University of Chicago Hospitals celebrate 1 millionth visit to outpatient facility

August 7, 2000

What:
A celebration of scheduled patient visits number 1 million and number 1 million-and-one to the University of Chicago Hospitals' Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine (DCAM)

The 1 millionth patient will be Deborah Madlener, 39, of Wilmette, Illinois, a kidney/pancreas-transplant patient under the care of Dr. Michelle Josephson. Ethel Ramsey of Chicago, a liver-transplant patient cared for by hepatologist Dr. Alfred Baker, will be visitor 1 million-and-one. Madlener and Ramsey will each receive a dozen roses, plus hotel and restaurant gift certificates.

When:
8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 8, 2000.

The celebration will include brief talks by board member Craig Duchossois, transplant surgeon Michael Millis, Hospitals CEO Ralph Muller, and board chairperson Paula Wolff.

Who:
All DCAM patients and employees

In addition to being welcome to the festivities, guests will receive giveaways and have a chance to assess their "Real Age" from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Patients honored:
1,000,000--"The U of C has saved my life so many times," said Madlener, "that my son refers to me as Morris the Cat." A diabetic since the age of 15, Madlener received a kidney/pancreas transplant in 1994, then lost the pancreas to complications. She received another pancreas in 1995, and then had more complications in 1997. She was hospitalized for a month in late 1999 for meningitis, during which time she lost her kidney function. But in June 2000, she received a kidney from her 65-year old mother. This time, Madlener spent only four days in the hospital, and her mother, the donor, got out in two days. "It seemed less like transplant surgery," Madlener says, "than having my tires rotated."

1 million-and-one--Ethel Ramsey, 61, of Hyde Park, received a blood transfusion at a South Side hospital after giving birth to her youngest child in 1965. Many years later she found out that with the blood, she also received hepatitis C, which slowly damaged her liver. After more than 27 years as an office worker, she retired in June 1998. She received her long-awaited liver transplant on February 22, 2000. She reports she is now "doing pretty good," but has chosen to remain in retirement.

Where:
The first floor lobby of the DCAM, 5758 S. Maryland Avenue

Why:
To celebrate the success of the DCAM, an award winning outpatient care center, which has become a model for ambulatory care centers at academic hospitals around the country since it opened in November 1996. The DCAM allows Hospitals staff to provide patient-focused care while keeping privacy and convenience at a maximum. The building houses the University of Chicago Hospitals' adult primary care and specialty clinics, pediatric specialty clinics, and outpatient diagnostic and treatment facilities.