In Photo Above: Jeremy Bordeaux, MD, MPH, Director of Mohs Micrographic and Dermatologic Surgery and of the Melanoma Program at UH Cleveland Medical Center, Mary and Gordon Harnett.

For nearly two decades, Jeremy Bordeaux, MD, MPH, Director of Mohs Micrographic and Dermatologic Surgery and of the Melanoma Program at UH Cleveland Medical Center, has cared for patients, mentored future dermatologists and helped build one of the nation’s leading skin cancer programs. That work was recognized this summer with the establishment of the Mary and Gordon Harnett Chair in Dermatology, an endowed position created through the leadership support of Mary and Gordon Harnett, along with many other supporters.

Providing permanent support for patient care, education and research in dermatology, the Harnett Chair builds on the Harnetts' commitment to this area. In 2020, Mary and Gordon joined fellow supporters to establish the department’s first endowed position – the Henri Pell Junod, Jr. Chair in Dermatology, held since by Kevin Cooper, MD, who chaired the department for more than 30 years, ending his tenure earlier this year. No one in UH history has chaired a department longer.

The Harnetts’ support, then and now, has further proven their belief that advances in patient care, education and research begin with exceptional physicians and scientists. Their cause is important. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States; about 1 in 5 people will be diagnosed with it by age 70. Over the past decade, annual diagnoses of invasive melanoma cases have increased 31 percent.

At the same time, advances in dermatology care and research give reason for optimism. At UH, Dr. Bordeaux’s leadership has helped expand access to advanced skin cancer treatment and multidisciplinary care, with techniques that improve cure rates while preserving healthy tissue and appearance.

“We’ve seen firsthand how an endowed chair can improve patient care in dermatology,” said the Harnetts. “Dr. Cooper helped build an exceptional foundation, and Dr. Bordeaux is carrying that work forward.”

In addition to giving of their resources, the Harnetts have given time and talent to UH for decades. Gordon joined the UH Board of Directors in 2002 and served in numerous leadership capacities before transitioning to the UH Board of Trustees in 2014.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition and profoundly grateful to Mary and Gordon Harnett for their confidence in me and in our department,” said Dr. Bordeaux. “Their generosity is really an investment in our entire team and in the patients and trainees we serve every day.”

 

David P. Miller

The celebration comes at a time of growing philanthropic momentum for UH Dermatology. Recently, the department received a gift from the late David P. Miller to expand the David P. Miller Scholars and Research Program in Dermatology. The program supports physician-scientists focused on advancing research, education and patient care related to non-cancerous skin conditions and will help the department recruit and retain leaders in the field.

Miller previously established the David P. Miller Endowed Fund for Surgical Innovation. He and his partner, Fran Cosentino, established the David P. Miller and Frances A. Cosentino Master Clinician in Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery, held by Philip Linden, MD.

Miller’s latest gift helped recruit physician-scientist Kirsten Johnson, MD, PhD, to UH. Dr. Johnson, who joined the department in June, cares for patients while investigating new ways to harness natural killer (NK) cells, a key part of the body’s immune system. The NK cells are developed and used in immune-based therapies for patients facing difficult-to-treat cancers.

The Harnett Chair and the Miller Scholars Program are both cases of gratitude turned into action, helping ensure that UH continues to make discoveries, train future leaders and provide exceptional care in the field of dermatology for years to come.

To learn more about supporting dermatology care and research at UH, please contact Jaynie Tatman at 440-567-5867 or Jaynie.Tatman@UHhospitals.org.