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Bo: Heart of a Champion

Bo Schembechler

Long after Bo Schembechler led the U-M football team to prominence, he was working tirelessly to do the same for heart health. Though perhaps not as headline-grabbing, his work through the U-M Cardiovascular Center to educate the public and further research was done with the same passion and commitment that he gave to U-M athletics.

Bo's commitment to cardiovascular health lives on through the "Heart of a Champion Fund." Monies donated to this fund support the important work of CVC investigators whose groundbreaking research creates new knowledge and methods to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease.

As a member of the Cardiovascular Center National Advisory Board, Bo’s charity work spanned many areas, and we are grateful for his contributions to the CVC. "His ability to serve other people, I think, was the reason he lived so long,'' said Kim Eagle, M.D., CVC clinical director and one of Bo’s personal physicians. "He had a purpose in life."

“He was the most courageous patient I ever met. He defied all odds in his survival with remarkably bad heart disease. He made me a better doctor and a better person.”

The Michigan Difference … Transforming Care

Although dramatic progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular disease, there is room for improvement. Doctors from different specialties working more closely together could give patients the benefit of their combined expertise. Rather than rescuing patients from avoidable health crises, we could do more to prevent those crises. At busy hospitals and clinics, we need to make sure that proven tests and treatments don't "slip through the cracks." We must find ways to accelerate the pace at which researchers' data and discoveries make an impact on patient care.

Leading the Way

U-M is leading the way on these fronts, making things better for patients at our own institution and throughout the state and the nation. By working together, focusing on early detection and prevention, and improving the flow of research findings from the lab to the clinic, we seek to transform the way cardiovascular care is delivered in America.

It's an ambitious goal, but one that can be achieved by overcoming the traditional barriers between medical disciplines, and creating a business model that makes it possible to succeed clinically and economically at the same time. We're on our way, and won't stop until we realize our vision. Our medical school, hospitals, outpatient clinics, research laboratories, physicians, nurses, scientists and staff are all part of a unified U-M Health System. And soon, our cardiovascular services will be offered through one new center.

Making a Difference

But our vision isn't only to achieve transformation at our own institution. We want to serve as a model for others to learn from, and to work collaboratively with others in a way that applies the fruits of our research.

Transforming cardiovascular care isn't easy. But we are doing it, and in time, we will do it even better. Join us as we work to make a Michigan Difference for everyone.