In Celebration of the Life of Robert M. Patek (March 1, 1957 to September 28, 2012)

He will be missed, but never forgotten.

Robert M. Patek, M.D. Obituary as it appeared in the Chicago Tribune:

Robert "Bob" Patek (1957-2012) is survived by his loving wife Linda (Ivers); daughter Laura; son Tommy; parents Robert and Marjorie; sisters Barbara (Al) and Mary Suzanne (Jim); brothers John (Carol) and Paul (Suanne); his nieces and nephews, and his entire extended family.

Dr. Jimenez’ painting is to be included in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon’s traveling exhibition entitled “Wounded in Action: An Art Exhibition of Orthopaedic Advancements”. His painting will be among art created by military personnel, civilians affected by war, family members of fallen soldiers and orthopaedic surgeons who treat the wounded. A celebration of “strength and spirit”, the art will be exhibited in New Orleans, Washington DC and Baltimore between March and November 2010. Click here for exhibition details.

Dr. Matthew Jimenez is featured in an article of Orthopedics This Week as an example of a successful orthopedic specialist. Read the full article.

(IBJI-Morton Grove, IL) -  Dr. Matthew L. Jimenez is passionate about philanthropy.  Not content to just write a check in support of his orthopaedic profession, Dr. Jimenez decided last year to roll up his sleeves and build from scratch a brand new Foundation designed to combat fragility fractures caused by low-impact falls.

Incorporated in December 2008, the Foundation for Education and Musculoskeletal Research (FEMR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity serving Chicago-area residents. FEMR's mission is to become a community resource to increase osteoporosis awareness and prevent disabilities related to bone trauma.  As you may know, each year in the U.S. more than 11 million senior citizens fall—that’s one out of every three people older than 65 years of age, making it the leading cause of injuries to our senior population. Treatment of the injuries and complications associated with falls costs the U.S. more than $20.2 billion annually.

Dr. Anand Vora, practicing primarily in IBJI’s Libertyville office, performed the first total ankle replacement surgery in Lake County in the fall of 2008.  A board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle disorders and injuries, Dr. Vora used a newer generation ankle replacement device.  The new implant is more like a normal ankle joint and requires less bone removal than previous versions of the device.  Those two features - the anatomical similarity and the preservation of natural bone – result in a replacement that moves more like a “normal” ankle.  “The advances in the technology are exciting,” says Dr. Vora, “because it translates to better post-surgical outcomes for the patients.  And really, it’s the improvement in patient’s health that is gratifying to me as a physician.”

The US contingent has just returned from the International Triathlon Union World Championships held in Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite very cold and rainy conditions, this was one of the more successful championships in many years. Andrew Hunt, MD, served as the Head Team Physician for the US squad as part of his duties as Medical Director for USA Triathlon, a post he has held since 2005. Team USA encompassed the Elite Men's and Women's teams, some of whose members will also compete for the US Olympic Team in Beijing this summer. Also included on the Vancouver team were the National Junior, U-23 squads, and top age-group amateurs competing for their respective world titles.

Dr. Hunt is a Sports Medicine physician with the Glenview/Wilmette division of Illinois Bone & Joint Institute. He has been on the medical staff for the Pan American Games in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil since 2007. He also currently serves as Head Team physician for several local high schools and is an Assistant Team Physician for Northwestern University Athletics. Get more information about sports medicine at IBJI.

Dr. Lewis is one of over 100 artists whose artwork is featured in eMotion Pictures: An Exhibition of Orthopaedics in Art at the Chicago Cultural Center. The exhibition is sponsored and organized by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and is free to the public.

The art in the exhibit, all of which were created by orthopaedic surgeons and patients, represents orthopaedic conditions, honors the human body's intrinsic beauty and communicates the wide range of emotions associated with degeneration, injury, healing and triumph over disability. According to the AAOS press release, "eMotion Pictures celebrates both the transformational power of art and modern medicines' success in addressing a wide range of orthopaedic conditions…" Seventeen Chicago-area artists are showcased, along with artists from 27 other states and five countries.

Dr. Lewis has contributed two photographs from his published book, "One World: A View of Fifty Countries." One of the images is of Cambodian land mine victims as they wait for prosthetic limbs. "Photography allows me to honor the human side of disease and disability, both of which pale in comparison to the strength of the human spirit." The art of IBJI surgeon Dr. Matthew Jimenez is also showcased in the exhibit.

The Chicago Cultural Center is located 78 East Washington Street in Chicago; the exhibit runs from April 17 through July 20, 2008. For complete information on the eMotion Pictures exhibit, go to http://www.aaos75th.org/gallery/emotion_pictures.htm.

IBJI physicians at Glenview are at the forefront of a growing trend in surgery that drastically cuts post-operative infections. Best of all, it's easy, painless and inexpensive.

It began in late 2003 when Dr. Lance Peterson, at Evanston Northwestern Hospital (ENH) in Glenview, IL, approached IBJI surgeons James Kudrna and William Robb. Promising research being done in Europe led Dr. Peterson, an infection disease specialist, into partnership with Dr. Kudrna and Dr. Robb in order to hospital-borne infections. The ENH pilot program involved the physicians performing a simple pre-operative nasal swab on their patients undergoing Total Knee and Total Hip Arthrosplasty. This screening protocol reliably identified the presence of the bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus (or S. Aureus), which is responsible for the majority of post-surgical infections. Though the media have focused recently on MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), non-MRSA staph infections are actually much more common in patients recuperating from surgery and can be just as serious.

At the March 2008 meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons members of the IBJI team won first place for their poster "Over-Utilization of MRI in the Osteoarthritis Patient" in the category Adult Reconstruction Knee. The authors of the poster are Wayne M. Goldstein, M.D.; Alexander Gordon, M.D.; Jill Branson, RN; Christopher Simmons, BA, BS; Kimberly Berland, CST, FA; Daniel Willsey, MS, PA-C; and Amanda Andrews, MS, PA-C. View the poster.

Dr. Wayne Goldstein of IBJI received honorable mention at the first 10th District International Volunteer Fair. Hosted by Congressman Mark Kirk, the Fair's purpose was to showcase those in the 10th congressional district who voluntarily contributed to improvements in other countries. Dr. Goldstein was honored as a "doctor to the doctors in Sierra Leone". In 2006, he provided free medical care to Olabisi Claudius-Cole, an African physician who runs a clinic in one of the poorest areas of Africa. At the time, Dr. Claudius-Cole was being disabled by significant arthritis in her knees and hips. Joint replacement surgeries were, she thought, out of her financial reach. Her ability to continue to practice medicine was being threatened, and subsequently, so was the health of clinic patients who had no other options for care. Click here to view video on this website.

Not only did Dr. Goldstein perform knee replacement and hip replacement surgeries at no cost, he also was instrumental in persuading other physicians, Depuy medical device manufacturer and Rush North Shore Medical Center to waive part or all of their fees as well. Dr. Goldstein credits the musician Bono as his inspiration. The musician/philanthropist had spoken at a college graduation ceremony attended by Dr. Goldstein. Bono's message, "We have the means, but do we have the will?", resonated with Dr. Goldstein. When he met Dr. Claudius-Cole, he recognized it was his opportunity to improve the life of a woman whose life was dedicated to improving others' lives.

From his webpage, Congressman Kirk said, "America is best when it advances our humanitarian ideals and work overseas. We are the most generous and outgoing givers in the world, relieving famine in North Korea, fighting AIDS in Africa and advancing human rights against some of the worst governments on the planet. To help further this work, I hosted the first 10th District International Volunteer Fair on February 16 to bring area residents together with international relief organizations."