Illinois Medicine

Paul A. Jones and Medical Center, per- formed the first snorkel- ing technique for repair of abdomi- nal aortic aneurysm in Illinois. This groundbreak- ing, minimally invasive procedure is an alternative for repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. In the procedure, a small puncture is placed in the groin, catheters are threaded up to the loca- tion of the aneurysm and stents are placed in the renal arteries to ensure blood flow to the kidneys is not compromised. Only a few hospitals in the country have attempted the procedure, and Mercy is the only one in Illinois. It's one of several "firsts" achieved by Jones. In 2005, he per- formed the first percutaneous thoracic aortic aneurysm stent-graft procedure in Illinois, and in 2004, he was the first in Illinois to perform a carotid stenting procedure. '87 Cheryl L. Perlis '82, MD, Res '87, joined AgeMD, a national network of hormone therapy doctors formed to help patients in Chicago treat the symptoms of hormonal imbalance by using bioidentical hormones, supplementation and lifestyle support. Their unique approach to medicine focuses primarily on the underlying root causes of health problems rather than simply treating the symptoms, to help prevent disease and improve the patients' overall health. Board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, Perlis is an expert in bioidentical hormone therapy, thyroid dysfunction, fibromyalgia, menopause, andropause, chronic fatigue, gynecology, aesthetic enhancements and PureLipo. She is the founder and medical director of the Perlis Wellness Center, a practice that serves Chicago and its northern suburbs. Terry Younger '83, MD '87, Res '92, has been in practice with Bar- rington Orthopaedics Specialists since his graduation from the College of Medicine. Younger is married to Leila Younger '83, DDS '87, and together they established the Gilbert and Diana Younger Scholarship for Medical Educa- tion in honor of his parents. This schol- arship, established in 2007, is awarded to a fourth-year medical student at the Chicago campus. Illinois Medicine would like to thank the Youngers for their continued financial support of the scholarship program at the Dean's Circle – Bronze level of giving in fiscal year 2011. '01 Samuel Blackman, MD '01, PhD '05, is a director in the Oncology Early Development Unit at Philadelphia-based GlaxoSmithKline, where he leads the development of novel cancer therapeutics, from new target identification through first-time- in-man trials. Blackman also leads pediatric oncology drug development efforts for GSK Oncology and spends as much time as he can with his wife and daughter. Previously, he spent 2½ years in the Experimental Medicine/Oncology Group at Merck Research Laboratories, and prior to that he completed a pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. Natasha E. Diaz '97, MD '01, is now serving at an outpatient clinic at the Ministry of Public Health in the Bahamas. Tell us what you're up to! Your classmates are curious about what you are doing. Fill them in by sending your latest news and accomplishments to medcomm@uic. edu, and we'll be sure to include it in the next issue of Illinois Medicine. THE ALUMNI NETWORK BY JENNA PLA K UT, DI R ECTO R OF A LU M NI RELATIONS IN THE SHORT TIME that I have been with the University of Illinois College of Medicine, I have been fortunate to have had conversations with a wide range of alumni, both members of our Alumni Council and others I have met on my travels across the country. Many have asked me for ways to reconnect with the college and with their fellow alumni, and I am happy to say that we are working on providing opportunities to do just that. Two words sum up my goals for the University of Illinois College Jenna Plakut of Medicine Alumni Association for the next year: growth and sustainability. The Alumni Association is dedicated to serving you, our distinguished alumni, while we continue to support the student body. We are working to create diverse programs for alumni and students that we hope will help reacquaint you with your college and provide you with updates on all of the exciting things happening here on campus. As we strive to continue offering the best in medical education and train the next generation of medical professionals, we also hope to position the college as a resource for alumni—enriching professional development, providing social connections and developing networks for alumni to connect with others within their field or specialty. You will hear more about these opportunities and programs within the next couple of months. In the meantime, we need your support! We are looking for ambassadors or volunteers to help us with these and other programs, and there are many ways to help support the College of Medicine and your fellow alumni. You can serve on the alumni council, volunteer as a class agent for alumni reunion, or become a medical student ambassador, interacting with current students and helping to recruit new students. You can also volunteer to be a regional representative helping connect alumni in your city, state or region—and submit your updates or share a story to feature in Illinois Medicine. Thank you for your ongoing support of the College of Medicine, and thanks, too, for helping us continue to serve your fellow alumni— close to 25,000 of them—and the next generation of medical professionals that will pass through these hallowed halls. I look forward to working with you. 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