The Robert H. and Susan F. Castellini Foundation donation helps fund the $2 million endowed chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Christ Hospital
The Christ Hospital Foundation celebrated and honored Bob and Susie Castellini recently for their donation that funded more than half of the newly created $2 million Castellini Family Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery, which is held by J. Michael Sm
3/6/2020
The Christ Hospital Foundation celebrated and honored Bob and Susie Castellini recently for their donation that funded more than half of the newly created $2 million Castellini Family Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery, which is held by J. Michael Smith, MD.
A private event was held at The Christ Hospital Health Network’s Joint & Spine Center, on the Martha S. and Carl H. Lindner III Rooftop Garden and Skydeck.
“No one really knows the magnitude and significance of what you have accomplished through your generosity and goodwill,” noted Dean Kereiakes, MD, medical director of The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center. “By allowing J. Michael Smith, scholar, gentleman and immensely talented heart surgeon, to join The Christ Hospital Health Network’s Heart and Vascular program and the Lindner Research Center, you have created a unique resource that will benefit all heart patients from our region and beyond.”
“For Cincinnati to lose someone as talented as J. Michael Smith would have been sacrilegious,” said Bob Castellini. “My father died of a heart attack when I was 10 years old. I’d like to think if we had someone like J. Michael around at that time, my father could have lived a much longer and healthier life.”
The Christ Hospital Health Network welcomed J. Michael Smith, MD in January 2020. Dr. Smith is a national pioneer in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery and robotics. He has practiced in the Cincinnati area for 31 years.
“It’s a big honor for me, knowing Bob and Susie Castellini for all these years and what they mean to the community,” Dr. Smith says. “They were a huge factor in recruiting me back to Cincinnati, and specifically back to The Christ Hospital.”
“For many years, my mother always asked me why I wasn’t practicing at The Christ Hospital because, they were, as she always said, Cincinnati’s Heart Hospital,” Dr. Smith shared.
“We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to help provide exceptional cardiac care to the people of Cincinnati, now and into the future,” said Castellini.
Physicians at The Christ Hospital Lindner Research Center have conducted more than 1,600 clinical trials, pioneering new devices, medicines, and minimally invasive surgical techniques, leading to trailblazing discoveries that improve and save lives. Today, The Christ Hospital is the premier destination in the region for leading-edge care for advanced heart failure, valve disease, complex coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, advanced cardiac imaging, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and vascular interventions.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network: About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn with six ambulatory centers and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,200 talented physicians and 6,100 dedicated employees support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes, the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as the 24th best large employer in the nation in the magazine’s “America’s 500 Best Large Employers” listing and by National Consumer Research as the region’s “Most Preferred Hospital.” The Network is dedicated to transforming care by delivering integrated, personalized healthcare through its comprehensive, multi-specialty physician network. The Christ Hospital is among only eight percent of hospitals in the nation to be awarded “Magnet” recognition for nursing excellence and among the top five percent of hospitals in the country for patient satisfaction. For more than 125 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.