Gift to Sponsor Oncology Programs
When Malcolm and Sandra Berman realized they needed the expertise of cancer specialists back in November 2002, it did not take them long to determine that GBMC was one of the best cancer treatment centers in the region and the only hospital locally that offered what they needed. “We had consulted with physicians at Duke and Johns Hopkins, and were considering going up to New York to meet with doctors at Sloan Kettering,” observes Mr. Berman, “but GBMC was six minutes from our Baltimore condominium and it was the only local hospital doing the Brizel protocol”.
Mr. Berman chose this organ-preservation treatment, named after the doctor who perfected it, because of its potentially good outcome. It involves the concurrent use of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. “Nobody sails through this treatment,” says John R. Saunders, Jr., MD, Director of the Milton J. Dance, Jr. Head and Neck Rehabilitation Center. “But having made this choice is the reason Mr. Berman is doing so well today. We put our first patient on the Brizel protocol four-and-a-half years ago, and have used it on 53 patients,” says Dr. Saunders.
The partnership that developed over the next couple of months between the Bermans and the GBMC head and neck cancer service was remarkable. There are those among us who have the ability to turn difficult situations into positive outcomes. The Bermans and Drs. Saunders, Levine and Zinreich worked together to bring health and healing back into the forefront of their lives. Malcolm and Sandra Berman decided as a result of this extraordinary journey to say thank you to the team and all the cancer caregivers at GBMC by making an extremely generous gift to the GBMC Foundation—$2.4 million to help purchase a new linear accelerator for Radiation Oncology with cutting edge IMRT technology. Hardware and software add-ons will allow the delivery of a higher dose of radiation to cancer patients with pinpoint accuracy. In addition, their donation will also lend support for other Cancer Center programs, allowing the hospital to name the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Comprehensive Breast Center along with the Radiation Oncology Patient Waiting Area in their honor.
Sandra and Malcolm Berman have been married for over 47 years. They met when Sandra was visiting her grandparents in Baltimore from Washington, DC. Together, they have enjoyed the real estate and banking businesses. In fact, they have just brought up their boat from Florida and will be enjoying it all summer. This will allow them to be closer to their three sons, daughters-in-law and their eight grandchildren.
The Bermans acknowledge that they are fortunate to have a home in Baltimore (although they are Florida residents), allowing them to take advantage of GBMC's oncology services. The Bermans have had a long association with GBMC HealthCare, dating to the hospital's earliest days. “One of our sons had his tonsils out at the Presbyterian Eye, Ear and Throat Charity Hospital, which was one of GBMC’s founding hospitals” says Mrs. Berman, “and the other two had theirs out at GBMC. Now they’re all grown, of course, but our last grandchild was a GBMC baby.” Mrs. Berman also had a surgical procedure done at GBMC with excellent results.
Key to successful treatment, say the Bermans, was the support team that assembled for them, including Dr. Saunders, Dario Kunar, MD, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (who did the original biopsy), Marshall Levine, MD, Medical Oncology, and Eva Zinreich, MD, Radiation Oncology, as well as all of the nurses and staff of the Oncology Unit (34), Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and the Dance Center.
“The attention and care we have gotten from the entire GBMC staff has been absolutely phenomenal,” says Mrs. Berman. For example, Barbara Messing, MA, CCC-SLP, Manager, Speech Pathology, Dance Center, worked with Mr. Berman for many months after his neck surgery, often three times a week, to help him re-learn how to swallow. “Barbara was truly an inspiration,” adds Mr. Berman. “Our contribution is a way of showing GBMC how appreciative we are of the care and service that has been given to us.”
The gift that the Bermans have made to GBMC will support the hospital’s continuing commitment to cutting edge medical care. “Philanthropists, like Mr. and Mrs. Berman, have extraordinary vision to help GBMC obtain the technical advancements to match the expertise of our physicians,” says Laurence M. Merlis, President and CEO of GBMC HealthCare. “We are extremely grateful for their generosity and the compassion they have for helping others improve their odds of winning in the battle against cancer.”
