist West Hospital

Neice Lang, Chair

Joni E. Baird

Sandra P. Bretting

Laura A. Espinosa

Tamara Fugate

Sandra Hernandez

Cheryl Hollabaugh

Linda Jenkins

Margaret Laney

Jeanette Lazarofsky

Carol R. Levin

Kay W. Mitchel

Darshi Shah

Janet Theis

Melinda S. Vanzant

May Wang

Portia S. Willis

As of 4.4.24

FROM THE CHAIR

Thanks to you, we had another successful year.

Because of generous benefactors, nearly $92 million was raised in 2023. You have read many of those benefactors’ stories, but there are three that merit special attention.

A transformational gift from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation will allow us to add four new members to the Katz Academy of Translational Research, bringing the number of Katz Investigators to an even dozen. The Katz family is the largest benefactor to the Houston Methodist Academic Institute to date, and we are most grateful for their latest investment in keeping us on the forefront of the future of medicine.

This year will see the launch of The Bookout Center for Medical Innovation, Technology, Research and Education.

The Bookout Center was established thanks to a transformational 2023 gift from Ann and John F. Bookout III and brings the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education (MITIESM) and the Houston Methodist Institute for Robotics, Imaging and Navigation (MIRIN) under one umbrella. The Bookout Center will serve as a leading research and training facility, integrating the use of robotics, imaging, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

Both Evan H. Katz and John F. Bookout III serve on the Houston Methodist Academic Institute Board of Directors. We are blessed to benefit not only from their generous philanthropy but also their wisdom and leadership.

And a significant gift from The John M. O’Quinn Foundation adds two endowed positions and a fellowship to the fight against neurodegenerative diseases. It also catalyzes The John M. O’Quinn Foundation Neurodegenerative Disorders Laboratory, through which an interdisciplinary team of neurologists and neuroscientists in the Houston Methodist Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology can further advance study of these illnesses.

As you’ve read these pages, you’ve learned of other benefactors who have established endowed positions, created targeted research funds and made legacy gifts to support Houston Methodist for generations to come. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can help the No. 1 hospital in Texas improve patient care, save lives and help cure diseases, kindly let us know. We would love to enlist you in our effort to continue leading medicine.

JOHN W. JOHNSON CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

President and CEO, Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation: Flynn Andrizzi, PhD

Editorial Director: Shawn Gustafson | Associate Editor: Margaret Sherry

Managing Publisher: Marjorie Gonzalez | Editorial Assistants: Stacy Jones, Veronica Vazquez

Writers: Catherine Arnold, Catherine Gillespie, Luanne Jorewicz, Marc Levinson, Michelle Morris

Creative Director: Karen Holland | Photographers: Robert Seale, Terry Vine | Illustrator: Aad Goudappel