CLEVELAND – John C. Haugh’s treatment at University Hospitals Case Medical Center has proven to be the impetus behind a seven-figure gift to the Heart Valve Center in his surgeon’s honor.

Mr. Haugh became a patient of Alan H. Markowitz, MD, of University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) in February 2006, and within six weeks underwent bypass surgery, which Mr. Haugh feels is the reason he is alive today. Through his leadership gift Mr. Haugh hopes to inspire others to support the great work of the Heart and Vascular Institute at University Hospitals.

Alan Markowitz, MD

“Dr. Markowitz and University Hospitals have been very good to me and it only seems right that I give back,” said Mr. Haugh. “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. I wanted to provide something that would impact the lives of tens of thousands of people. I believe in Dr. Markowitz and his work and I believe this center will do just that.”

Mr. Haugh graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in chemistry, a career that brought him to the Cleveland area over 40 years ago. After working for General Mills in the early 1970s, he co-founded ColorMatrix in Berea and still serves as the company’s CEO despite a sale in ownership in 2006. ColorMatrix, headquartered in Cleveland, is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and supply of liquid color and additive solutions to the global thermoplastics industry.

Dr. Markowitz joined University Hospitals Case Medical Center 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 Heart and Vascular Institute.

James Fang, MD

Dr. Markowitz’s research has resulted in improved techniques for valve replacement and repair as well as avoiding neurological injury during cardiac surgical procedures. Further, he 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. As co-director of the Heart Valve Center along with James Fang, MD, director of Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine, who recently joined the UH team from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Dr. Markowitz will devote his skill and leadership to make the program one of the preeminent specialty heart clinics in the nation.

“As an academic medical center with a cardiovascular program already ranked among the nation’s top one percent, University Hospitals will, with the creation of the Heart Valve Center, be well positioned to offer coordinated and comprehensive evaluation, treatment and follow-up for patients,” said Dr. Markowitz. “This center is one part of our expanding cardiovascular programs where we will be able to identify patients at risk for valve disease as well as provide them with clinical trials and the region’s largest database that will support research and understanding of clinical outcomes for valve related diseases.”

Dr. Markowitz earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in 1965 and his medical degree 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 and the Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and numerous other professional organizations.

“University Hospitals, already a national leader in cardiovascular health, will accelerate its efforts to fight heart disease by creating the Heart Valve Center,” said Fred C. Rothstein, MD, president and chief executive officer, University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “The center will create dedicated clinical care space to meet the diagnostic and treatment needs of patients with valve conditions.”

Heart disease is the leading health threat in Ohio, accounting for 31,388 deaths, or approximately 29 percent of deaths in the state in 2002, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.