The Thoracic Surgery Foundation Board of Directors met in January, 2002 in Ft. Lauderdale during the meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The board expressed appreciation to those Directors who completed their service to the Board: Drs. Delos M. Cosgrove and Jack Matloff. Directors Cosgrove and Matloff served with distinction on the Executive Committee. Dr. Matloff has served with excellence as the Chairman of the Education Committee of The Foundation and Dr. Cosgrove's service on the Corporate Committee was exemplary.
New Directors were elected from the STS, AATS, and WTSA at the STS meeting, January, 2002. At that meeting, Drs. Richard Fosburg (WTSA), and George Kaiser (AATS) were re-elected to represent their respective organizations. Dr. John Ochsner joined the service of the Board as a representative of the STS, as did Dr. David Fullerton as a representative of the AATS. Dr. Paul Uhlig also joined as a Councillor to the Board, and we are pleased to have him co-chair the Education Committee in conjunction with Dr. Matloff. As Dr. Griffith finishes his distinguished work as Chairman of our Research Committee, we anticipate excellent leadership from Dr. Robin Pierson as his successor. We look forward to working with each of these surgeons as we advance the mission of TSFRE.
Dr. Bartley Griffiths report on the Research Committee and Dr. Jack Matloffs report on the Education Committee are included later in this Annual Report. These two committees have done excellent work in supporting the mission of The Foundation, and providing for the future of our specialty. Our Alley-Sheridan Scholars are making great strides to affect change in our nations health care system on behalf of patients. Promising researchers, supported by TSF, are contributing to our collective knowledge and making significant contributions in all areas of cardiothoracic surgery.
In 2001, surgeons' gifts and pledges to The Foundation fell from the previous year. Our nations institutions are facing unprecedented challenges, and The Foundation is no exception in these difficult times. We continue to strive to encourage surgeons in the specialty to support their Foundation.
To that end, we have developed an exciting new opportunity. In 2001, TSFRE initiated a partnership with the Larry King Cardiac Foundation that holds great potential for the patients we serve and TSFs own commitment to the future of the specialty. Thanks to the diligent work of Dr. O. Wayne Isom, this program enables surgeons to provide indigent patients with care while providing the surgeon an opportunity to make a special contribution through the Larry King Cardiac Foundation to TSFRE for such pro bono work. This is a wonderfully promising partnership, in which all CT surgeons should participate. Contact The Foundation if you would like more information about this promising opportunity.
I am pleased to announce that TSF has fulfilled its commitment to raise $3.75 million in order to secure $5 million from the NHLBI for the jointly-sponsored TSFRE/NHLBI Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08). Raised entirely from outside sources, these funds contribute to the total of $8.75 million in support of this important program which will fund up to two surgeon-scientists a year for five years each over the next ten years. The first of these awards has been granted to Dr. Michael Mulligan for his project, Calcineurin Inhibition: Lung Reperfusion Injury.
TSF has also participated in preparing the groundwork for the establishment of a specialty-wide Corporate Roundtable initiative that will enable leaders of the specialty and Industry to work more cooperatively and beneficially towards common goals. The Roundtable is a promising partnership that will help improve patient care.
I want to thank our 2001 donors for their generous support. We encourage every cardiothoracic surgeon to become a Life Member in The Foundation, and to support the encouraging research and education initiatives that TSF sponsors. I hope that you will pledge your support, and encourage your colleagues to do the same.