Summer 2009
In the face of the nation’s ongoing economic headwinds Penn Medicine remains on a clear and steady path. Naturally, we’ve had to make some adjustments—as have all institutions—but our fundamental commitment to excellence across our missions remains intact and poised for continued success. The School of Medicine has been ranked third nationally by U.S. News & World Report—the 12th consecutive year we have placed among the top five medical schools for research. A number of our specialty research training programs were also judged among the best in the nation.
Our research efforts continue at full force. Biomedical research is indeed fortunate to have the present opportunity of stimulus funding. Congress, led by Pennsylvania’s own Senator Arlen Specter, has provided an unprecedented amount of new support to the NIH and other agencies to support investigative efforts. Penn Medicine faculty members are responding to this opportunity with their usual energy by producing a remarkable 700 + submissions for stimulus-funded projects in less than six weeks. Even more applications are underway, and we are grateful for this much needed boost to research funding.
Amid these efforts Penn Medicine was called upon to respond to a very different challenge—the H1N1 flu and the potential of a deadly epidemic. In true form, in the space of literally hours we mustered enormous resources—thousands of doses of anti virals, protective equipment, laboratory support, and the hundreds of staff needed to screen and treat patients. Thankfully, the impact of this strain of flu has been minimal in Philadelphia, but our institutional response shows once again the value to the nation of academic medical centers such as ours.
A critical priority for the School of Medicine: Penn Medicine’s brilliant faculty and students are among the best in the nation. It is imperative that we provide them with a technologically advanced physical campus that matches the caliber of their extraordinary academic achievements. Renovating the School’s learning spaces to support our leadership in medical education is an enormous priority. This significant project will only be possible with strong philanthropic support from our alumni and friends. Three members of the Class of 1969 40th Reunion Class—Ed Anderson, Lou Kozloff, and Bill Thompson—are generously commemorating their reunion by naming a classroom in the proposed new space. I thank them for their support, and I hope you will make funding for this critical project part of your plans.
The Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine is now fully operational and surpassing expectations. The Roberts Proton Therapy Center, where sophisticated cancer treatment will find its high point, remains on schedule to open in the fall. An estate gift from the Henry P. Erdman Trust has allowed us to break ground on Penn Medicine at Valley Forge, a three-story, 90,000-square-foot outpatient center. It will offer state-of-the-art family medicine with many remarkable training opportunities.
But our accomplishments extend beyond our campuses. Our medical students, faculty, and staff, while still engaged in their studies and work responsibilities, also make time for the community. Whether at Penn’s Sayre Health Center in West Philadelphia, in Chinatown, or in Latino communities throughout the area, they continue to provide vitally-needed services for low-income residents and other vulnerable populations. Our respiratory therapy department is coordinating volunteers to serve food to the area needy. Staff members from Pennsylvania Hospital provide education and health care to the Old St. Joseph’s Church Homeless Program. Our Family Practice Residency coordinates the Drew Health Collaborative, which brings much needed care to the underserved. Pharmacists are in the community helping with medication concerns. Dozens of other humanitarian projects confirm our commitment to the community even—indeed, especially—in difficult times.
As you can see, our pace has not slowed, our service ethic has not faltered, and our spirit remains as strong as ever.
Medical Alumni Weekend
I was extremely pleased to see so many of you at our Medical Alumni Weekend. This year’s event was yet again a marvelous opportunity to come together in friendship with classmates and colleagues. Seminars, picnics, reunion dinners, and cultural events all served to roll back the years—even if only for a while. We received generous support and participation from all of our reunion classes, with a total of nearly $4 million in gifts, including bequests. Mark Groudine, MD PhD, and Nicole Lurie MD, MSPH, were presented with the Distinguished Graduate Award, the highest honor that Penn Medicine can bestow. The award recognizes outstanding service to society and medicine. Dr. Groudine is deputy director and executive vice president of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and is internationally known for his work on the regulation of gene expression and its role in the development of cancer. Dr. Lurie is director of the RAND Center for Population Health and Health Disparities. She focuses on access to and quality of care and her expertise has been widely sought in academic, government, and professional circles. Hearty congratulations to two distinguished graduates who have made us proud.
New Chair of Surgery
I am happy to report on the appointment of Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD, FACS, as chair of surgery. Dr. Drebin, who has earned an international reputation for clinical and academic excellence, has been a member of our medical faculty since 2004, when he assumed the duties of chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery. Dr. Drebin specializes in pancreatic and biliary surgery, achieving strong results for these highly complex processes. In addition to his clinical expertise, he has made fundamental scientific contributions in cancer biology and spurred novel approaches to cancer treatment. He was recently voted President-elect of the Society for Clinical Surgery, one of the oldest and most prestigious surgical societies in the nation. Congratulations to Dr. Drebin.
New Chair of Orthopaedics
We are pleased to welcome a Philadelphia native, L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS, back to the area as our new chair of orthopaedics. Dr. Levin was professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University and chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at its Medical Center. Dr. Levin is highly regarded for his expertise in surgery of the hand and upper extremity, reconstructive microvascular surgery, vascularized bone transfer, and limb salvage. His research interests focus on extremity soft tissue reconstruction and composite tissue allotransplantation. Dr. Levin has received numerous awards and published extensively over the course of his career. Congratulations to Dr. Levin.
Cancer Research
You may recall that in September the Stand Up To Cancer telecast aired simultaneously on the ABC, CBS, and NBC networks. The unprecedented cooperative effort raised funds for translational cancer research through viewer contributions. I’m proud and delighted to tell you that Craig Thompson, MD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, will co-lead a team that will receive one of the first five Stand Up To Cancer grants. Dr. Thompson’s team has been given $18 million—the largest of the five grants—to apply its expertise to develop new targeted therapies for cutting off the fuel supply for pancreatic tumors. Thousands of researchers from across the country submitted more than 230 proposals, all of which were reviewed by a team of highly accomplished basic scientists, physicians, and patient advocates chaired by Nobel Laureate Dr. Phillip A. Sharp. To be selected for a grant under such highly competitive circumstances is a tribute to the quality of Dr. Thompson’s work and leadership. We congratulate him and his team for a truly outstanding accomplishment.
Campaign Progress
Although affected by the economic slowdown, our fundraising campaign continues at a steady pace. With nearly $675 million raised, we are more than two-thirds of the way to our billion-dollar goal. I am happy to report that with your generous help we have created 23 new endowed professorships in the Making History campaign. In addition, the Jordan Family Challenge for endowed scholarship funds has attracted nearly $500,000 in pledges from our loyal alumni. Many medical students and their families are directly affected by the downturn, so scholarship gifts to our Challenge and to our annual fund are more appreciated—and necessary—than ever.
Haas Gift
Our longtime friends John and Dr. Janet Haas, a physician trained in physical medicine and the rehabilitation of neurologically impaired patients, have made a remarkable gift that will advance our mission on key fronts. Their support will fund pilot studies in Alzheimer’s disease drug discovery and endow chairs in bioethics and clinical medicine. We thank the Haas family once again and are deeply appreciative that the full impact of their generosity will continue to be felt for years to come.
Graduation
On May 18 we awarded diplomas to 151 new graduates— 72 women and 79 men—in a wonderful ceremony at Verizon Hall. Thanks to the generosity of our departments, alumni, and friends, more than 70 prizes and awards were presented to our students at this year’s graduation. I am delighted that 52 of our newest alumni will be continuing their medical education with us at Penn Medicine. We bid a warm farewell to those who will be moving on to many of the other finest academic medical centers across the country, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center, Duke University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals. Many of our former students are remaining in the area, including nine who will begin residencies at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a number of others who continue their training at Temple University Hospital, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Hahnemann University Hospital, and Lankenau Hospital. Congratulations and best wishes to all.
Until next time, I wish you and your family a safe and healthy summer.
Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh
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