Musculoskeletal Institute Receives
From the fall 2007 issue of UConn Momentum
The New England Musculoskeletal Institute (NEMSI), the only facility of its kind in the Northeast and one of only a few nationwide, will benefit from a major gift from a longtime supporter of the UConn Health Center.
Robert T. Samuels, a Health Center board member, and his wife, Renee, have made a $100,000 commitment to NEMSI in support of groundbreaking research and clinical care related to bone, joint, muscle and connective tissue health. The institute is one of the Health Center’s four signature programs, and has recruited a world-class team of experts since it opened in 2006.
Under the leadership of nationally prominent surgeon and joint replacement expert Jay Lieberman, M.D., NEMSI offers a wide range of services to help patients gain mobility and maintain overall health, ranging from orthopaedic surgery, sports medicine, total joint replacement, hand, foot and ankle, neck and back pain, osteoporosis care, and treatment for arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions.
The Samuels have made many previous gifts throughout the community, and to the University of Connecticut to benefit scholarships, academic and athletic initiatives, cancer and cardiology research, and children’s diabetes research. The MSI gift is their largest philanthropic investment in UConn, and was influenced by their admiration for Lieberman and his vision for making the institute the best in the nation.
Mr. Samuels, the former president and chief operating officer of First National Supermarkets and a founding member and principal of ABS Development Company, says that the couple’s support for the institute stems from its unique position as a regional center of health care excellence.
The gift will provide flexible resources for Lieberman and his team of physicians, scientists and therapists to aid new research endeavors and technologies that bring treatment strategies from the laboratory bench to the bedside. Such private support for NEMSI can distinguish it from other similar centers by permitting faculty and staff to focus on research and care instead of searching for additional funding streams.
“To remain at the forefront of medicine involves continued reinvestment in new programs and technologies so that our physician-scientists can conduct research that will translate into improvements and innovations in clinical care for people not only in Connecticut, but worldwide,” states Peter J. Deckers, M.D., executive vice president of health affairs and dean of the school of medicine. “We are enormously grateful to Bob and Renee for their friendship, and for this important vote of confidence in the Health Center and the institute.”
To support the UConn Health Center and NEMSI, please contact the UConn Foundation at 860.679.1122.
