Schwartz gift honors surgeon’s long career
March 2010
Sander “Sandy” Schwartz feels so good about his treatment by surgeon Avrum Froimson, MD, and his son, surgeon Mark Froimson, MD, MBA, that he and his wife, Donna, recently made a gift toward a research and education fund established by the younger Dr. Froimson to honor his father.
In the past, Mr. Schwartz of Bratenahl, Ohio, endured severe knee and shoulder pain. As a result, he jokes, Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery “has gotten under my skin on several occasions.”
Mr. Schwartz’s treatments at Cleveland Clinic include knee replacement, shoulder repair and foot bone grafts.
“Dr. (Mark) Froimson and his father have treated me well over the years,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of contact with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and I’m very impressed. I want to help.”
The Avrum I. Froimson, MD, Fund for Orthopaedic Research and Education currently supports efforts in research, as well as an international fellowship in joint replacement surgery.
Fostering Innovation
The purpose of the Avrum I. Froimson, MD, Fund is to foster innovation and development of new and improved techniques in musculoskeletal surgery and help support surgeons’ training, says
Dr. Mark Froimson, Quality Review Officer for Cleveland Clinic’s Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute.
“These efforts will result in the development of better surgical techniques, allowing us to achieve better outcomes for patients who need joint reconstruction of the hip and knee,” he says. “Because of the high volume of patients we treat and the innovative research performed at Cleveland Clinic, this fund will touch thousands of people afflicted with musculoskeletal disease, not only in Cleveland, but all over the world.”
Dr. Avrum Froimson, whose career spans 48 years, is a member of Cleveland Clinic’s consulting staff and the Orthopaedic Surgery staff at Cleveland Clinic’s Beachwood Family Health Center. He is a national leader in orthopaedic and hand surgery and is known for inventing the Froimson Tennis Elbow Support, used worldwide. He has made substantial contributions in his field for treating hand and elbow arthritis, nerve compression, sports injuries, limb lengthening, and hip fracture and replacement. A Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University, he has invented and published on novel surgical procedures for thumb arthritis, trigger finger (in which a finger or thumb catches in a bent position), biceps tendon rupture, elbow arthritis and wrist tendonitis.
A Model of Commitment
Dr. Mark Froimson says he established the fund to honor his father’s distinguished career and create a lasting legacy in his name. He is confident that there are a number of appreciative and thoughtful patients, like Mr. Schwartz, whose quality of life has been improved by the care received from Dr. Avrum Froimson and who will consider honoring his career by making a contribution to this fund.
“Philanthropy is essential to allowing us to pursue our mission of improving the care we deliver,” he says. “My father’s career serves as a model of commitment to the best we have to offer, to constantly searching for better ways and to continuously sharing these developments by teaching and training our colleagues and those who follow.”
Mr. Schwartz, retired from his 30-year career as a criminal law attorney, says he also sees this gift as a way to support the community.
“Cleveland Clinic is a tremendous asset to the community,” he says. “Cleveland’s been very good to me, and I want to be good to Cleveland.”
This story originally appeared in the Winter 2009/2010 issue of Catalyst.
To make a gift supporting the Avrum I. Froimson, MD, Fund for Orthopaedic Research and Education, the Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Institute or any area of Cleveland Clinic, visit our secure online giving site, or call Institutional Relations and Development at 216.444.1245 or toll-free at 800.223.2273, ext. 41245.
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