As the University of Cincinnati Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library welcomes the 2024-25 College of Medicine students and faculty back to the academic calendar, they are greeted by the new installation of MEDSTEPS. The sculpture is the work of renowned artist and scientist Wolfgang Ritschel (1933-2010). It is located on the G-level of the Health Sciences Library.
Dr. Ritschel described MEDSTEPS as:
Stairs may have different purposes and meanings. Essentially, they are a means to reaching different levels, both literally and figuratively speaking. This sculpture uses stairs or, rather steps on a ladder, as a metaphorical form of expression in paying tribute to the development and advancement of medicine from its beginnings at the dawn of time – including Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, and Native American medicine with their symbols as shown in the stained-glass panels – to computerized medicine, along with corresponding “step-by-step” technological progress in diagnosis and therapy. Medicine and the arts were always intertwined, as is suggested by the common expression “medical arts.” In fact, in 15th-century Europe, physicians, pharmacists and artists all belonged to the same guild, a development which presumably originated with the use of mortar and pestle as a grinding tool for both pharmaceutical substances and pigments. I like to think of this as part of my personal and artistic statement in sculptures with a medical theme.
The sculpture is composed of stainless steel, gold leaf, stained glass, lead, polymer, paint, wood and measures 91” x 51” x 22”.
Among the joys of the spring season at the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions is the annual Cecil Striker Society Lecture. On May 7, 2024 the esteemed Joseph P. Broderick, MD, medical director at the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute and professor of neurology in the UC College of Medicine addressed the assembly at Kresge Auditorium for the 15th Striker Lecture.
Dr. Broderick’s Cincinnati Neurology: From Astute Human Observations to Life-changing Therapies chronicled the leadership of the Department of Neurology & Rehabilitation Medicine, the vast advances in neurological science and treatments.Through an examination of history and subtle humor, Dr. Broderick took the audience on an epoch journey of brain science discoveries that have transformed neurological science during his esteemed career. He enlightened that in the 1950s and 1960s neurological conditions and diseases most often led to patient death, while today with the advances in neurology there is much hope for patients and their families.
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On display on the main floor of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library (MSB G Level) is the traveling National Library of Medicine (NLM) exhibit “Physician Assistants: Collaboration and Care.” The exhibit describes how the profession developed as a solution to meet the social and health care needs of the mid-20th century and continues to evolve today.
According to the exhibit website: “Collaboration has been the foundation of the profession since the first three PAs graduated from Duke University in 1967. PAs practice medicine alongside doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, treating patients in diverse communities and addressing health care shortages.”
In addition to the NLM banners, Lynn Warner, exhibit organizer and assistant librarian of research and health sciences, supplemented the exhibit with items loaned by the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions board member Creighton Wright, MD, who studied under Eugene Stead, MD, the founder of the PA program. The other case highlights the profession’s roots in the military.
The exhibit will remain on display until June 15, 2024.
The UC Department of Neurology
On display in the Stanley J. Lucas, MD, Board Room in the Winkler Center, Looking Back at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Department of Neurology, showcases images and artifacts to highlight of some of the talented physicians and the work of UC’s Department of Neurology – both present and in the past.
Charles Aring, MD, founder of UC’s Department of NeurologyRobert Lukin, MD, 1965 graduate of UC Medical School and leader in neuraradiologyFred Samaha, MD, pediatric neurologist aaffiliated with Cincinnati Children’s HospitalJohn Tew, MD, leads UC Health Integrative Medicine and the UC Center for Integrative Health and WellnessCharles Aring and John Fulton
The exhibit was produced in conjunction with the 2024 Cecil Striker Society Annual Lecture presented May 7th by Joseph Broderick, MD, professor and director of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, and Director of the National NIH StrokeNet. Dr. Broderick is a distinguished stroke expert and neurologist and a founding member of the UC Stroke team, as well as a full staff member at all UC Health hospitals.
The exhibit was curated by Devhra BennettJones, archivist curator of the Winkler Center.
By Richard A. Puff, Chief Communications Officer, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Charles Aring, MD, had a profound impact on the Cincinnati region and, through his founding of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s Department of Neurology, a tremendous influence on the health of people throughout the world.
Cincinnati-born, Aring lived in a nearby home for orphans. In 1919, he began working as a 15-year-old office boy at the College of Medicine and went on to receive his medical degree from the college 10 years later. Aring quickly became an internationally known neurologist and returned to UC in 1947 as the founding chair of the Department of Neurology after having founded the neurology department at University of California at San Francisco.
Aring and much more, including how modern neurology and the Beatles are related, will be discussed Tuesday, May 7 when Joseph Broderick, MD, Class of 1982, presents the 2024 Cecil Striker Lecture “Cincinnati Neurology: From Astute Human Observations to Life-changing Therapies.” The lecture begins at 5 p.m. in the Kresge Auditorium and also will be streamed online. Register to attend the free presentation.
Wednesday, April 17, 11:30am-1pm, Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, Stanley J. Lucas MD Board Room
Join the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions at an April 17th Lunch & Learn, “Vesalius, Mascagni and anatomical mega prints – A personal journey.” Renaissance anatomist and physician Andreas Vesalius (December 1514 – June 1564), revolutionized the study and practice of medicine by his careful descriptions and anatomical studies of the human body. Efrain Miranda, PhD, CEO of Clinical Anatomy Associates, Inc, will discuss Vesalius’s life and his obsession with large images that led to the printing of the “Fabrica” in 1543, and through the centuries led to the “New Fabrica” by Garrison and Hast.
Mascagni, is the largest anatomical book ever printed, of which there are only 16 known copies in the world – one at the Winkler Center. Anatomist Paolo Mascagni (1755-1815), worked on this masterpiece for 25 years, and after his death, the Mascagni family contracted with the artist Antonio Serantoni to complete the work. All plates were drawn, engraved and hand-colored with meticulous detail, beauty and accuracy by Serantoni from 1823-32.
The presentation will examine the life of Mascagni and the history of the plagiarist and thief that stole his prints. Miranda will illuminate the presentation with examples of mega drawings that are on display around the world, some measuring 14 feet in height.
On February 19, 2024 Devhra BennettJones joined the University of Cincinnati Libraries as the archivist and curator of the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions.
Devhra is a certified archivist and holds a Master of Science in Organizational & Human Resources Development from Abilene Christian University and a Master of Arts in History from our own University of Cincinnati. Previously, Devhra worked in the Cincinnati area at both the Lloyd Library & Museum and the American Jewish Archives. Devhra is actively engaged with the Society of American Archivists and the Society of Ohio Archivists and brings a wealth of knowledge to UC Libraries.
“The main thing that I am looking forward to in the new position is the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of medical history and to provide access to the rich historical collections held by the Winkler Center,” said Devhra. “It is an honor to work here!”
About the Winkler Center
The Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions is an archive and exhibit facility chronicling the history of the health sciences primarily in the Cincinnati area. The Winkler Center’s over 35,000 volumes of rare and classic works on health history however broaden that scope to include Europe and date back almost 500 years. In addition to its archival collections, books, and medical objects, the Winkler Center also presents public and educational programming, and workshops throughout the year.
Announcing the 2022-2023 University of Cincinnati Libraries Annual Report. My tenure as dean and university librarian began in mid-August 2023, a time of great growth at the University of Cincinnati. I’ve spent these past six months learning as much as I can about the Libraries – how our mission to “empower discovery, stimulate learning and inspire the creation of knowledge by connecting students, faculty, researchers and scholars to dynamic data, information and resources” supports the university’s NEXT Lives Here Strategic Directions. Documents such as the Annual Report have been key to my education.
In this Annual Report, we look back at the top News & Events, applaud Staff Accomplishments & Milestones and look at the Libraries By the Numbers and Financially. Under the leadership of interim dean and university librarian Lori Harris, we welcomed a significant number of new librarians and staff members who will provide essential library services and research support and help move the Libraries forward. We acquired, processed, preserved and made available collections used for research. We held events to bring people into the Libraries to interact with our facilities and collections. We created welcoming places – both virtual and in-person – for people to study, research and collaborate. And, we provided our expertise to the students, faculty and researchers who rely on UC Libraries for their academic pursuits.
Looking Forward
While we celebrate the accomplishments of the past academic year, we also continue to move forward and plan for the future. This past fall we began the process of developing an updated strategic plan with goals and initiatives that will continue to advance the mission of the University of Cincinnati. This plan will build upon the successes of UC Libraries and respond to the rapidly changing landscape of higher education, as well as the increasingly diverse needs of our students, faculty and researchers. The strategic plan will be completed this summer and will guide our work for the next three years. Stay tuned.
Today we officially welcome our new dean and university librarian Elizabeth Kiscaden on her first day at the University of Cincinnati Libraries.
Dean Kiscaden comes to UC from Creighton University where she was university librarian and assistant vice provost of library services. While at Creighton, she worked to modernize legacy library systems and infrastructure to support an anytime, anywhere, any device philosophy and oversaw the development of a single library enterprise, bringing together campus and health sciences libraries. She has extensive experience administering large grants and library services to support academic programs, faculty teaching and student learning. Her research largely focuses on consumer health information.
Join UC Libraries and the University of Cincinnati Press for an unforgettable afternoon with Dr. Alvin H. Crawford, MD as he launches his new book “The Bone Doctor’s Concerto: Music, Surgery, and the Pieces in Between.”
Date: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Location: Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library | Stanley J. Lucas Board Room (MSB E005HA)
A buffet lunch will be provided. This event is free and open to all.RSVPis required.
The Book Launch is an in-person event, however, a Zoom link will be provided to maximize attendance and create a hybrid event for those interested. Please register to indicate your desire to attend in person or remotely.
About the Book
The story of one of Cincinnati’s most influential leaders in medicine.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1939, Dr. Alvin Crawford grew up and attended medical school in a segregated world. Beginning with his early life in Orange Mound—a self-contained community for freed slaves established in the 1890s—Crawford’s autobiography describes his flirtation with a music degree and time spent playing in jazz bands through the segregated South. In 1960, Crawford began his ground-breaking medical career with his entrance into the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, becoming the school’s first African American student. After completing his medical training and traveling the world as a surgeon for the Navy, Crawford found himself in Cincinnati, where he established the Comprehensive Pediatric Orthopedic Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, the first in the region.
Underlying this story are the systemic and very personal incidents of racism Crawford experienced throughout his career. His autobiography is a personal account of segregation, integration, ambition, hard work and taking risks. “The Bone Doctor’s Concerto” is published by the University of Cincinnati Press.
Alvin Crawford is professor emeritus in the UC College of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery with more than 35 years of clinical experience in diagnosis and treatment in orthopedics. He is the recently retired founding director of the Crawford Spine Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and a renowned expert in spinal deformities and neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder often associated with scoliosis. He is the first Black president of the Scoliosis Research Society and has been recognized in “America’s Best Doctors” since 1996.
