University Times

The School of Medicine has established a first-of-its-kind endowed chair focusing on the patient-doctor relationship and patient-centered care. A national search will be conducted to identify the physician who will hold the newly created Leo H. Criep, M.D., Chair in Patient Care. The Criep professor will hold the appointment in Pitt's Department of Medicine. The $1.5 million position is endowed largely through gifts from the Criep family, UPMC Health System, the Department of Medicine, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation of Pittsburgh and community leaders. The chair is named for the late Leo H. Criep, a nationally recognized pioneer in immunology and Distinguished University Professor in the School of Medicine who maintained a keen interest in the nature of the physician-patient relationship through his writing, mentoring and commitment of personal resources.

"In this era characterized more by ‘high-tech' than 'high-touch' health care, the need to nurture good doctor-patient communication has become glaringly apparent," said Thomas Detre, senior vice chancellor for Health Sciences. "Years ago, Leo Criep came to my office to express his profound concern about the need to listen to the patient ã and to listen carefully. This chair puts renewed emphasis on one of our core values, defining the doctor-patient relationship as a critical element of high-quality health care." Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said: "This will enable us to continue to build on the strengths of the innovative, patient-centered curriculum in our School of Medicine and serve as a model of medical education that is built around the highest standards of patient care." The School of Medicine initiated its patient-centered curriculum in 1992.

Susan Santa Cruz, Criep's daughter, stated, "We have established this chair to address the deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship in today's technology-based, bottom-line oriented health care system." In a 1991 American Medical Associate survey on health care issues, fewer than half of people polled felt that doctors usually explain things well to their patients and fewer than a third felt that doctors spend enough time with their patients. Nearly 70 percent agreed that people are beginning to lose faith in their physicians.

For the past four years the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute has recognized leaders in the care of cancer patients with the Leo H. Criep, M.D., Excellence in Patient Care Award.