Celebrating Philanthropy at the Annual Society of 1866 Celebration
November 16, 2021
University Hospitals friends and benefactors gathered at the Cleveland Museum of Art on September 13, 2021, for the annual Society of 1866 celebration. After being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 honorees were recognized for their generosity and commitment to making a difference in Northeast Ohio. Michael and Grace Drusinsky and Sally and Alexander “Sandy” Cutler were honored with the Samuel Mather Visionary Award. Richard Martin, MD, received the 2021 Distinguished Physician Award.
When facing a possible shoulder replacement, Michael Drusinsky turned to the UH Department of Orthopedic Surgery for a second opinion. His treatment was successful and in recognition of his outstanding care, Michael and his wife, Grace, established the Michael and Grace Drusinsky Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Their investment in the UH Sports Medicine Institute grew with a transformational, eight-figure gift to establish the Drusinsky Family Sports Medicine Complex, which is part of the UH Ahuja Medical Center expansion. The facility will be a destination for advanced sports medicine care, consolidating a variety of services into a convenient, state-of-the-art complex.
Michael and Grace first became involved with UH through their brother-in-law, internationally recognized UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital neonatologist Avroy A. Fanaroff, MD. In 2006, the couple established the Drusinsky-Fanaroff Chair in Neonatology in his honor. Michael is a former inaugural board member of UH Ahuja Medical Center and both he and Grace are members of the UH Board of Trustees.
To support UH’s efforts to revolutionize the way men seek and address their health care needs, Sandy Cutler and his wife, Sally, made a visionary $15 million gift to establish the Cutler Center for Men and the Alexander and Sarah Cutler Chair in Men’s Health. A multidisciplinary, system-wide effort, the Cutler Center for Men will bring together primary care and specialists in heart disease, urology, digestive health, mental health, orthopedics, integrative health and other key services to motivate men to receive comprehensive care throughout their lifetime. Headquartered on the campus of UH Ahuja Medical Center, the Cutler Center will be located on the third floor of the Drusinsky Family Sports Medicine Complex with more locations to follow.
“Michael and Grace Drusinsky and Sandy and Sally Cutler are visionaries in the truest sense of the word,” said Cliff Megerian, MD, FACS, CEO, University Hospitals. “Their legacy will be one of innovation, generosity and compassion for our community.”
Over the course of nearly five decades at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, neonatologist Richard J. Martin, MD, has touched the lives of thousands of families. When Dr. Martin came to the United States from his native Australia in the early 1970s, the field of neonatology was in its infancy and piqued his interest. Today, Dr. Martin is an internationally recognized authority in neonatology whose work has transformed the care of premature infants. Named the inaugural Drusinsky-Fanaroff Chair in Neonatology in 2006, Dr. Martin served as UH Rainbow’s Division Chief of Neonatology for 13 years before becoming the division’s Director of Research.
Earlier in his tenure, Dr. Martin worked with UH Rainbow and MacDonald Women’s hospitals President Patti DePompei, who began her career at Rainbow as a NICU nurse.
“Richard and I just connect on so many levels personally and professionally. We share the same positive attitude and love for what we do. UH Rainbow is so honored he chose to spend his professional career caring for the most vulnerable infants in Northeast Ohio,” said Patti.
We can make an impact at UH and in our community Because of You.