- Email: [email protected]
Obituary for Daniel H. Teitelbaum MD, 1956–2016
Journal of Pediatric Surgery 52 (2017) 1–2
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Pediatric Surgery journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jpedsurg
Obituary
Obituary—Daniel H. Teitelbaum, M.D. (1957–2016)
Daniel H. Teitelbaum, M.D. passed away at the age of 59 years on August 17, 2016, after a long struggle with a brain tumor. He completed undergraduate studies at Northwestern University before earning his medical degree at the Ohio State College of Medicine in 1983. After training in general surgery at Ohio State University Hospital and in pediatric surgery at Columbus Children's Hospital, Dan joined the University of Michigan faculty as an assistant professor of surgery in 1992 and rose through the ranks to full professor in 2004. He was a proud and loving husband and father. He was married for 29 years to his wife, Mindy Teitelbaum, with whom he had three daughters: Hannah, Abigail, and Rachel. Dan was a wonderful clinician who performed a wide range of general pediatric surgery with particular interests and expertise in disorders of sexual development, short bowel syndrome, and pediatric colorectal problems, including Hirschsprung disease. He was the smartest man that I have encountered. His memory was impeccable as were his principles. When there was a perplexing patient, the faculty, young and old, flocked to him for advice. He was a man of great wisdom and intuition who cared for the most complicated patients with insight, compassion, and medical and surgical skill. He was completely devoted to his patients and their welfare, whether it involved medical or personal issues. Likewise, his patients and their families were devoted to him, wanting only to hear from Dan how they or their child should be managed. Dan was beloved by the residents and fellows. He served for 7 years as the program director for the University of Michigan pediatric surgery fellowship, a role in which he was passionate about training the best pediatric surgeons and supporting, mentoring, and counseling pediatric surgery fellows. He was constantly considering new approaches to training and ensuring that the fellows knew everything that he did (which was a lot). He was nominated by the fellows and subsequently http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.10.001 0022-3468
received the annual Section on Surgery American Academy of Pediatrics Salzberg Award, which is given to a single pediatric surgeon in the country each year for his/her teaching and mentoring. In his honor, fellows and faculty, along with a family grateful for their care, established the Daniel H. Teitelbaum Collegiate Professorship, which will forever memorialize Dr. Teitelbaum within the University of Michigan and the Section of Pediatric Surgery. Up to the moment when he was no longer able to do so, his desire was to have his computer available so that he could videoconference and contribute to our Tuesday evening and Thursday morning teaching conferences. However, while he was an outstanding clinician and a committed teacher, it was as a scholar and investigator where Dan truly excelled. The primary focus of his investigative work was parenteral nutrition and short bowel syndrome. He was committed to great science and his brilliant mind and passion allowed him not only to mentor others in the art of research, but also to develop discoveries that would greatly impact on science and medicine. He was deeply saddened that his disease shortened the runway on the discoveries on which he was working: a device to grow the intestines of the many patients he managed who had inadequate intestinal length; approaches to create artificial intestine; ways to manipulate the intestinal microbiome by feeding the good bacteria through the composition of enteral or parenteral nutrition; and new nonimmunosuppressive treatments for inflammatory bowel disease. Other research interests included prevention of hyperalimentationassociated liver disease as well as gut immunology and mucosal permeability in the newborn. He authored 259 peer-reviewed publications and was funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health for more than 17 years. He spent the last year before his illness traveling as the president of the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), teaching, developing relationships, and promoting optimal nutrition for patients around the world.
2
Obituary / Journal of Pediatric Surgery 52 (2017) 1–2
We lost a wonderful clinician, a devoted teacher, a brilliant researcher, and a kind human being. Everything that Dan did professionally was for the patient, for the resident or fellow, for the field of pediatric surgery, and/or for society. It was never about him. He was an extraordinary physician-scientist whose skill as a surgeon affected the lives of thousands of patients and their families and whose legacy as a scientist will forever impact the care of children.
Ronald B. Hirschl C S Mott Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Surgery 1540 East Hospital Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Tel.: +1 734 764 6482 E-mail address: [email protected] 7 September 2016
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Pediatric Surgery journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jpedsurg
Obituary
Obituary—Daniel H. Teitelbaum, M.D. (1957–2016)
Daniel H. Teitelbaum, M.D. passed away at the age of 59 years on August 17, 2016, after a long struggle with a brain tumor. He completed undergraduate studies at Northwestern University before earning his medical degree at the Ohio State College of Medicine in 1983. After training in general surgery at Ohio State University Hospital and in pediatric surgery at Columbus Children's Hospital, Dan joined the University of Michigan faculty as an assistant professor of surgery in 1992 and rose through the ranks to full professor in 2004. He was a proud and loving husband and father. He was married for 29 years to his wife, Mindy Teitelbaum, with whom he had three daughters: Hannah, Abigail, and Rachel. Dan was a wonderful clinician who performed a wide range of general pediatric surgery with particular interests and expertise in disorders of sexual development, short bowel syndrome, and pediatric colorectal problems, including Hirschsprung disease. He was the smartest man that I have encountered. His memory was impeccable as were his principles. When there was a perplexing patient, the faculty, young and old, flocked to him for advice. He was a man of great wisdom and intuition who cared for the most complicated patients with insight, compassion, and medical and surgical skill. He was completely devoted to his patients and their welfare, whether it involved medical or personal issues. Likewise, his patients and their families were devoted to him, wanting only to hear from Dan how they or their child should be managed. Dan was beloved by the residents and fellows. He served for 7 years as the program director for the University of Michigan pediatric surgery fellowship, a role in which he was passionate about training the best pediatric surgeons and supporting, mentoring, and counseling pediatric surgery fellows. He was constantly considering new approaches to training and ensuring that the fellows knew everything that he did (which was a lot). He was nominated by the fellows and subsequently http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.10.001 0022-3468
received the annual Section on Surgery American Academy of Pediatrics Salzberg Award, which is given to a single pediatric surgeon in the country each year for his/her teaching and mentoring. In his honor, fellows and faculty, along with a family grateful for their care, established the Daniel H. Teitelbaum Collegiate Professorship, which will forever memorialize Dr. Teitelbaum within the University of Michigan and the Section of Pediatric Surgery. Up to the moment when he was no longer able to do so, his desire was to have his computer available so that he could videoconference and contribute to our Tuesday evening and Thursday morning teaching conferences. However, while he was an outstanding clinician and a committed teacher, it was as a scholar and investigator where Dan truly excelled. The primary focus of his investigative work was parenteral nutrition and short bowel syndrome. He was committed to great science and his brilliant mind and passion allowed him not only to mentor others in the art of research, but also to develop discoveries that would greatly impact on science and medicine. He was deeply saddened that his disease shortened the runway on the discoveries on which he was working: a device to grow the intestines of the many patients he managed who had inadequate intestinal length; approaches to create artificial intestine; ways to manipulate the intestinal microbiome by feeding the good bacteria through the composition of enteral or parenteral nutrition; and new nonimmunosuppressive treatments for inflammatory bowel disease. Other research interests included prevention of hyperalimentationassociated liver disease as well as gut immunology and mucosal permeability in the newborn. He authored 259 peer-reviewed publications and was funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health for more than 17 years. He spent the last year before his illness traveling as the president of the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), teaching, developing relationships, and promoting optimal nutrition for patients around the world.
2
Obituary / Journal of Pediatric Surgery 52 (2017) 1–2
We lost a wonderful clinician, a devoted teacher, a brilliant researcher, and a kind human being. Everything that Dan did professionally was for the patient, for the resident or fellow, for the field of pediatric surgery, and/or for society. It was never about him. He was an extraordinary physician-scientist whose skill as a surgeon affected the lives of thousands of patients and their families and whose legacy as a scientist will forever impact the care of children.
Ronald B. Hirschl C S Mott Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Surgery 1540 East Hospital Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Tel.: +1 734 764 6482 E-mail address: [email protected] 7 September 2016