April 17, 2006
CONTACT: Rick Cushman
(215) 349-5964
rick.cushman@uphs.upenn.edu

 

Invitation to Cover
Exercise Your Rights… And Your Lefts, Too, with the Penn Transplant Team at the
Gift of Life’s 11th Annual Dash Race for Organ Donor Awareness

WHAT: Members of Penn’s Transplant Center will participate in the Gift of Life’s Annual Dash Race for Organ Donor Awareness.
WHO: In addition to dozens of Penn Transplant recipients and donors, members of Penn Transplant Center’s care team will also be there – including Abraham Shaked, MD, PhD, Chief, Transplant Surgery; Kim Olthoff, MD, Liver Surgical Director; James Markmann, MD, PhD, Pancreas Surgical Director; Roy Bloom, MD, Medical Director of Kidney and Pancreas Program; Alberto Pochettino, MD, Lung Surgical Director; Vivek Ahya, MD, Medical Director of Lung Program; Robert Kotloff, MD, Chief, Section of Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant; Mariell Jessup, MD, Medical Director of Heart Program; Susan Brozena, MD, Director of the Heart Failure and Transplant Ambulatory Care Program.
WHEN: 10 AM: Sunday, April 23rd
WHERE: All races begin in front of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Penn’s Transplant table and meeting place will be to the right of the steps, look for the PENN banner.

In its 11th year, the Dash Race for Organ Donor Awareness continues to be a big draw. As one of the nation’s leading transplant centers, Penn is proud to support this most worthy cause. This year’s race is extra special to Penn because it is the first since the Transplant Center announced its Transplant House Initiative. The Penn Transplant House will be a facility near the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania that will provide low-cost temporary housing for transplant patients and their families. It will be the first of its kind in Philadelphia. “The Transplant House is a much needed investment,” Shaked said. “As our organ transplant programs continue to expand we are seeing patients coming from greater and greater distances to take advantage of our expertise. The Transplant House will help ease the financial and emotional burden for many of our patients and families.”

This event will be held rain or shine. Penn’s Transplant Center is a proud sponsor of the race.

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PENN Medicine is a $2.9 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #3 in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which is consistently ranked one of the nation's few "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S.News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center]; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.


This release is available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/apr06/raceITC.htm