gifts at work
School of Medicine on Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia Campus
Sight-Saving
Surgery Triggers
fall 2011
Gift
New Home for the
Medical School In mid-November, the steel work was completed on the MCV Campus’ new medical education center. Reaching 12 stories into the sky, the building has been crafted to house the most significant renovation to the school’s curriculum seen in 30 years. new approaches to training physicians. With a focus on team-based, clinically-driven problem solving, the building will house flexible, small-group learning studios and a leading edge Center for Human Simulation and Patient Safety. Just as importantly, this new facility will allow us to help meet the projected physician shortage by accommodating an increase in class size from 200 to 250, increasing the total medical student body to 1,000. Last spring, the facility won a vote of confidence from grateful patients and community leaders James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin. Gov. Bob McDonnell was on hand for the announcement of the couple’s $25-million gift made in honor of Dr. Harold Young, who is professor and founding chair of the Department of Neurosurgery. In recognition of the gift — one of the largest in the university’s history — the new facility will be named the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center. A donor wall in the lobby will display the names of alumni and friends whose generosity is vital to the building’s success.
As teacher and friend to thousands of students in the School of Medicine for nearly 30 years, Linda Costanzo, Ph.D., professor emerita of physiology and biophysics, suddenly found herself in a new role: patient. “I noticed that my vision was distorted and thought I should get my glasses checked,” she remembered. “Weeks went by before I learned that something was terribly, terribly wrong.” Enter Ali Tabassian, M.D., Ph.D., a former student from the Class of 1990, who performed surgery to correct a macular hole in her left eye. Dr. Costanzo and her husband Richard Costanzo, Ph.D., professor of physiology and biophysics, were so grateful for his skillful intervention that they decided to honor him by making a gift to the new Medical Education Center in his name, “as a small gesture of gratitude for this sight-saving surgery and the kindness he demonstrated at every turn.” From Tabassian’s view, “I was speechless. But this gift speaks http://go.vcu.edu/GiftsAtWork volumes about the Costanzos’ commitment to the school.”
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I’m a huge believer in giving back.
As physician-in-chief of the University of Maryland’s R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Tom Scalea, M’78, oversees the nation’s first and only integrated trauma hospital. Treating nearly 8,000 of the Baltimore region’s most badly injured and critically ill people every year, the Shock Trauma Center is also the pre-deployment training ground for U.S. military doctors, nurses and special operations medics. Earlier this year, Dr. Scalea presented grand rounds on the MCV Campus and learned of the building campaign for the new James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center. Impressed with the future of medical education at the School of Medicine, he made a $100,000 gift.
“MCV defined who it was I was going to become,” said Dr. Scalea. “I was very lucky. It was the four best years of my life without question. When I had the opportunity to give back to the institution that allowed me to do this great work, my answer wasn’t ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but ‘how much?’ I was happy to help, and I hope it’s not the last gift.”
Reunion Giving Hits New High With hundreds of MD alumni returning to campus to celebrate, Reunion Weekend saw attendance increase by 21 percent last spring. Along the way, alumni set a record-breaking mark of $2.6 million in Reunion giving, with the Class of 1961 leading the way for the medical education building now under construction. Three classes took on special Reunion projects, and others threw their support behind the Annual Fund.
Courtesy of the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Mayland
In this building, the school’s faculty will pioneer
more online
http://go.vcu.edu/GiftsAtWork
Dressed for Success
At its 16th annual White Coat Ceremony, the School of Medicine welcomed the 200 students who make up the incoming Class of 2015. These students were chosen from more than 6,450 applications – our highest number ever, and a dramatic increase from the 4,200 applicants to the school in 2005. In front of friends and family, the students walked across the stage to receive the distinctive white coat that represents professionalism and empathy in the practice of medicine. This year’s keynote speaker was Internal Medicine Professor Peter A. Boling, M.D., who first arrived on the MCV Campus for his internal medicine residency training. Now a champion of the house calls approach both locally and on a national level, he leads our school’s program that provides in-home primary care for more than 5,000 home-bound, frail adults. Among those patients is a 97-year-old retired teacher who joined him on stage to share with our students her own views of what makes a good physician.
Class of 2015 6451 students applied • 200 matriculated • 22 states represented and 94 undergraduate colleges and universities • 2 already have earned a doctoral degree • 37 have a Master’s degree • 111 Virginians • 92 females • 30 MCAT average • 3.60 average science GPA • 24.5 average age, from 21 to 42
Legacy Connections Among the Class of 2015’s new matriculants are 12 whose families already have alumni ties to the medical school. Member of the Class of 2015
Four Generations Gaylord W. Ray, M’76, H’79 (right), with his son Christopher, who was recently elected president of the Class of 2015, is holding the 1897 diploma from the University College of Medicine that was awarded to his grandfather A. Chambers Ray. Gaylord Ray’s late father, Ed Ray, is also connected to the medical school: he completed his housestaff training in 1944 and went on to be named the founding chair of pulmonology.
Legacy Connection
Sean M. Brodie ................. father, Harry B. Brodie, M’75, Littleton, Colo., retired general practitioner uncle Edmund M. Brodie, M’71, Gainesville, Fla., retired radiologist grandfather, Edmund G. Brodie, 1943 graduate of the dental school, Norfolk, Va. Sara C. Finestone .............. father, Doug H. Finestone, M’79, Greenville, N.C., practicing psychiatrist uncle Robert Dabrow, M’84, H’85, Silver Springs, Md., pediatric hospitalist Emilija O. Florance ............ father, Jared Florance, M’82, Randolph, Vt., recently retired from a career in public health Daniel J. Gardiner ............. father, James E. Gardiner, M’78, H’83, Winchester, Va., practicing gastroenterologist Steven A. Gordon .............. father, David A. Gordon, M’80, Allentown, Pa., practicing cardiovascular surgeon mother, Marsha A. Gordon, 1978 graduate of the dental school Spencer C. Harris .............. grandfather, Harold J. Harris, M’32, now deceased Marie K. Moorman ........... father, Tony Moorman, M’88, Chestertown, Md., practicing obstetrician/gynecologist Elizabeth M. O’Brien ......... parents, the Class of 1983’s Lorraine M. Arias and James J. O’Brien, Winston Salem, N.C., anesthesiologists Christopher C. Ray ............ father, Gaylord W. Ray, M’76, H’79, Gloucester, Va., retired emergency physician grandfather Ed Ray, H’44, now deceased, emeritus professor of medicine at MCV and first chairman of its pulmonary department great-grandfather A.C. Ray, 1897 graduate of the University College of Medicine, predecessor to MCV Phillip C. Sholes ................ grandfather Dillard M. Sholes, Jr., M’49, H’50, now deceased Madison Sternberg ........... father, Elliot Sternberg, M’80, Orange, Calif., executive vice president of St. Joseph Health System Allison C. Waller ............... father, Kenneth Waller, M’85, MHA’08, Richmond, Va., practicing neurologist step-mother Susan Waller, M’01, H’05, Richmond, Va., practicing psychiatrist
Seven new scholarships benefit students this year A pioneering woman and a grateful son. An otolaryngologist, an aunt, a businessman, a surgeon and a widow. They are the individuals behind more than a half dozen new scholarship endowments in the medical school. Together worth more than $500,000, the endowments will generate annual scholarship awards that are benefiting students for the first time in the coming year. Today, 70 endowed scholarship funds, valued at $10.4 million, benefit students in the medical school. Housed at the MCV Foundation, scholarship endowments produce an annual award of about four to five percent of the fund’s value. The medical school encourages named scholarships to be created with a gift of $25,000 or more. Below this amount, donors may direct support to any of the school’s established scholarships or to the Annual Fund, which also supports student scholarships.
While each reflects its donor’s interests in unique ways, the newly endowed scholarships have one unifying theme: each donor asked that the scholarship be awarded to a student with demonstrated financial need.
Scholarship Fund
Student Recipient
Bersoff Medical Scholarship Fund
Caleb Cutherell, M1
Eugenie M. Fribourg Scholarship Fund
Kelly Evans, M3
J. Dennis Hoban Scholarship Fund
William Rossano, M1
Herbert S. and Elinor C. Neifeld Scholarship
Samarth Gola, M1
Chancellor Asa Rice Memorial Scholarship Fund
Adrianne Colton, M4
Fred and Rose Shaia Family Scholarship
Kathryn Zedler, M4
Drs. O. W., Sr. and Oscar W. Ward, Jr. Scholarship
Balraj Bajaj, M1
more online
http://go.vcu.edu/GiftsAtWork
Out of Tragedy Comes an Everlasting Gift In the wake of her nephew’s death, Elizabeth Rice Martin, M’98, wanted to celebrate his life. As the family was writing young Chancellor’s obituary, it occurred to them that contributions to a scholarship in his name would not only help memorialize his life forever, but would also provide much-needed financial support to medical students on the MCV Campus. “I didn’t know how to get a scholarship off the ground,” Martin said. But after she made the initial donation, the scholarship became fully funded in less than three years. “Every time a friend said, ‘I’m so sorry about your nephew, what can I do?’ my family and I would talk about Chancellor and mention the scholarship. It gives us a lot of closure.” In addition to its support for students with an interest in pediatrics and obstetrics, the Chancellor Asa Rice Scholarship calls attention to the dangerous infection during labor that led to Chancellor’s brain injury and ultimately his death. “It helps us to know that something so good came out of something so tragic,” Martin said.
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The Class of 1998’s Elizabeth Rice Martin (right photo). Her nephew Chancellor (left) with his parents.
http://go.vcu.edu/GiftsAtWork
New Look for Annual Fund
Charitable IRA Rollovers
2011 Alumni Star
100 percent of the Annual Fund is used to create
Thanks to the extended charitable IRA legislation,
In October, Tadataka
student scholarships that help combat student
you can once again make outright gifts using IRA
“Tachi” Yamada, M.D., was
debt. Last year, 224 first-time donors to the Fund
funds without tax liability. If you are age 70 ½ or older
honored as one of VCU’s
helped pushed total giving to the Annual Fund up to
and do not need your required minimum distributions,
most accomplished alumni.
$335,000! To encourage more new donors to join
you can make tax-free charitable gifts totaling up to
Yamada completed residency
the effort, the Annual Fund is unveiling a new look
$100,000 from an IRA account directly to the MCV
training on the MCV Campus
you’ll see on future mailings and is
Foundation until the end of 2011. While you cannot
in 1974.
establishing new giving levels for
claim a charitable deduction for the IRA gifts, you
The former president of the
young alumni.
will not pay income tax on the amount.
Bill & Melinda Gates Founda-
The Warner Club
The Next Step
Recognizing M.D. graduates of the last 9 years who make yearly gifts totaling:
tion Global Health Program is currently executive vice president and member of the
Be sure to contact tax professionals or your IRA
board of directors for Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
administrator if you are considering a gift under this
He spent October 21 visiting the MCV Campus and
$480 or $40 each month
law. You can get more information about your options
talking with students, before an evening dinner hosted
8 years out
$720 or $60 each month
from Tom Holland, Associate Dean for Development at
by the VCU and MCV Alumni Associations.
9 years out
$960 or $80 each month
(800) 332-8813, (804) 828-3800 or tehollan@vcu.edu.
1-5 years out
$120 or $10 each month
6 years out
$240 or $20 each month
7 years out
The medical school’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.
more online
http://go.vcu.edu/GiftsAtWork
VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia Campus School of Medicine P.O. Box 980022 Richmond, Virginia 23298-0022
s t f i g
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
Paid
at work
Richmond, VA Permit No. 869
Address Service Requested
New Design for Gifts at Work We always have good stories to tell about how philanthropy makes a difference in the medical school. Now we’ve re-designed our publication to give you the chance to quickly review that news. When you want to know the rest of the story, you can find expanded articles and additional photography at http://go.vcu.edu/GiftsAtWork. We hope you’ll take advantage of the additional coverage and that you’ll let us know what you think of our new approach! If you have questions about Gifts at Work, please contact the medical school Development Office, (804) 828-4800, toll-free at (800) 332-8813, or by email at MedAlum@vcu.edu. Associate Dean for Development: Tom Holland Editor: Erin Lucero Assistant Editor: Leetah Stanley Contributing Writer: Nan Johnson Photographers: Allen Jones, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Skip Rowland and Kevin Schindler Graphic Design: Kevin Schindler
Postcards from Honduras AIR MAIL H
For about two dozen first-year medical students, HOMBRE is an annual rite of passage – a summer medical mission trip that takes them to Honduras and the Dominican Republic, two of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Each year since 2000, a new crop of first-year students takes charge of HOMBRE, inheriting the tradition from the previous class along with recommendations on how to pull it off. They spend the school year before their trip raising funds to support travel and the purchase of medication and supplies for their patients. Then for 10 days, the students work alongside physicians, nurses and pharmacists at clinics, as well as visiting patients in their homes, providing care in schools and initiating public health projects, such as clean water filter programs. Last summer, two of the students used HOMBRE to undertake research in three Honduran communities. With guidance from their faculty advisors, Internal Medicine’s Gonzalo M. Bearman, M.D., M.P.H., and Mike Stevens, M.D., M.P.H., they made discoveries that could be useful to future trips.
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H
Catherine Pearson evaluated Hondurans’ access and barriers to healthcare. She notes that “even Honduran communities that are located near one another displayed considerable differences in their access to health services. By understanding the barriers unique to each community, medical relief efforts may be able to provide more targeted care.” Her research can guide future relief trips as her findings point to areas of greatest need and identify the considerable barrier that geography plays in access to care. Gabriela Halder, M.P.H., surveyed access to and sanitation of drinking water. “In Honduras diarrheal diseases are currently among the top three leading causes of disease in children up to five years of age,” says Halder. “Since contaminated water can harbor the infectious agents that cause diarrhea, recent efforts have focused on increasing the availability of clean water throughout the country.”
Pearson
Halder
L e a r n m o r e a b o u t H O M B R E a t w w w. h o m b r e m e d i c i n e . o r g
Get Ready for Reunion 2012: April 20-22 Classes ending in ’2s and ’7s - mark your calendar! Reunion kicks off with Friday evening’s Class Parties and features a reception on the Egyptian Building Plaza Saturday night! Do You Know How to Throw a Great Party? If you would like to volunteer to help with planning your class activities, contact Jodi T. Smith, director of alumni engagement for the School of Medicine, at jtsmith@vcu.edu.
Build a Legacy! Reunion Class Giving is on its way to becoming an MCV Campus tradition. As Reunion 2012 draws closer, you’ll receive info about joining with your class to make a special gift to the School of Medicine. Many of last year’s attendees marked their Reunion with gifts to the medical school, helping generate over $2.6 million in support for scholarships and the new medical education building.
Want to Earn CME Credits? Saturday’s Alumni Update Course will tackle a broad variety of fields, covering topics as diverse as psychiatry, pediatrics and heart health. You can earn up to 6.75 credit hours. For additional information and to register, visit www.cme.vcu.edu or call (804) 828-3640 or (800) 413-2872.
Plan ahead: Reunion 2013 is April 26-28.
MCV
F O U N D A T I O N Serving the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University Since 1949
Serving the Medical College of Virginia Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University since 1949 and proud to be a partner with the School of Medicine. Post Office Box 980234 Richmond VA 23298 (804) 828-9734 www.mcvfoundation.org