12 minute read
PATHWAYS
by UBAA
UB MED PATHWAYS
IN MEMORIAM
EUGENE R. MINDELL, MD —First chair of orthopaedics at UB and pioneering bone cancer surgeon
Eugene R. Mindell, MD, the fi rst chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a pioneer in limb-sparing surgery for bone cancer patients, died Feb. 15 at his home in Canterbury Woods, Amherst, NY. He was 96.
Born in Chicago, Mindell attended the University of Chicago, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1943 and a medical degree in 1945, the same year he married a student from Buff alo, June Abrams.
He joined the Navy while in medical school and served as a Veterans Administration physician in Columbia, S.C., from 1945-1946. He then interned at Cincinnati General Hospital before returning to the University of Chicago for his residency. During that time he began focusing on bone cancer with some of the era’s leading osteosarcoma researchers.
In 1953 Mindell came to Buff alo, set up a private practice and became affi liated with Millard Fillmore Hospital and Buff alo General Hospital. In Buff alo he employed the bone resection and bone reconstruction procedures he learned from the pioneering researchers in Chicago.
“The survival rate changed from less than 20 percent to around 70 percent,” he told Orthopedics Today in 2005. “Instead of amputation, patients could now receive a limb-sparing operation. It became possible to save lives as well as limbs. That was the big turnaround.”
In 1964, Mindell was asked to become UB’s fi rst orthopedist and to establish a new department in the medical school. He served as chair until 1988, establishing the area’s fi rst bone bank for bone grafts, setting up a residency program and a bone research laboratory, and building the department into a nationally ranked program for training orthopedic surgeons.
A leading researcher who published more than 100 scientifi c papers and a pioneer in limb-sparing surgery, Mindell was also among the fi rst to adopt chemotherapy in the treatment of bone cancer patients in the 1970s.
He was a founder of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society and president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, where he set up the board’s certifying process for orthopedic surgeons. In 1991, he was elected to the board of directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and served as chair of the academy’s Council of Musculoskeletal Specialty Societies.
Mindell received the Jacobs School’s Dean’s Award in 1986, the University of Chicago Distinguished Service Award in 1990, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from UB Orthopaedics in 2002.
He and his wife endowed the June A. and Eugene R. Mindell Chair of Orthopaedics in the Jacobs School. He also established the annual Eugene R. Mindell and Harold Brody Clinical Translational Research Award for junior research scientists in the school.
Survivors include two sons, David P. and Douglas G.; a sister, Audrey Rubin; three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Memorial gifts can be made in honor of Dr. Mindell to the June A. and Eugene R. Mindell, MD Fund in the UB Department of Orthopaedics. Contributions can be directed to this fund online at medicine.buff alo.edu/departments/ortho; or mailed to UB Foundation, P.O. Box 730, Buff alo, NY 14226-0730. To make a gift by phone, call (716) 645-3011.
IN MEMORIAM
THOMAS J. GUTTUSO SR., MD ’60 —Prominent ophthalmologist, dedicated alumnus
Thomas J. Guttuso Sr., MD ’60, died on January 14, 2019, at age 83. A 1960 graduate of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Guttuso was dedicated to his alma mater, serving it in numerous capacities over a span of decades.
A respected ophthalmologist and school administrator, Guttuso was chair of ophthalmology at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) in the late 1970s and early ’80s and led a successful eff ort to form a single, unifi ed UB-sponsored ophthalmology program. This was accomplished by incorporating what were then three strong clinical sites—at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buff alo, the Buff alo VA Medical Center and ECMC. Guttuso then served as program director for the new Department of Ophthalmology from 1985 to 1988.
Guttuso also served the Jacobs School as director of medical student admissions for 20 years as assistant dean for admissions.
In 2014, he served as president of the Medical Alumni Association (MAA). In this capacity, he worked to further strengthen the relationship that the MAA has with the Jacobs School administration and with the Offi ce of Medical Advancement and Alumni Engagement. During his tenure, the MAA saw a signifi cant increase in the Alumni Scholarship Fund as well as enhanced relationships with alumni and students.
Guttuso received numerous honors for his contributions to the medical school, including the Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award in 1995 and the Dean’s Award in 2001.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughters Lisa Guttuso Klenk, MD ’88, and Lori (Dr. Frank) Luzi, MD ’88; son, Thomas J. (Christie) Guttuso Jr., MD ’96; and seven grandchildren.
Memorials can be made to the Dr. Thomas and Barbara Guttuso Scholarship and Award Endowment Fund, c/o UB Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 730, Buff alo, NY 14226.
KAREN D. SCHUPAK, MD ’84, died on January 16, 2019. She will be deeply missed by her family, medical school classmates, friends, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center colleagues. A fund has been established at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to honor her memory. Those who are interested in contributing to Karen’s legacy can contact Jennifer Seth-Cimini, Senior Director of Advancement, at (716) 829-3732, or jns2@buff alo.edu.
For full obituary, visit medicine.buff alo.edu/alumni, click on Get Connected and go to Classnotes by Decade. KENNETH E. BELL, MD ’61, died on July 14, 2018, at age 82. An obstetrician and gynecologist, Bell held clinical faculty positions at both UCLA and USC medical schools. He brought the concept of family centered obstetrical care to Kaiser Permanente, which became a model for hospitals worldwide. He also served as medical director of Orange County, California.
SAVE THE DATE . . . . ALUMNI WEEKEND AND SPRING CLINICAL DAY 2019 FRIDAY, MAY 3, AND SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2019
CELEBRATING THE CLASSES OF: 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 EVENTS INCLUDE: Distinguished Alumni Awards, all-alumni welcome back reception, Spring Clinical Day at the Jacobs School and class dinners.
SATURDAY, MAY 4, SPRING CLINICAL DAY FEATURES ROBERT J. GORE, MD ’02 A youth anti-violence advocate, CNN Hero of 2018 and alumnus, Gore is an emergency department physician at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and NYC+ Health + Hospitals/Kings County, Brooklyn, New York.
For more information and to register, visit medicine.buff alo.edu/alumni/reunion. For questions, contact Jennifer Turkovich at (716) 829-2773.
TABLE OF Q&A
STUDENT-LED PEDIATRIC MALNUTRITION PROGRAM IN HAITI —A conversation with second-year medical student Connor Orrico
Connor Orrico, Class of 2021, is partnering with Vincenzo (Vinny) Polsinelli, MD ’18; Jon Zelasko, Class of 2020; and Vijay Aswani, MD, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics (see story on page 17), to develop a pediatric malnutrition program in Fontaine, Haiti. A native of Bu alo, New York, Orrico, earned a B.S degree in biology with minors in global health and nutrition at Cornell University before entering the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Recently, UB Medicine talked with him about his interest in global health and his motives for starting the malnutrition program.
Q: What prompted you to start the malnutrition program in Haiti? A: The Jacobs School’s involvement in Haiti was the main reason I came to UB. I contacted *Vinny Polsinelli (MD ’18)—who began the school’s partnership in Haiti—to learn about the country’s health needs. Vinny talked with community leaders on the ground and they identifi ed childhood malnutrition as a foremost need. As a result, our team—Vinny, Jon Zelasko, Dr. Aswani and I—got to work.
Q: What is the scope of the program, and what do you hope to accomplish? A: We want to better understand childhood malnutrition in Fontaine, the rural, agricultural Haitian town in which we work: who becomes malnourished and who does not; where do they live; what is the overall prevalence; how oft en are they able to access medical care, etc. We plan to use these data to inform the development of a childhood malnutrition treatment program that we hope will work well given the sociocultural and politico-economic context of this particular town. We did some fi eld research in the summer months of 2018 and are wrapping up the analysis of those data so we can begin to focus more on the program development. Q: How have your global health experiences changed you? A: The most valuable part of my education has been in global health. It has taught me how to think critically and defi ne problems, how to appreciate and embrace complexity, and how to value cultural humility and empathy. Without my global health experiences I would largely lack these skills and values and their deep infl uence on my character and goals. “We plan to use these data to inform the development of a childhood malnutrition treatment program.” —Connor Orrico
Q: Do you feel the Jacobs School provides a supportive environment for students interested in global health? A: Yes, the environment is very supportive. Before matriculating, in addition to talking with Vinny, I connected with Dr. [David] Holmes, clinical associate professor of family medicine and director of global health education, whom I continue to work with today. In December, he was in Haiti evaluating children we identifi ed in our summer research as acutely malnourished [see cover photo]. In recent years, many students in the Jacobs School have received funding to attend the Unite for Sight Global Health and Innovation Conference.
On a related note, physician and anthropologist Paul Farmer (Kolokotrones University Professor and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School) said, “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.” So, I’d like to thank all the students and faculty who labor on behalf of vulnerable and marginalized people, both in Buff alo and beyond, for the just and important work that they do. * Vincenzo Polsinelli, MD ’18, is an internal medicine/global health resident at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center. Orrico with child in Haiti Photo by Maya Reagan
UB’S Community
FOR GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY
By Grove Potter
Cassandra Hamsher, left, a student in School of Management, enjoying a cultural exchange as part of the Buffalo Tanzania Education Project in 2017.
UB identified global health as a university-wide area of focus in 2015. The Provost’s Office issued a challenge for “audacious proposals” to tackle, and the Community for Global Health Equity (CGHE) was one of three selected, along with Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies (SMART) and the Genome, Environment and Microbiome (GEM).
Since that time, global health equity at UB has gained tremendous momentum, drawing talent from across schools and disciplines to tackle macro-level challenges facing human health. Projects, to date, include creating policy initiatives for governments to pursue, developing sanitation systems and studying microbiological threats.
“Global health, for the most part, has been driven by medical schools, in particular infectious disease specialists,” says Korydon Smith, M.Arch, EdD, professor and chair of the Department of Architecture, and co-director of the CGHE. “Today, however, there is a growing number of fields interested in the social determinants of health and environmental impacts of health.”
The UB initiative includes more than 60 departments and 200 affiliated faculty members and has attracted inquiries from 960 students, with 691 engaged. The community complements the disciplinary departmental system, reporting directly to the Provost’s Office and the Vice President for Research and Economic Development.
The effort is focused on four areas of influence: • Informing public policy by disseminating research to governments • Teaching practitioners, including those in health sciences, architecture and planning, engineering and social sciences • Interfacing with non-governmental organizations, such as UNICEF, which can extend the reach of initiatives • Impacting decisions about which research is funded
The community often takes a broad lens to specific problems, and this strategy has struck a chord with students, who bring practical approaches to many of the complex issues being tackled. Students learn about the initiative from their professors, each other and the web. If a biology student who is interested in child and maternal health wants to get involved, for example, the CGHE helps identify projects he or she can join. “Many students hunger for a deeper understanding of global issues, and they especially feel drawn to the sense of purpose and mission that global health problems present for them,” explains Katarzyna Kordas, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health in the School of Public Health and Health Professions, who co-directs the Community for Global Health Equity with Smith. “An introduction to the issues leads some to decide to be part of the solution, which often determines the course of their careers.”
A big recruitment tool for the community is the annual Global Innovation Challenge, a week-long intensive workshop. During the challenge, students—from freshmen to doctoral candidates—join faculty in developing innovative strategies to solve grand global health challenges, culminating in a winning project being selected for piloting.
“One professor calls it the most diverse classroom on campus,” says Smith. To learn more about the Community for Global Health Equity, visit buffalo.edu/globalhealthequity.
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My Bold Moment
My Bold Moment
Bold moments are what make us great. Moments when we stand up for what we believe in. When we step up to the challenge. And when we work together toward the greater good. The Boldly Buffalo campaign provides countless opportunities for students to discover their passions and achieve their dreams. To learn how you can help create a better world, visit buffalo.edu/campaign.
