Satellite Healthcare, Providers of Kidney Dialysis and Kidney Disease Services, Honors Founder With Endowed Chair at Stanford University School of Medicine

Business Wire, Oct 6, 2008

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Satellite Healthcare, one of the nation's first and largest providers of kidney dialysis services and kidney disease therapies, has honored its founder, Norman S. Coplon, MD, with an endowed chair at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The Norman S. Coplon/Satellite Healthcare Professorship in Medicine was established on June 12, 2008 with a gift from Satellite Healthcare, which Dr. Coplon founded in 1974 as a not-for-profit organization. His vision was to fulfill the growing need for kidney dialysis services due to kidney disease, as well as to fund research and provide education for patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). The company aims to advance the standard of chronic kidney disease care while optimizing patient wellness and quality of life.

"Stanford is deeply grateful to Satellite Healthcare for its gift that established the chair that honors its founder, Norman S. Coplon," said Ralph Horwitz, MD, professor and chair of Stanford's Department of Medicine. "Dr. Coplon is a visionary leader in nephrology and dialysis care. The chair that bears his name will be held by Glenn Chertow, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Nephrology at Stanford. Dr. Chertow is the nation's leading clinical scientist in nephrology and has carried out pioneering research on kidney disease. He is also a gifted clinician and charismatic teacher."

"Dr. Coplon is highly respected by the dialysis community for his dedication to advancing the treatment of kidney disease," said Mark Burke, CEO of Satellite Healthcare. "Norm was one the early Stanford fellows and his relationship with the medical school covers decades. Endowing a permanent professorship in his name is the best way to recognize his 35 plus years of contributions to the field. We are excited to have Dr. Chertow be the first holder of the Norman S. Coplon/Satellite Healthcare Professorship in Medicine. He is a superb nephrologist and researcher whose contributions to the field will be seen for years to come."

Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Dr. Coplon received his medical degree and completed his internship and first year of residency from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. He moved to California in 1966 to serve as chief resident at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco and completed his fellowship in nephrology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Coplon learned kidney dialysis at San Francisco General Hospital and shortly after started one of the Bay Area's first kidney dialysis centers at Stanford, where he is a member of the adjunct clinical faculty.

He conceived of a network of kidney dialysis centers ringing major medical centers so that patients would not have to travel far from their homes to receive their frequent treatments. Thus the "satellite" concept was born.

Dr. Coplon has received numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious "Martin Wagner Memorial Award" from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in 1979, the highest honor the foundation can bestow on a lay volunteer. In 1992, he was honored as the NKF "Man of the Year."

The investiture ceremony for the Norman S. Coplon/Satellite Healthcare Professorship in Medicine will be held at Stanford at 6:00 pm on October 6, 2008, at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford.

About Satellite Healthcare

Satellite Healthcare, Inc. is one of the nation's first and largest providers of kidney dialysis services and kidney disease care. With its affiliated services Satellite WellBound, Satellite Dialysis, and Satellite Research, Satellite Healthcare provides early patient wellness education, personalized clinical services and a complete range of dialysis therapy choices. This comprehensive offering allows Satellite Healthcare to advance the standard of chronic kidney disease care so patients can achieve a better life. For more information, www.satellitehealth.com.

Better care. Better life. Better choice.