The Lewin Family’s Lasting Impact AT T H E
—Jacqueline Lewin and Edward Lewin, MD—
Cynthia and John, I am deeply sorry for your loss of your mother and father. I consider it an honor to have spent time working closely with Ed and for the mentorship he provided in my early days at CU. His intelligence, wit, sense of humor and clinical skill were all things I observed on a daily basis for many years. The fact that Ed knew my father well, and could tell me stories of their time together at the Harvard Neurological Unit in Boston City Hospital, was an added treat. On behalf of the Department of Neurology, thank you for your family’s support through the Reuler-Lewin Family Professorship. These investments have made tremendous contributions to our mission of improving the health of patients with neurological disorders and conditions, most notably, epilepsy. We are humbled by your family’s dedication to our mission, and your forethought and insight to make an impact on our work.
Drs. Lewin and Tyler at Dr. Lewin’s Retirement Celebration
I am grateful for the generosity that your parents have shown. Their support gave me solid ground on which to grow the department, enabling us to make great achievements, as demonstrated in this report. Since they so generously established this professorship nearly a decade ago, our research has progressed in important ways, with effective treatments and new techniques providing hope to countless patients.
I am grateful that your family’s support has continued throughout my appointment as the former Reuler-Lewin Family Professor. I am proud to see the professorship in the hands of Mark Spitz, MD, and confident that he will carry our work forward into the future we envision.
Sincerely,
Kenneth L. Tyler, MD Chair, CU Department of Neurology Louise Baum Endowed Professor and Chair — 1 —
A Timeline and Brief History of a
DECADE OF PROGRESS The past decade has been marked by tremendous growth in the CU Department of Neurology. We have expanded our research efforts, broadened the educational experience for our residents and fellows, improved care through innovative programs, and achieved national recognition for our centers of excellence. In addition, we have successfully recruited over 35 faculty members with experience and skill sets that complement an already impressive roster of physicians and scientists. With the critical support of your family, there’s no telling what we’ll accomplish in the decades ahead. SELECTED KEY FACULTY HIRES
2010
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital partnership forms neurology resources and cross-departmental clinics
Brian Berman, MD, MS Movement Disorders
2011
evelopment of neuroD hospitalist program under leadership of William Jones, MD
Cornelia Drees, MD Jennifer Simpson, MD Epilepsy
Stroke and Neurovascular
2012 Sharon Poisson, MD Neuro-hospitalist
Huntington Potter, PhD
Teri Schreiner, MD, MPH Neuroimmunology/MS
Alzheimer’s disease
— 2 —
• Movement Disorders Center is founded • Established a Neurology Clinical Research Center under the leadership of Timothy Vollmer, MD
• UCHealth is named a Comprehensive Stroke Center
2013 Enrique Alvarez, MD, PhD Neuroimmunology/MS
• UCHealth tower opens, dramatically increasing the number of neurological ICU beds
Marius Birlea, MD Headache/ Pain Medicine
2014 Mesha-Gay Brown, MD
Pearce Korb, MD, MHPE
Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Lauren Seeberger, MD
• The Movement Disorders Center establishes the Interdisciplinary Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic.
Movement Disorders
2015 Vera Fridman, MD Drew Kern, MD, MS Neuro-muscular
Movement Disorders
Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS Neuroinfectious Disease
• The Neurology Residency Training program sees its 5th year of consecutive growth in applications. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. medical school seniors apply to this program. • The CU Department of Neurology is the first department at UCH to initiate telemedicine, for the use of stroke and neurology programs. • Two nationally innovative and novel subspecialty programs form in neuropalliative care and neuro-infectious disease. • UCH is named a National MS Society Collaborative MS Research Center, one of nine nationally.
— 3 —
Christine Baca, MD Epilepsy
Robert Gross, MD Karen Orjuela, MD, MS Neuroimmunology/MS
Stroke and neurohospitalist
• UCH launches dedicated stroke ambulance
2016
• UCH is designated a Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence
Peter Pressman, MD Behavioral Neurology
Stacy Dixon, MD, PhD
Samantha Holden, MD, MS
Neuromuscular
Behavioral Neurology
• The CU Department of Neurology offers 14 fellowships in areas including: Epilepsy, Neuromuscular Neurology, Vascular Neurology, Behavioral Neurology, Clinical Neuromuscular Pathology, Headache Medicine, Neuro-oncology, Neuroimmunology/MS, Movement Disorders, Neuro-ophthalmology, Neuro-palliative Care, Neurohospitalism, Neuroinfectious Disease and Autoimmune Neurology
James Kelly, MD, MA Behavioral Neurology
• Neuro-palliative Care Program is formed
Brice McConnell, MD, PhD Behavioral Neurology
Amanda Piquet, MD Autoimmune Neurology
Christina Vaughan, MD Neuro-palliative
Matthew Wicklund, MD Neuromuscular
2017
— 4 —
Samuel DeStefano, MD
Laura Foster, MD Neuro-palliative
Michelle Fullard, MD. MS Movement Disorders
Epilepsy
Trevor Hawkins, MD
Michelle Leppert, MD
Danielle McDermott, MD, MS
Movement Disorders
Stroke and neurohospitalist
Epilepsy
2018
r. Tyler makes national news for his D research on acute flaccid myelitis, a polio-like syndrome leaving some children partially paralyzed. His development of an animal model for this disease is critical in establishing the role of Enterovirus D-68 as a cause in many cases and provides a way to test new disease therapies.
Matthew West, MD VA Neurology Chief
2019 Setareh Salehi Omran, MD Stroke and neurohospitalist
Brandon Pope, MD
Danielle Wilhour, MD
Neuro-hospitalist
Headache/Pain Medicine
— 5 —
T he CU Movement Disorders Center is named a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence.
When I interviewed for my neurology residency 30 years ago, I was asked, ‘why are you going into neurology?’ I answered that I saw it as a field that would dramatically change in my lifetime, from more than diagnoses and prognoses, and into areas with effective therapies. This indeed has happened. In the decades I have practiced, and in just the last five years, major advances have taken place. We now have new drugs, with unique mechanisms of action that have helped patients become seizure-free. We also have new surgical technologies that have made a difference in localizing seizures, making it possible for patients to obtain drivers’ licenses for the first time in their lives. These advancements have drastically improved the quality of life for many other patients, including those who have been without options. — Mark C. Spitz, MD Chief, CU Division of Epilepsy Reuler-Lewin Family Professor
Cynthia and John, I was very saddened to hear about your mother and father’s passing. Ed, in particular, was a special man, and he was important to me in many ways. It was a real honor to work alongside him during my time at the Veteran’s Affairs Clinic. I frequently reflect on his practice and the compassion he demonstrated with his patients. When I see a new patient, I don’t just ask them ‘why are you here?” I get to know them first as a person, such as where they are from. This came from your father. I know where my patients live, what they do for work, and what hobbies they enjoy. I’m often teased about this, but I’m proud of it and I learned it from him. I know that your parents were very aware of how epilepsy effects the lives of people and their families, and I’m grateful for their vision in establishing the Reuler-Lewin Family Professorship. As Professor, I’m fortunate to have the resources necessary to conduct innovative research, provide first-rate care and train tomorrow’s medical professionals. Philanthropy has made a significant impact on our trajectory at the CU Department of Neurology. Our progress wouldn’t be possible without your family’s support and others like Ed and Jacqueline. We are currently the leaders in the Rocky Mountain Region for epilepsy care. In addition to having a state-of-the-art surgical program, we have specialty clinics for women’s issues and tuberous sclerosis, dietary care and non-invasive therapy for epilepsy such as neurofeedback. Recently, we collaborated with the CU Department of Psychiatry to treat patients with non-epileptic seizure (NES). This is an area comprising a quarter of our new patient consults that has historically experienced a paucity of patient care and research. These areas will be strengthened and expanded over the next few years. We are also developing a specialty clinic for new-onset epilepsy, anticipated to open within a year. While I look forward to all that lies ahead for the department in the years to come, I reflect with gratitude that your family has allowed me this endowed chair which carries your family name. I’m grateful for the Lewin’s investments in our future and the life-changing work you make possible here every day.
Sincerely,
Mark C. Spitz, MD Chief, CU Division of Epilepsy, Department of Neurology Reuler-Lewin Family Professor — 7 —
Faculty at Dr. Lewin’s Retirement Celebration
We hope you know how grateful we are for your family’s generosity and your father’s longstanding service at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. We look ahead with anticipation for more successes in the years to come. It is because of families like yours that we are able to shape an even better future for people living with epilepsy.