AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 7, 2016) - Twenty current and former faculty members of the University of Colorado School of Medicine are contributors to a newly published collection of essays, Miracles We Have Seen - America's Leading Physicians Share Stories They Can't Forget.
The book, edited by Harley A. Rotbart, MD, professor and vice chair emeritus of the School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics, includes 85 essays written by renowned specialists in almost every field of medicine.
"The essays are written in non-technical language to convey clinical events that stunned the physicians and everyone else involved," Rotbart said. "Impossible cures, breathtaking resuscitations, extraordinary awakenings, spectacular serendipities, and recovery from unimaginable disasters."
While many essays cover surprising outcomes, some physicians wrote about experiences in which the miracle was more emotional than physical, yet left a lasting imprint. Those essays cover a wide variety of experiences, including doctors sharing in gut-wrenching decisions made by patients and families, and then in the resulting joy--or heartbreak. In others, the authors describe discovering a silver lining of forgiveness or resilience, a child's wisdom or a family's generosity of spirit, which evoked salvation and triumph in the face of sadness and tragedy.
Among the CU School of Medicine contributors:
Lia Gore, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Oncology and Hematology, University of Colorado School of Medicine; Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, The Robert J. and Kathleen A. Clark and Ergen Family Endowed Chairs, Children's Hospital Colorado
Benjamin Honigman, MD, Professor and Founding Chair of Emergency Medicine; Associate Dean, Clinical Outreach, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Richard Johnston, Jr., MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Dean for Research Development, University of Colorado School of Medicine; Former Chairman of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Former Medical Director, March of Dimes
Celia Kaye, MD, PhD, Professor Emerita of Pediatrics and Former Senior Associate Dean for Education, University of Colorado School of Medicine; Professor Emerita of Pediatrics and Former Chair of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Richard D. Krugman, MD, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Former Vice Chancellor and Dean, University of Colorado School of Medicine
John W. Ogle, MD, Professor and Vice Chair Emeritus of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine; Former Director of Pediatrics, Denver Health
Henry Sondheimer, MD, Professor and Associate Dean Emeritus, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado; Former Senior Director for Medical Education Projects, Association of American Medical Colleges
Many other contributors are from major institutions, including Emory University, Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Yale School of Medicine.
All author proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to charities designated by the physicians contributing to the collection; those charities are listed in the book's Epilogue.
The book has been endorsed by, among many others: Bestselling medical writers Jerome Groopman, MD and Perri Klass, MD; Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York; Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People; Bernard Lown, MD, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and Founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility; Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul; Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, former Surgeon General of the U.S.; the heads of major charitable foundations including the Bishop Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The Arnold P. Gold Foundation; and the Presidents or Past Presidents of nearly every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Psychological Association, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Physicians.
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About the University of Colorado School of Medicine
Faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Health, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The school is located on the Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. To learn more about the medical school's care, education, research and community engagement, visit its web site.