The University of Illinois Hospital Transplant Program is conducting groundbreaking research on the effect of an originally developed muscle therapy program on the health and rehabilitation of dialysis and transplant patients.

The results to date have been spectacular. For example, kidney transplant patients undergoing the program had a return to work of 75% compared to 11% in controls.  Exciting studies are ongoing for dialysis and liver transplant patients.

Philanthropic support has been essential in performing this groundbreaking research for donation.

Fund Name: UIC Greg Hahaj Study Fund – 337844

It is my pleasure to announce the inauguration of the Gary J. Merlotti, MD Trauma Lecture in memory of Dr. Gary Merlotti who recently passed away. Dr. Merlotti was a great surgical educator and was a formidable asset for our Surgical Residency as our Program Director (2008-2011). He was appointed Chairman of Surgery at Sinai Health System in 2011 and greatly contributed to the success of the institution until his retirement in 2017. He was recently appointed as our Director of Surgical Critical Care at the University of Illinois Hospital where, as always, he set an example in patient care, professional behavior and resident education. The Gary J. Merlotti, MD Trauma Lecture will be part of the Annual Olga Jonasson Symposium.

The first Gary J. Merlotti, MD Trauma Lecture speaker is Professor Timothy Fabian, a world renown trauma surgeon. Dr. Timothy Fabian served as Professor and Chair of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center for 14 years. He continues to serve as a Professor in the department fulfilling his ongoing academic role to train future generations.

Fund Name: UIC Gary J. Merlotti, MD Fund-342808

Claudia “CJ” Kubinski lived fully and courageously with cancer for 20 years under the treatment of Tapas Das Gupta, MD. In 1986, Dr. Das Gupta diagnosed Claudia with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that originates in the bone. During the ensuing years, she underwent seven major surgeries, including amputation of her left arm in 1884, intensive chemotherapy treatments htat required 12 hospital stays and three rounds of radiation treatment. After recovering from each procedure, Claudia resumed her life as it had been before, raising her two children. She continued to be a loving and caring mother and wife. Even after the amputation of her arm, Claudia was still able to perform household tasks, both in and outside of their home. Along with her husband, Larry, and her family, she enjoyed summer weekends at their Lake Michigan home and was involved with the development of the outdoor Celebration Community Beach Church in Florida.

Her ability to remain optimistic and steadfast refusal to indulge in self-pity was an inspiration to all that knew her. This fortitude as well as Dr. Das Gupta’s treatment sustained her, enabling Claudia to see both her daughter Kristin and son Brian be married and the birth of three of her four grandsons before her passing in August of 2006 at the age of 56. In gratitude to Dr. Das Gupta for the time his compassionate care provided Claudia, her husband Larry and their children have made a gift to establish the Claudia “CJ” Kubinski and Tapas Das Gupta, MD Professorship in Surgical Oncology.

Please donate to the UIC Claudia fund in the above form.