Celebrating Philanthropy at Society of 1866 Celebration
The Cleveland Museum of Art welcomed nearly 400 University Hospitals friends and benefactors on September 23, 2024, for the Annual Society of 1866 Celebration. In recognition for their incredible generosity and commitment to Northeast Ohio, Dee and Jimmy Haslam were honored with Samuel Mather Visionary Award. Matthew J. Kraay, MD, MS, and Lolita “Lolly” M. McDavid, MD, MPA, received the 2024 Distinguished Physician Award.
Samuel Mather Visionary Award: Dee and Jimmy Haslam
Giving back has always been a core family value for Dee and Jimmy Haslam. The Haslams are immersed in numerous philanthropic and community endeavors to address the needs of their communities. In the fall of 2023, they made a visionary $20 million gift to establish the new UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center led by James E. Voos, MD, Chair, UH Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jack and Mary Herrick Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Head Team Physician, Cleveland Browns, and visionary of the UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute.
The new center strategically identifies, supports and invests in the world’s best innovations in sports medicine, providing a catalyst to improve performance, reduce injury risk and promote healing for stronger, healthier professional and recreational athletes.
Dee and Jimmy hold the positions of CEO and Chairman, respectively, as the Managing Partners of the Haslam Sports Group (HSG). HSG's current portfolio includes ownership of the Cleveland Browns, a controlling interest in the Milwaukee Bucks, the role of investor-operators of the Columbus Crew, as well as holding an investment in the WNBA. Dee is also the Vice-Chair of the UH Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Because of You Campaign, along with fellow Co-Chair Shelly Adelman.
UH Distinguished Physician Award: Matthew J. Kraay, MD, MS
Matthew J. Kraay, MD, MS, made UH his professional home for four decades. An internationally recognized specialist in total joint replacement, joint reconstruction and arthritis surgery, his leadership has shepherded the evolution of joint surgery for nearly half a century. Prior to his retirement in 2023, he served as director of Joint Reconstruction and Arthritis Surgery at UH Cleveland Medical Center.
In collaboration with Clare Rimnac, PhD, Wilbert J. Austin Professor Emeritus of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Kraay co-founded UH’s internationally recognized implant retrieval program. This unique collection of revised joint replacement implants is complemented by an expansive computerized registry of patients who have had joint replacement surgery at UH Cleveland Medical Center since 1985. Drs. Kraay and Rimnac, along with their co-investigators at Drexel University, have received over $8 million in National Institutes of Health funding to study implant materials, implant design and modes of damage and failure.
An author of 128 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters, Dr. Kraay has presented at more than 100 national and international conferences. In 2013, he was elected to The Hip Society and The Knee Society. Fewer than 75 orthopaedic surgeons nationwide are members of both prestigious organizations.
UH Distinguished Physician Award: Lolita “Lolly” M. McDavid, MD, MPA
A champion for children at both the local and national levels, Lolita “Lolly” M. McDavid, MD, MPA, is Medical Director of Child Advocacy and Protection at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s. For more than 25 years she has been responsible for coordinating the medical services for the Child Protection Unit, serving at-risk children and families in Northeast Ohio.
Trained as a general pediatrician, Dr. McDavid joined UH Rainbow in 1996 and set out to revamp the Child Protection Program and engage UH Rainbow in the community. Under her leadership, UH Rainbow became a leader among children’s hospitals for advocacy. Dr. McDavid has presented on innovative and impactful programs designed at UH Rainbow all over the country. One example is the “No Hitting Zone” which has been adopted at institutions across the country.
Dr. McDavid has been honored by the National Association of Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) Cleveland Branch, Junior League of Cleveland, the YWCA of Cleveland, Providence House, Cleveland Magazine, Northern Ohio Live, and Crain’s Cleveland Business. She is also a recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.