Illinois Medicine

Cardiac Care Revolutionary Michael Gordon receives prestigious University of Illinois Alumni Association Award I n 1968, Michael Gordon '59, MS '61, MD '61, PhD, revolutionized the way medical practitioners learn about cardiac disease by introducing Harvey ®, a life-sized mannequin that simulates any cardiac condition. For the next 40 years, Gordon—who has taught, practiced and performed research at the University of Miami School of Medicine—continued to pioneer the application of technology to medical education, using simulation and Web-based technology to develop training systems used at more than 1,500 institutions worldwide. His approach has been used not only by physicians but also medical Michael Gordon students, physician's assistants, nurses, paramedics and firefighters all over the world. For his career achievements, Gordon has received the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed on alumni for distinction in their chosen field. "I feel very honored by the award and owe the University of Illinois the good habits of commitment and tenacity that I learned there," says Gordon, who concurrently attained a master's degree in physiology and medical degree. He received a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota, completed his internal medicine training at the Mayo Clinic and his cardiology training at Georgetown University, where he met a career-changing influencer: Proctor Harvey, MD. "Dr. Harvey was like a magician at a patient's bedside," he says. "He inspired me so much that I changed my career goals so I could teach others the importance of the cardiac physical exam." Gordon arrived at the University of Miami in 1966. For many years, he served as a professor of medicine in cardiology, associate dean for research and director of the 34,000-square-foot medical simulation laboratory that's named in his honor, the Michael S. Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education. The team commitment in the center's mission is what Gordon is most proud of. "If you want to go fast, go alone," he says. "If you want to go further, go together." In December 2012, Gordon became professor emeritus director— and while Gordon still will be active, Barry Issenberg, MD, became the Gordon center's new director. "I met Dr. Gordon when I was 14 years old and working on my ninth-grade biology project about the Harvey ® simulator," Issenberg says. "Dr. Gordon was a visionary for using simulation as part of an entire curriculum, developing the latest technology and focusing on a multiprofessional approach to deliver it." — Alice Patenaude Skuta serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Glaucoma and appears among The Best Doctors in America, Gregory L. Skuta America's Top Ophthalmologists and Oklahoma Super Doctors. Skuta previously has served as president of the American Glaucoma Society, director and senior examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology, chair of the American Glaucoma Society's Program Committee and a member of the Board of Governors of the World Glaucoma Association. Ruel N. Wright, MD, MS '77, Res '82, was elected to the Illinois State Medical Society Board of Trustees during its recent annual meeting. An ISMS member since 1992, Wright is a retired board-certified surgeon specializing in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. A fellow with the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology, Wright is a managing partner of Practice Management Consultants, LLC, in Bloomington, Ill., and he has a longtime affiliation with the McLean County Medical Society. He has honorary staff privileges at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Advocate Bromenn Regional Medical Center and Decatur Memorial Hospital. '82 Robin Levy-Miller, MD, Res '84, medical director, president and founder of Robin Levy-Miller, MD, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for her dedication, leadership and excellence in the health care industry. She will be included in the upcoming Cambridge Publishing's Top 101 Industry Experts book, which reveals the objectives and Robin Levy-Miller triumphs prominent members have achieved to gain success. The recipient of a lifetime VIP award from the International Business '84 Leaders Forum who was named Physician of the Year for the state of Illinois by the U.S. Congress, Levy-Miller continues to update guidelines for standards of care using evidence-based mediums, credentialing guidelines, numerous medical/legal issues and medical ethics, and she focuses on both traditional and integrative methods to improve the quality of care and safety of patients. Levy-Miller has also developed an ambulatory care outpatient teaching program in a perioperative medicine consultation service at local universities. Howard B. Chodash '84, MD '88, was elected vice speaker of the Illinois State Medical Society during its recent annual meeting. Chodash practices gastroenterology with Physicians Group Associates in Springfield, Ill., has dual board certification in internal medicine and gastroenterology and is on staff at St. John's Hospital and Memorial Medical Center. As a longtime member of the ISMS, Chodash has served on numerous councils and committees, including the Council on Education and Health Workforce and the Council on Communications, and he is a delegate to the ISMS House of Delegates. Chodash is also a fellow with the American College of Physicians and the American Gastroenterological Association. Locally, Chodash is the president of the Jewish Federation of Springfield and the past president and trustee of the Sangamon County Medical Society. '88 '90 Henry J. Lujan, MD '90, FACS, FASCRS, is director of the Advanced GI Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at Jackson South Community Hospital. Board-certified in both general and colon and rectal surgery, Lujan is a designated epicenter surgeon for da Vinci ® Henry J. Lujan Robotic Colorectal Surgery. He has been in private practice in Miami since 1997. '92 Mark S. Denker, MD, Res '92, founder of the Palm Beach Fertility Center in Florida, offers an illinois medicine | 39

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