CLEVELAND – Joy and Thomas Murdough, Jr. have given $1.25 million to establish University Hospitals’ (UH) first Master Clinician award. The Master Clinician award honors a physician-scientist’s exemplary contributions to the practice and science of his or her medical specialty.
Renowned for his unique expertise in minimally invasive colorectal procedures, Conor P. Delaney, MD, PhD, Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery at UH Case Medical Center, was selected as the inaugural recipient and named the distinguished Murdough Master Clinician in Colorectal Surgery.
Established in perpetuity, a Master Clinician award recognizes outstanding physicians and supports their clinical research and other key endeavors.
“Dr. Delaney performs medical miracles every day. We are grateful for his lifesaving care and for his dedication to advancing the field of colorectal surgery,” said Mrs. Murdough. “We are honored that he was selected as the very first Master Clinician.”
Dr. Delaney was appointed Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery at UH Case Medical Center in 2005 and is also Professor of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. A pioneer in the use of minimally invasive colorectal surgery, he has been instrumental in leading the way to treat digestive disorders and colon cancer with minimal-access incisions to accelerate patient recovery.
Dr. Delaney’s current research includes surgical outcomes and economy of care, laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and the use of simulators in surgical training. Additionally, for the last four years, he has been the driving force behind the development of UH-SOCRATES Knowledge Management System, an innovative tool for physicians and health care administrators to improve the efficiency of patient care. UH-SOCRATES is a first-of-its kind software application that brings together diverse data sources for the analysis of hospital quality and efficiency. Once fully developed, UH-SOCRATES has the potential to be a national model for monitoring efficiency and quality.
“Conor is one of the most highly respected minimally invasive colorectal surgeons in the world,” says Jeffrey Ponsky, MD, Chairman of the Department of Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “His clinical and investigative work is cutting edge and surgeons travel from throughout the world to observe and study with him.”
Mr. and Mrs. Murdough are enthusiastic volunteer leaders and passionate advocates in the advancement of the UH mission. In 2006, they helped create the nation’s first multidisciplinary center for the study and treatment of psoriasis with a $5 million gift to establish the Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis. The gift was designed specifically to advance the research and treatment of psoriasis, a chronic genetic disease that affects the skin and the joints.
The couple co-chairs the UH Digestive Health and Surgical Innovation Leadership Council and Mr. Murdough chairs the UH Ahuja Medical Center Board of Directors and serves on the UH Board of Directors. In 2010, they received the prestigious Samuel Mather Visionary Award for their exceptional commitment to University Hospitals.
The Murdough Foundation of Hudson, Ohio, is an independent foundation that primarily provides support to organizations in Northeast Ohio. Mr. Murdough, President of the Murdough Foundation, is the founder and former CEO of Step2, a multinational manufacturer and marketer of high-quality plastic products for children and for the home and garden, based in Streetsboro, Ohio. Mr. Murdough is also the founder and former CEO of The Little Tykes Company.