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Meet our Donors

The Department of Internal Medicine salutes the donors whose generosity has supported our medical research, patient care and education.  Their gifts continue to serve as a catalyst for discovery, learning and healing within the University of Michigan Health System.

In 2008, a record $6.18 million in cash and pledges was given to support the work of our Department’s faculty as they conducted life-saving research, educated the next generation of physicians and scientists, and delivered excellent patient care.  Despite economic woes that have led to the tightening of State and Federal funding, our donors are reaching new heights in giving.

While a few of them are highlighted below, all of them are appreciated for their gifts, which enable new discoveries, inspire new physicians and support care for our patients.

The Bernard Osher Foundation has made a generous contribution to the University of Michigan Geriatrics Center to endow a community program for older adults.  This contribution will sustain the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, formerly known as the Learning in Retirement Program, which offers a variety of educational opportunities for area residents in or near retirement.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute was established in 1987 by a small group of Geriatric Center social workers and volunteers.  Today, this program has over 1,000 volunteers who work closely with the Geriatrics Center staff.  Offerings include more than 100 mini-courses, study groups and lectures, including the popular “Distinguished Lecture Series.”  Also offered in this program is an expanding Midwest travel program and occasional special events.

Created in 1977 by businessman Bernard Osher, the Bernard Osher Foundation sponsors lifelong learning institutes throughout the United States seeking to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts.  Director of the U-M Geriatrics Center Dr. Jeffrey Halter noted, “The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at U-M exemplifies the type of quality programming that can be accomplished with a dedicated group of community volunteers working with the support of the university.  This gift helps to ensure that educational offerings for retirement age adults will continue well into the future.”

Keith S. Henley, MD (professor emeritus of Internal Medicine) is widely admired throughout the world for his achievements and commitment to education and research, as well as for his clinical contributions to more effective treatments of liver disease.  To honor Dr. Henley’s legacy and in recognition of a generous gift from Dr. and Mrs. Henley, the Medical School established the Keith S. Henley, M.D. Collegiate Professorship in Gastroenterology.

Dr. Henley joined the U-M faculty in 1954 and advanced to achieve the title of professor of internal medicine in 1968.  He was appointed division chief of Gastroenterology after Dr. H. Marvin Pollard retired, and served in this role until his retirement in 1981.  Since that time, he has remained involved in the support and training of international clinicians in the field of hepatology.

In early 2009, Jorge A. Marrero, MD, was installed as the first Keith S. Henley, MD, Collegiate Professor in Gastroenterology.   Dr. Marrero, a hepatologist internationally known for his work in hepatocellular carcinoma, serves as an associate professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Clinic, a clinic recently chosen to be one of U-M’s Destination programs.  Dr. Marrero’s work pays tribute to Dr. Henley’s legacy as a pioneer in the field of hepatology.

Michael H. and Marcia S. Klein Professorship in Rheumatic Diseases

Seven years ago, a diagnosis of both Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus in the family of Michael and Marcia Klein led them to the University of Michigan and the work of Dr. W. Joseph McCune.  

As the Kleins learned about Dr. McCune’s research – and about the 3.6 million Americans affected by the pain, inflammation and debilitation of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus – they decided to establish a research fund in their names to advance the work being done at U-M.  The Klein Research Fund is also supporting a long-term study to determine the causes and treatment of premature heart disease in women with lupus.  As they saw an increase need for lupus and other rheumatic disease research, Mr. and Mrs. Klein decided to make a new, significant gift from their family foundation and transform the research fund into a professorship that bears their name.

The significant philanthropic commitment by the Kleins is a testament to their resolve to make a strong impact on the diagnosis, treatment and eventual cures for rheumatic diseases, especially lupus.  Their gifts will make a difference for a great many patients not only in Michigan, but around the world.  Most of these patients will never know the names of Michael and Marcy Klein, but their suffering will be mitigated by the medical breakthroughs made possible by their generosity.

Dorothy M. Mulkey, M.D. (Rheumatology Fellowship 1972), of Flushing, Michigan, has established a bequest which will create the Dorothy M. Mulkey, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Rheumatology, as well as the Dorothy M. Mulkey, MD, Endowed Research Fund in Rheumatology. Dr. Mulkey, who was among the first women to train in rheumatology at Michigan, was a protégé of Giles Bole (M.D. 1953, Residency 1956), who at the time was Chief of Rheumatology before becoming dean of the Medical School. After a career as assistant dean at the Michigan State University Medical School and nearly 30 years in private practice, Dr. Mulkey decided to leave the bulk of her estate to Michigan where she trained. Dr. David Fox, chief of the Division of Rheumatology and president of the American College of Rheumatology believes this is the largest gift by a rheumatologist to any medical school in the country.

The TUKTAWA (pronounced Tucked-Away) Foundation made a generous gift to support the new Alice Lohrman Andrews Research Professorship in Liver Disease.  The TUKTAWA Foundation is a family philanthropic foundation whose trustee, Charles J. Andrews, named the fund for the family’s cottage in northern Michigan.  Alice Lohrman Andrews was Mr. Andrews’ late wife who died of liver disease in 1996.  Mr. Andrews, known as Chuck, is also a Michigan alumnus, having graduated in 1960 with a degree in business.  He rose successfully through the executive ranks at Ford Motor Company and Alice taught school, taking an interest in children with special needs.  In later years she sold real estate in the Birmingham, Michigan area and was active as a national officer in her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega.  Together they raised three children, Tracey of Denver, Colorado; Christopher of Baltimore, Maryland; and Jennifer A. Moilanen of Beverly Hills, Michigan.  When Alice was struck with liver disease they sought care from world renowned hepatologist Dr. Anna Lok in the Division of Gastroenterology.  While Alice lost her life to liver disease, the family philanthropic foundation was directed to make gifts to Dr. Lok’s research to work towards better treatments and eventually a cure.  In December 2007, the Foundation decided to support Dr. Lok’s lifesaving work by establishing the new Research Professorship in Alice’s name.  Although Chuck will admit a bias toward Michigan as a loyal alum, the family made this decision based on the world-class research in liver disease made possible by U-M’s renowned division of Gastroenterology and its Hepatology group under Dr. Lok’s leadership.  The Andrews family hopes this gift will pay tribute to Alice’s spirit and inspire researchers to mitigate suffering and ultimately cure diseases of the liver.