Names in the News

Transplant News, May 30, 2006

*Catherine Fickes has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Previously, she was with Cambio Health Solutions, a company specializing in hospital, physician group and HMO turnarounds and performance improvement. Fickes replaces Gus Valdespino, who resigned earlier this year.

*Thomas Cesario has resigned as dean of the University of California at Irvine's Medical School. Cesario, who has been at the center of UCI's liver transplant program problems in the last 8 months, will remain until Nov. 1, when a newly hired vice chancellor for health affairs would also assume duties as medical school dean.

*Johnny Prez, Puerto Rican Hip Hop/Ragaetton singing artist, announced he is enlisting in the Coalition on Organ and Tissue Donation's efforts to increase organ donation. Prez, known as "el Prezidente" of Hip Hop music in Puerto Rico, is recording a single about the need for donation, which will be available free of charge to organizations promoting donation. Prez will be filming a music video/Public Service Announcement in New York City while performing for Telemundo at the 116th Street Festival. He is inviting organ transplant recipients to be part of the PSA as extras in the video.

In Memoriam:

*Jong-Wook Lee, MD, director-general of the World Health Organization, died May 22 following a short illness. He was 61. Lee, the first United Nation's agency director from the Republic of Korea, had served in the post since July 2003. Anders Nordstrom, currently assistant director-general, will serve as acting director-general.

*Reverend Michael J. Lynch, a longtime hospital chaplain in Wausau, WI, died May 16, after an accidental fall in his home. He was 61. Father Lynch was a leading voice in promoting organ and tissue donation and was actively involved in the American Council on Transplantation in the mid-1980s.