A Legacy of Commitment to Healthcare Excellence
Cardiac surgeries are responsible for saving about 250,000 lives in the U.S. every year, each with a story of care, compassion and innovation behind it.
Sally Gries and her late husband, Bob, have such a story. The cardiac care Bob received led them to establish the Sally and Bob Gries Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery. The position recognizes the care of renowned cardiac surgeon and inaugural appointee Joseph F. Sabik III, MD, UH Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair, Department of Surgery, UH Cleveland Medical Center.
Taking on Challenges for Others
Throughout their professional and personal lives, Sally and Bob have been no strangers to opportunity and challenge. In the 1970s, Sally founded the first female-owned registered investment advisory firm in Ohio. Bob was a pioneer in the venture capital field. Their personal philanthropy was also bold, setting an example in the community.
“For Bob and me, true philanthropy was and is about impact,” said Sally. “We wanted our giving to be catalytic. We took on real challenges aimed to overcome them for the sake of helping those around us.” But their biggest challenge, perhaps, came about two years ago, when Bob decided to undergo quadruple bypass surgery. It was something not every patient or doctor would have done.
“Dr. Sabik’s willingness to work with Bob gave us one more extremely meaningful year together,” said Sally. “It was a risk they both took, and we are eternally grateful for Dr. Sabik’s steady hand and compassionate heart.”
A Legacy of Support
The couple established the Sally and Bob Gries Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery just before Bob passed last year. It was not their first gift to UH, however. Bob and his sister previously established the Lucile D. and Robert H. Gries Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and Education in honor of their parents and, over the course of a 51-year marriage, Sally and Bob supported neurological nurses, sports medicine, emergency medicine and more.
Their support also extended to volunteer leadership. Bob served for more than forty years on the UH Board of Directors and became a lifetime trustee. And Sally, who continues to serve on various leadership councils at UH, is a passionate advocate for patient care.
“To be entrusted with a patient’s well-being is in itself humbling, but to then be honored with a chair bearing the name of your patient and his spouse is profoundly meaningful,” said Dr. Sabik. “My memory of Bob, and his and Sally’s generosity, will always remind me of my duty to provide the highest standard of care.”