CLEVELAND – John C. Haugh feels he was given a second chance at life when he was saved by Dr. Alan H. Markowitz, co-chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC). Dr. Markowitz performed a coronary artery bypass graft and a “maze” procedure to help eliminate and cure his atrial fibrillation.

His first magnanimous show of appreciation came in 2006, when Mr. Haugh, the co-founder of ColorMatrix in Berea, gave a leadership gift to launch the UHCMC’s Heart Valve Center and help fund new physician recruitment, research and technology.

Most recently, the Haugh family again displayed their generosity by creating an endowed chair, the Marcella “Dolly” Haugh Chair in Valvular Surgery to honor Dr. Markowitz. The Haugh family gifts now total $2 million in support of University Hospitals’ Vision 2010 and The Heart & Vascular Institute.

Mr. Haugh’s father died when he was only 49 years old from heart problems and later, his mother, Marcella, succumbed to heart disease. The chair has been named in her memory.

“It is important to our family to sustain our support of Dr. Markowitz and University Hospitals,” said Mr. Haugh. “In 2006, I wanted to help create the Heart Valve Center in Dr. Markowitz’s honor because he is the reason that I am still here today. It is my hope that the Marcella “Dolly” Haugh Chair will be held by those physicians who could potentially impact the lives of tens of thousands of people as Dr. Markowitz has so closely impacted mine.”

“This chair builds on the Haugh family’s historically strong support and commitment to advancing heart and vascular medicine as well UHCMC’s Heart Valve Center,” said Fred C. Rothstein, MD, President of University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “Alan Markowitz is one of our most distinguished physicians and one of the nation’s preeminent cardiothoracic surgeons. This chair provides sustained, annual support to UHCMC’s Heart & Vascular Institute–support that will be used to fund the clinical, research and training efforts of all those who are honored to hold the Marcella ‘Dolly’ Haugh Chair.”

Dr. Markowitz’s research has resulted in improved techniques for valve replacement and repair as well as avoiding neurological injury during cardiac surgical procedures. He also has developed methods to minimize the risks of re-operative intervention, and in collaboration with the department of radiology, has pioneered the use of advanced CT imaging in the preoperative assessment of heart surgery patients.

“I am truly humbled–again–by the Haugh family’s generosity and creation of this chair in my honor,” said Dr. Markowitz. “It is my intention to serve as an ambassador of the chair and to ensure its legacy is sustained long after my career. In conjunction with their first gift, our expanding cardiovascular programs will continue to make strides in developing and maintaining the best in patient treatment, research and care.”

Mr. Haugh graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in chemistry, a career that brought him to the Cleveland area over 30 years ago. After working for General Mills in the early 1970s, he co-founded ColorMatrix in Berea and still serves as the company’s co-chair on the board of directors, despite a sale in ownership in 2006. ColorMatrix, headquartered in Cleveland, is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and supply of liquid color and additive solutions to the global thermoplastics industry.

Dr. Markowitz joined UHCMC as a cardiothoracic surgeon in 1997 after serving as Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the former Mt. Sinai Medical Center. He is currently Co-Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and is Chief Surgical Officer for the UHCMC Heart & Vascular Institute.

Dr. Markowitz earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in 1965 and his M.D. from Albany Medical College in 1970 before completing the combined cardiac and general surgery training program at University Hospitals in 1978. He is a member and fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and currently belongs to the American Heart Association, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and numerous other professional organizations.