Gift creates endowed professorship in surgery
Joseph LaManna III witnessed the impact of osteopathic medicine as a kindergartener following his physician father, Joseph LaManna Jr. on his Sunday hospital rounds.
That childhood experience helped set a path for Dr. LaManna to graduate from UNT Health Science Center in 1980, become a successful urologist and now serve as Chairman of the Board for Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians Inc.
This deep appreciation for medical excellence also led Dr. LaManna and fellow DSWOP board members to pledge $1.5 million from the non-profit organization to create The Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians Endowed Professorship in Surgery. The professorship will be held by Albert Yurvati, DO, Chief of Surgery and an internationally known surgeon at UNT Health Science Center.
“Dr. Yurvati has a tremendous reputation as a surgeon and a researcher,” Dr. LaManna said. “We are proud to create this endowed professorship at the Health Science Center and support his excellent work.”
Dr. Yurvati said, “Certainly this is a great honor to be recognized by this prestigious group of physicians as the first DSWOP Endowed Professor of Surgery. The funding from this professorship will not only allow our laboratory to continue to investigate, develop and introduce innovative advancements that will benefit potential patients, but also will allow us to continue to train the next generation of osteopathic physician-scientists.”
With this gift, DSWOP continues a legacy of support for UNTHSC. It now has given more than $4 million for UNTHSC student scholarships and the Professional and Continuing Medical Education office and created an endowed chair in clinical geriatrics in 2002.
“These very generous gifts establish the Health Science Center as a place where people wish to invest in the future,” said Thomas Yorio, PhD, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Dr. Yurvati, a cardio-thoracic surgeon, recently was awarded the Orel F. Martin Medal, the highest honor awarded annually by the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS). Patients have traveled from across the country to undergo his specialized treatment for xiphoid process injuries.
“Dr. Yurvati uniquely represents the values of this institution,” said Don Peska, DO, Dean of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. “His great number of accomplishments serves as an example of the standard of excellence we achieve at the Health Science Center.”
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