H OUSTON M E T HO D I ST H OSPI TA L FO U N DAT I O N
NE WSLETTER VO L UM E 2
A LETTER FROM OUR CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIR
Contents Letter from our Co-Chair
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Campaign At-A-Glance
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Transformational Gifts
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Lifelong Connections
5
Investigating Cancer
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Research Discoveries
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Training Doctors
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Stroke Education 9 Special Events
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When we announced Leading Medicine Interventional Structural Heart Disease. to the Power of M: Campaign for Our The anonymous couple also named the Second Century at the Rendezvous: Live ‘Mark J. Hausknecht, MD Cardiac Intensive Young gala in November 2017, campaign Care Unit’ on the 10th floor of the Paula co-chair Rusty Walter and I had profound and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower. faith that our philanthropic community The Walters’ $101 million cornerstone would embrace our goal of $500 million. gift continues to drive this campaign But the momentum you have inspired in thanks to its many matches and unique Houston Methodist’s campaign is nothing components, including the Centennial short of remarkable! Chair Challenge—C³—which has sparked Because of your generosity and the the creation of 22 C³ chairs toward our commitment of so many others in our goal of 50. And, as of September 30, community and beyond, more than $30 we have an overall count of 77 endowed million was pledged toward our efforts chairs—aiming for 100 in honor of to attract brilliance, accelerate research, Houston Methodist’s 100-year anniversary train superstars and promote healing of serving our community. at Houston Methodist. Our campaign Rusty and I are humbled and honored total as of September 30 stands at to help lead this campaign and, if you have $349.2 million. Rusty and I are eternally not already, would love to have you join grateful for your commitment to this the team of major benefactors moving unprecedented campaign. our institution ever forward. To those Highlights that pushed us into of you who have made your campaign 2019—our Centennial year—include commitment, thank you! We reach out for exceptional stories of generosity and your guidance in helping spread the word inspiration. When we tragically lost beloved to engage your friends and neighbors in cardiologist Dr. Mark Hausknecht in the quest to take Houston Methodist from July, an anonymous couple committed the best in Texas to the best in the world— $1.5 million to honor his life and legacy and always with our patients’ lives at the through three unique funds. This center of our efforts. commitment will be divided among a Centennial Chair in Anesthesia and Critical Care; a fund for Cardiovascular Telemedicine Services for Patients in Elizabeth Blanton Wareing Remote and Rural Areas; and a fund for Campaign Co-Chair Research, Education and Innovation in
CAMPAIGN 19,269 GIFTS
77
ENDOWED CHAIRS
AT-A-GLANCE
349.2 MILLION
$
RAISED TO DATE F R OM 1 . 1 . 1 3 TO 9 . 30 . 1 8
LEADING MEDICINE TO THE POWER OF M: CAMPAIGN FOR OUR SECOND CENTURY BEGAN COUNTING ON JANUARY 1, 2013, AND THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TOOK PLACE ON NOVEMBER 9, 2017.
CAMPAIGN BY FOCUS AREA
11,216
24
%
SUPPORTERS
53
%
ACCELERATE RESEARCH $184M
CAMPAIGN BY FUND CATEGORY ENDOWMENTS $183.66M
ATTRACT BRILLIANCE $84M
11
%
12
%
PROMOTE HEALING $40M
TRAIN SUPERSTARS $41M
CURRENT USE $165.53M 3
TRANSFORMATIONAL GIVING
OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM Corporate partner Occidental Petroleum added $6M to its commitment bringing the company’s campaign gift total to a transformational $10M. Their gift will provide additional support for the Community Scholars Program by establishing a Centennial Chair, creating the Occidental Petroleum Health Outcomes – Quality of Life Improvement Program, and establishing a fellowship in palliative care.
THE ELKINS FOUNDATION The family foundation of James A. Elkins Sr., one of the founding trustees of Houston Methodist in 1919, pledged a campaign commitment to establish two significant Centennial Chairs: one in heart and one in neurology.
C. JAMES AND CAROLE WALTER LOOKE The C. James and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Behavioral Health is the Lookes’ most recent transformational commitment to provide resources for a nationally respected leader in psychiatry and behavioral health.
HARRIET AND JOE FOSTER Longtime Houston Methodist benefactors Harriet and Joe Foster made two significant commitments – one current and one planned – to support the Cell Based Therapy Program in the Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology.
READ MORE IN THE UPCOMING EDITION OF THE HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT OR AT POWEROFM.ORG 4
LIFELONG
CONNECTIONS
Dr. Stuart Solomon, left, and Dr. Stuart Dobbs, far right, visit with with Ewing and Kay Werlein.
Former Houston Methodist Board chairman Judge Ewing Werlein and his wife Kay were about 12 hours away from losing their only son when faith and Houston Methodist physicians engineered a miracle. Ken Werlein, 48 at the time, had been suffering from what he thought was indigestion. By chance, he still had Dr. Stuart Dobbs’ cell phone number from a visit with him several years earlier. He texted to ask about an appointment. To his surprise, Dr. Dobbs called him right away and said he’d work him into his schedule. The next few hours were life-changing for the Werlein family. Dr. Dobbs didn’t like the symptoms he heard — this was more than indigestion. He referred Ken Werlein to his colleague and friend of 30 years Dr. Stuart Solomon, an interventional cardiologist who arranged an immediate visit and stress test. Suspecting an imminent heart attack, Dr. Solomon pushed his patient in a wheelchair to the 10th floor catheterization lab in the Fondren-Brown Building at Houston Methodist Hospital. A stent was inserted to open Ken Werlein’s 99-percent blocked Left Anterior Descending
(LAD) artery, referred to as the heart’s widow-maker for its reputation for causing instant death.
“THEY SAVED OUR SON’S LIFE,” JUDGE WERLEIN SAYS. “How could we not love Houston Methodist?” asks Kay. “We would do anything in the world to honor these doctors.” Both are grateful each day to see their son, the father of two young boys, live a healthy, productive and happy life. As the Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower neared its 2018 debut, the Werleins made a generous commitment to the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and named a catheterization laboratory in Walter Tower after the Dobbs/Solomon team. It is a fitting place — rich in meaning for the benefactors and the doctors — and the couple hope it will continue the tradition of “saving more lives.” ‘The Cardiac Catheterization Lab in honor of Stuart Dobbs, MD and Stuart Solomon, MD’ is the Werlein’s latest commitment in a lifetime of giving back to Houston Methodist through service, volunteerism and philanthropy. 5
INVESTIGATING
CANCER THE FIRST KATZ INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Esnaola says the opportunity to grow the Houston Methodist surgical oncology program systemwide and expand its research infrastructure around cancer prevention and control were especially appealing in attracting him to Houston Methodist and back to his Houston roots. “The type of
our ability to translate our findings back to our patients, thereby improving their cancer Nestor Esnaola, MD, MPH, care and outcomes,” Dr. Esnaola MBA, a surgical oncologist and says. “We are incredibly grateful funded clinical investigator, for their visionary support.” has been named the first Katz As associate director, Investigator in the Jerold B. Dr. Esnaola will forge research Katz Academy of Translational collaborations focused on Research. A native Houstonian, cutting-edge radiomic techniques he was recruited from Fox Chase cancer research conducted blending radiology and computerCancer Center in Philadelphia to at this institution is not ized algorithms for early diagnosis serve as division chief of Surgical just innovative, but also and risk stratification, novel Oncology and Gastrointestinal truly interdisciplinary and dissemination and implementation Surgery in the Department of translational,” he says. strategies to optimize receipt Surgery at Houston Methodist He is the first recipient of and quality of cancer care Hospital and surgical director a transformational commitment across diverse populations, of the Houston Methodist from the Jerold B. Katz family and perioperative applications Cancer Center. He participates to fund physician-scientists in of immunotherapy to minimize in the multidisciplinary care of the early stages of promising treatment toxicity and improve patients with gastrointestinal and research. Each $1 million Katz cancer survival. colorectal cancers, hepaticoInvestigator endowment lasts five Dr. Esnaola’s recruitment pancreatico-biliary malignancies years, but the title remains forever is another step toward Houston and soft tissue sarcomas. As and recipients become part of Methodist’s goal to receive Associate Director for Cancer the prestigious Katz Academy of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Control and Population Sciences, Translational Research. designation. he will interface with ongoing “The Katzes are community outreach and not only acceleraengagement initiatives and help ting the rate of our ensure that the Cancer Center’s research, but also Evan Katz and clinical and research enterprise Marc L. Boom, MD continually addresses the cancer burden and the patient’s needs.
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RESEARCH
DISCOVERIES variety of programs within the Texas Medical Center. Funding from Men of Distinction will help support Dr. Tasciotti’s work in creating a cardiac patch that can be made from a child’s own stem cells while they are developing in utero. Because congenital heart defects can be diagnosed late in the first trimester, this process would allow us to capitalize on the time between early diagnoses and the need for surgical interventions. This promising patch would not only repair structures and restore heart function, it would integrate with surrounding tissues and grow with young patients — alleviating the need for recurring surgeries resulting from the chemically altered tissue and plastic materials that are commonly used today. Dr. Tasciotti believes that Ennio Tasciotti, PhD, is the beneficiary of an award from Houston’s Men of Distinction philanthropy plays a crucial role organization. Their generosity will help fund Dr. Tasciotti’s research in creating an innovative cardiac patch that has the potential to greatly improve the quality of in the ability to take medical lives for children born with congenital heart defects. discoveries from the laboratory and put them to use at patients’ The generosity of philanthropic for drug delivery and regenbedsides. “Having worked in organizations make it possible erative medicine for the past the Texas Medical Center for decade. for us to push the frontiers over 10 years, it is amazing to The Men of Distinction of medical science forward. see the growth and advances Annual Awards Luncheon was One example is the award from in basic and clinical research founded in 2007 to recognize Houston’s Men of Distinction that are happening here,” organization to Dr. Ennio Tasciotti the contributions of a select he says. “Much of our work group of outstanding men in as a beneficiary of its annual awards luncheon. Dr. Tasciotti, our community. Proceeds from wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support the luncheon provide funding professor of Regenerative from organizations including Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical for projects that focus on Men of Distinction, whose leaders College and director of our Center research, treatment, education believe in ideas that have the and patient care for children. for Biomimetic Medicine at the potential to advance health care Prior to this year’s event, the Houston Methodist Research and improve the lives of future Institute, has been investigating annual luncheon had raised generations.” the use of nano- and biomaterials more than $4 million for a 7
TRAINING DOCTORS Orthopedic Fellows Work with Houston’s Pro Athletes, Including the Houston Texans
medicine at Houston Methodist orthopedist for the Texans, and associate professor of clinical to their training facility to orthopedic surgery at Weill evaluate injured players in the Cornell Medical College, the morning, followed by clinical visits program has received major support and surgeries in the afternoon, Being the best includes training from the Houston Texans, and then a game in the evening. the best. That’s why thriving inspiring Houston Methodist to “The breadth of experience residency and fellowship recognize the team’s generosity our fellows get — working with programs are hallmarks of a by naming future fellows the athletes across multiple sports world-class academic medical Houston Texans Scholars. — really makes the Houston center like Houston Methodist. Each year, three orthopedic Methodist program stand out,” Fellowship programs, whether surgeons who have completed Dr. Lintner says. “They gain a in sports medicine or in other their residencies undergo an nuanced understanding of how, specialties, play an important intensive one-year training program for example, one player’s ankle role in boosting a hospital’s in advanced sports medicine injury impacts the entire team reputation for patient care and techniques. The fellows are and affects roster decisions.” research excellence. immersed in both clinical activities “The orthopedic sports The orthopedics sports as well as research — and because medicine fellowship at Houston medicine fellowship at Houston Houston Methodist is the official Methodist is one of the best of its Methodist — where young health care provider for the kind in the nation. We’re proud to surgeons work with some of the Houston Texans and several be longstanding supporters of a nation’s most talented athletes — other professional sports teams program that not only trains the illustrates how fellowship pro— the fellows spend much of brilliant sports medicine surgeons grams pair the most promising their time treating elite athletes of tomorrow, but that also helps young physicians with leading in high-stakes situations. make Houston a premier sports specialists in their field. Led by On a given day, a fellow might community,” says Jamey Rootes, Dr. David Lintner, chief of sports accompany Dr. Lintner, a team president of the Houston Texans.
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STROKE EDUCATION
Swadesh Khurana (pictured above) was a caring, loving woman with a zest for life, according to her daughter-in-law, Dr. Sippi Khurana. The Khurana family created an endowment to support a number of innovative stroke-related initiatives at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital in her memory.
Swadesh Khurana might have Ajay, and his wife, Sippi, sugsurvived a hemorrhagic stroke gested we do something for the a decade ago if she had access community in which we live.” to critical stroke care in her own The family created the Willowbrook-area neighborhood, Swadesh Khurana Endowment, according to her family. Instead, which helped support the hospital’s she had to be transported to the designation as a primary stroke Texas Medical Center, where the center with the ability to deliver life-saving measures were applied clot-busting agents and timely too late. neurosurgical interventions for “Time is a factor in stroke, neighboring residents. The family’s so we started thinking about mission to enhance stroke care what we could do so that other then became an ongoing effort. people wouldn’t have to go The Khuranas support through this,” says her husband, professional development opporBal. “We approached Houston tunities that include annual monMethodist Willowbrook ready to etary awards given to a nurse do whatever it took after my son, caregiver and an ancillary staff
member in recognition of providing excellence in stroke care. Awards are also given to local EMS teams in recognition for the fastest times in administering the clot-busting drug, tPA, to stroke patients. The Khurana family also believes that outreach activities can have an important impact in the community. Initiatives they support include a video used in area schools that teaches methods for recognizing strokes, health fairs, seminars and a lecture series. “My wife was a very charismatic healing human being,” says Bal, “so we asked that The Swadesh Khurana Healing Garden at Houston Methodist Willowbrook be named after her.” Their grandson, Shaan, age 9, has forfeited birthday presents for the last five years. He asked for donations for the garden instead, which have been used to add a water feature and quotes of healing and hope. “Our family’s goal is to continue to save and improve the lives of people in the community,” says Dr. Sippi Khurana, a rheumatologist and immunologist who serves on the Houston Methodist Immunology Center Task Force. “We’re willing to do whatever we can to make sure people have what they need in the future, whether through sponsoring the creation of mobile stroke units, using telemedicine technologies or advancing stem cell research. We have a lot of hope for the future.” 9
SPECIAL EVENTS WALTER TOWER GRAND OPENING: MAY 2, 2018
Left: Neil and Maria Bush and Peggy and Bill Barnett Right: Dr. Marc Boom and Rusty and Paula Walter
PEAK PERFORMANCES: JULY 30, 2018
Above: Tom and Lesha Elsenbrook, Rod and Cam Canion, Drs. Marc and Julie Boom, and Nancy and Jack Dinerstein. At Right: Johnny Duncan, Carlos Duncan, Charles Duncan, Leslie Duncan and Anne Duncan.
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FAITH & MEDICINE: OCTOBER 2, 2018
Left: Ann and John Bookout Right: Lou Houser, Libbie Nelson and Wendy Moreland.
THE SOCIETY’S BRUNCH WITH THE BEST: SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 Above: Catherine Masterson, Carrie Miller and Elisabeth Millard. Right: Sarah Underwood and Huntley Kubitza.
NEWSLETTER CREDITS: President & CEO, Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation: Susan Coulter, JD Managing Editor: Katie Lipnick Editors: Katelyn Furman, Patti Muck Writers: Patti Muck, Joe Milano, Rolando Garcia Art Director & Designer: Karen Holland, Richards/Carlberg Photographers: Robert Seale, Terry Vine, Richard Carson, Jenny Antill Illustrators: Bruce Morser, Stan Miller
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LEADING MEDICINE TO THE POWER OF CAMPAIGN FOR OUR SECOND CENTURY
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powerofM.org