Gift Honoring Alison Norris to Focus on Patient Care

New York, NY – The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) has received a multi-year grant of $250,000 to establish the Alison Norris Nephrology Section, which will focus on ethical dilemmas in patient care, patient-centered communications and advocacy, end-of-life care, and controversies in nephrology. The grant was given by Dr. Norris’ sister, Laurie Norris, and her husband, Clarence Pearson, in tribute to Alison’s deep commitment to patient care and her many contributions to the medical profession. Friends and colleagues may join in this tribute to Alison Norris, MD, and contribute to continuing the work that was so important to her by forwarding gifts to the Alison Norris Memorial Fund at The New York Academy of Medicine.

Laurie Norris said the grant truly exemplifies Alison’s spirit and her willingness to transform the lives of her many patients and her physician colleagues through her sense of compassion and advocacy.

“Those closest to her said that she was a superb clinician and a caring and devoted physician, who went above and beyond what an average doctor would do; she was indefatigable and would stay up all night with patients,” Ms. Norris said. “Alison was meticulous, brilliant, and had a generous spirit, and she used those qualities to take care of her patients.”

When Dr. Norris trained at Cornell in the 1980s, Alan M. Weinstein, MD, served as her nephrology fellowship supervisor, and he now chairs the Alison Norris Nephrology Section. Dr. Weinstein, who currently serves as Professor of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, said members of the Section have planned their first event, a conference on October 26, 2011 that will address engaging the chronic kidney disease patient in a therapeutic alliance of decision making about starting and stopping dialysis and the rigors of treatment.

“Alison Norris practiced with a vision of the nephrologist, as a patient ally and advocate, a role requiring more than just a good heart, but also insight into the special struggles and emotional landscape of someone with renal failure,” Dr. Weinstein said. “It is the mission of the Alison Norris Nephrology Section at NYAM to provide a forum for the nephrology community to consider these issues and to review what is known about the practice of nephrology.”

Alison Norris, MD, was born on November 27, 1952 to Alexander R. and Jean Mintz Norris in Providence, Rhode Island. As an undergraduate, Dr. Norris began at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1970, but switched her career path to the sciences, majoring in biology and graduating with a BA in 1972. She then attended the Medical College of Pennsylvania. Her post-graduate training included research at Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical Center followed by an internship and Residency at the University Hospital of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Norris completed a Fellowship in Nephrology at New York Hospital, Cornell Medical College. Her long-term hospital affiliations included Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, MD and Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD, where she served as Chairman of the Quality Assurance Committee, related to standards of care for more than 10 years.

Sadly, Dr. Norris died on December 2, 2009 as a result of complications from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), an extremely painful chronic neurological syndrome characterized by severe burning pain, pathological changes in bone and skin, tissue swelling, and extreme sensitivity to touch. Dr. Norris developed RSD as a result of a tragic automobile accident several years earlier.

Jo Ivey Boufford, MD, President of NYAM said the generous grant will pave the way for greater understanding of the practice of nephrology as well as contributions to the general practice of medicine.

 “This most generous grant will increase our institutional study of nephrology through the creation of a new Section both as a profession and as a means to share new trends in this particular field of health care,” said Dr. Boufford. “More importantly, it will serve as a longstanding tribute to Alison Norris’ commitment to making the health care system work for all patients.”

Friends and colleagues who wish to contribute to the Alison Norris Memorial Fund may send gifts to Nicole Bouknight Johnson, Director of Individual Giving at NYAM, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029. For further information, Ms. Bouknight Johnson may be reached at (212) 822-7256 or nbouknight@nyam.org .

Posted on April 13, 2011

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Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org

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