GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When the partnership agreement between Saint Mary’s Health Care and the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine was signed two years ago, the presidents of both organizations promised more opportunities for collaboration as a result of the agreement.
True to their word, Saint Mary’s President and CEO Philip H. McCorkle Jr. and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon today announced the appointment of David Kaufman, D.O., founding chairperson of MSU’s Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, as the medical director of Saint Mary’s Health Care neuroscience programs, soon to be moved into the new Hauenstein Center.
“We have been conducting a search for a medical director for about two years and we are most pleased that Dr. Kaufman has agreed to join us,” McCorkle said.
Kaufman will serve as medical director of the neuroscience programs at Saint Mary’s in a three-year appointment, while also maintaining his department chair position in the Colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine. As part of the MSU – Saint Mary’s partnership agreement, Kaufman will help Saint Mary’s recruit nationally renowned leadership for its neuroscience programs, creating the model for the next phase of the Hauenstein Neuroscience Programs.
“MSU’s long-standing relationship with Saint Mary’s Health Care has helped to foster these kinds of collaborative opportunities that enhance West Michigan’s and the university’s positions as key players in the state’s growing health care industry,” Simon said. “Dr. Kaufman’s appointment as medical director of Saint Mary’s Health Care neuroscience programs will further strengthen the connection between our organizations, and his role in building the program and its future will benefit this region and the entire state.”
Marsha Rappley, M.D., dean of the MSU College of Human Medicine, also emphasized the power of partnership.
“This collaborative use of our resources offers great benefit to both organizations, as Dr. Kaufman’s dual role will facilitate closer work with Saint Mary’s in areas such as physician education and research, which are two of Dr. Kaufman’s specialties.”
As medical director of Saint Mary’s Health Care neuroscience programs, Kaufman will oversee all neuroscience programs, lead physician recruitment for the department, and be responsible for growth of services. He also will continue in his role as professor and chairperson of the Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology in the MSU colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine.
“This is another example of the value that the addition of the MSU College of Human Medicine brings to Grand Rapids,” McCorkle said.
Kaufman, along with John Butzer, M.D., medical director of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, and David Baumgartner, M.D., vice president of medical affairs for Saint Mary’s Health Care, co-founded the new ALS Clinic at Mary Free Bed, which opened in October and has already reached capacity.
Also this past year, Kaufman assisted Saint Mary’s in the recruitment of two of sub-specialists, Christopher Glisson, D.O., (neuro-ophthalmology), a joint-hire with MSU, and Deborah Gelinas, M.D., (ALS specialist).
“Dr. Kaufman’s broad knowledge and experience in the area of neuroscience and his connections across the country make him a perfect fit for our programs, especially as we prepare to move into the new Hauenstein Center in February,” McCorkle said.
The recipient of many national awards, Kaufman has been associated with the MSU College of Human Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine since 1984. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin and his medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia.
His two clinical fellowships were in neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin and, as a Harvard Research Fellow, at Massachusetts General Hospital in neuro-ophthalmology. He has authored numerous articles and texts on various aspects of neuro-ophthalmology and has been an invited lecturer on the topic more than 60 times in medical schools, hospital systems, and conferences across the country. His research interests include early therapeutic strategies for brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and clinical neurovisual disorders.
Kaufman will oversee the further development of the Hauenstein neuroscience programs at Saint Mary’s, which will move into the new Hauenstein Center in February. The programs include the service lines of epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders Clinic, neurosurgery, Parkinson’s disease clinic, spine and sleep disorders, and stroke. In addition to the neuroscience programs, the center will house a 32-bed critical care unit, a newly expanded Emergency and Trauma Center, and a helistop on the roof of the new adjacent 550-car parking ramp.
Funded in part through $15 million of local philanthropy, the Hauenstein Center will be one of a handful of comprehensive neuroscience centers in the country in which patients and families can benefit from one-stop medical care for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care for neurological disorders.
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Saint Mary’s Health Care is an integrated network of health care excellence offering a unique combination of capabilities to deliver a health care experience that is more complete and personally satisfying. Our commitment to offer the latest technology and most highly skilled physicians in a holistic, patient-centered environment has made us a progressive leader in cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, diabetes and endocrine care, kidney transplants, and integrative health care. For additional information about Saint Mary’s Health Care, visit www.smhealthcare.org.
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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.