THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT

As the warmer days of summer arrive, it’s a time of hope and renewal — particularly this year. Your support is vital in helping us meet the evolving needs of these challenging times. Your generosity enables us to advance innovative research, educate the next generation’s medical leaders and provide outstanding patient care. Thank you for your extraordinary commitment to improving the health of our community and of people around the world. Paul G. Ramsey, MD, CEO, UW Medicine

SUMMER SOIRÉE 2021

Thank you from UW Medicine! Watch the video for a special message from:

(In order of appearance) Paul G. Ramsey, MD, CEO, UW Medicine, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Washington; Lorena Alarcon-Casas Wright, MD, Fel. ’12, Associate Professor, Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition; Director, LatinX Diabetes Clinic at the SLU Diabetes Institute; Ramesh Rengan, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology; Lisa Brandenburg, President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics; Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington; Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director, Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions; Founder, AIMS Center (Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions); Helen Y. Chu, MD, MPH, Fel. ’12, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Allergy & Infectious Diseases; Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Department of Global Health; Anoop Patel, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery; and Bessie Young, MD ‘87, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology; Medical Director and Associate Dean for Healthcare Equity.

LEADERSHIP AND VOLUNTEER AWARDS >

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIVING >

COCKTAIL AND FLORAL DEMOS >

Each year, we honor supporters and volunteers who have made extraordinary contributions to advancing our mission of improving the health of the public. We are deeply grateful to this year’s recipients, and we invite you to learn more about them below.

photo of Anne Gittinger in purple sweater

Brotman Leadership Award
Anne Gittinger
Anne Gittinger is being honored for her generosity and leadership to the University of Washington and UW Medicine. “I’m passionate about the UW School of Medicine. It provides such a good education for students, our entire community and for people around the world,” she says.
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photo of John Laughlin in purple shirt near Drumhiller fountain

Ragen Volunteer Service Award
John Laughlin
For John Laughlin, supporting UW Medicine is a family legacy. The award honors Laughlin’s many years of volunteer service, but his first introduction to UW Medicine’s Division of Cardiology came through his stepfather — legendary cardiologist Robert Bruce, MD.
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You’re helping to discover new ways to cure cancer. You’re connecting living organ donors to patients awaiting transplant. And you’re supporting medical education programs that bring physicians to rural communities across the region. Here are just a few examples of the lifesaving work your generosity is making possible.

illustration of a cell being hit with radiation

Turning Cancer Against Itself
Dr. Ramesh Rengan and other UW Medicine researchers are re-imagining how we use radiation and immunotherapy to help the body find and destroy cancer cells and achieve a lasting cure. “Donor funds are critical to shortening the timeline from leading-edge research to cutting-edge therapies,” says Rengan.
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photo of two women in a hospital bed

Eliminating the Wait for a Healthy Liver
A new initiative funded by philanthropy will help spread the word that family, friends or even a stranger could give part of their healthy liver, shortening the long, painful wait for a liver donation.
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photo of Dr. Unitzer, head of the Garvey Brain Institute

The Secret to Better Brain Health
It’s time we rethink how we care for the millions of people affected by brain health disorders. At the new Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions, which was established with a generous gift, clinicians and scientists take new approaches to solving difficult problems in brain health.
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photo of Janet Llapitan near a boat dock

Could Women be the Key to Ending Heart Disease?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. But many women aren’t getting care that’s designed for their bodies. Studying how women respond to heart disease could unlock new treatments for everyone.
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Women Scientists Advancing Cancer Research
Mary “Nora” Disis, MD, a pioneering breast cancer researcher, talks about when we can expect a cancer vaccine. Learn more about her work developing vaccines to treat and prevent cancer by watching the full conversation.

photo of two nurses, both women of color, hugging in masks

Faces of the Frontline
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Pacific Northwest, your gifts to the UW Medicine Emergency Response Fund were critical in supporting our caregivers and staff as they delivered lifesaving patient care. In this photo essay, our frontline workers reflect on their experiences as the world — and their work — changed overnight.
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photo of Dr. Lorena Alarcon-Casas Wright in front of diabetes clinic

Making Cultural Connections to Help Diabetes Care
The Latinx community has been severely affected by the diabetes epidemic. Dr. Lorena Alarcon-Casas Wright shares her vision for UW Medicine’s new Latinx diabetes clinic, where patients receive culturally appropriate care.
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photo of Dr. Anoop Patel in a white coat

A Bold, New Approach for an Especially Aggressive Cancer
Cancer therapies have come a long way in the last several decades, yet glioblastoma — one of the most fatal brain tumors — has stubbornly resisted treatment. Thanks to philanthropic investment, Dr. Anoop Patel is working on innovative approaches to treating glioblastoma.
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photo of student, Spencer Pecha, while mountain climbing

Training to Care for Rural Communities
A rural education program prepares fourth-year medical student Spencer Pecha to care for communities in his home state of Wyoming. “It’s essential to have these pipeline programs to bring young physicians back,” he says.
Read more >>

Summer Soiree Floral Demo

Watch a summer floral demonstration using flowers from your yard or the grocery store by floral expert Jennifer Whitelock.

The Summer Soiree Cocktail

Watch a demonstration of the Summer Soirée cocktail/mocktail by cocktail artisan Chris Elford from Navy Strength.

Your generosity makes all of this work possible. Thank you for your courageous commitment to improving the health of people here and around the world.

Stay connected! Contact us at 206.543.5686 or writemed@uw.edu.