Issue One 2011

At 7:59 AM on a Friday in March of 1994, the medical staff convened in the chart room on 4N at Buffalo General Hospital for patient rounds.  Standing in the back with the residents and interns who were completing their rotation in neurology, I tried to figure out my part in all of this.  After all, this was my first day on the job as a speech pathologist and only my 6th month living in Buffalo.  I was supposed to be across the hall evaluating a stroke patient, but at 7:56 I was interrupted by this booming voice who was signaling me to join his entourage.  So began my career working with the late Lawrence D. Jacobs, MD.

Apparently, this Friday was the usual schedule for neurology rounds, except for the fact that Dr. Jacobs was on service, which I soon learned meant anything but “usual.”  The man made eye contact with everyone and everything.  If an orderly had been standing by he would have included him in on the discussion.  If a curtain was crumpled he would stop midsentence and ask an intern to fix it.  That was Dr. J, full of energy, enthusiasm, intellect, and a little quirkiness.  He wanted everyone to share in that enthusiasm for life and learning.  Anything less and you weren’t invited back.

    His teaching and patient-oriented ways became the motivation for striving to be the best practitioner possible.  I admired his candor and ability to engage the medical residents in evaluating all aspects of the patient’s level of functioning.  Questions were asked about their family life, their interests, and vocation along with the standard battery of neurological tests.  I had worked in hospitals across the country for over a decade but had never experienced anything like this physician–a brilliant thinker and true patient advocate.  He somehow managed to practice “old-fashioned medicine” in today’s high tech world.  He taught his students to ask questions and then really listen.  Dr. J. was the master of dialogue when recording his evaluation on his Dictaphone.  He often included the patient’s comments because he felt they had the right to know what was being said about them and always added a touch of humor.
    Neurology is a complicated discipline involving the brain and spinal cord making up the nervous system with so many nerves and pathways to learn.  Each part of the brain controls some entity of mind and body which affects everyday living.  Dr. Jacobs insisted that each patient be treated with dignity and respect, often providing hope when no one else did.  He once asked me to see a patient who had difficulty swallowing and could not communicate with her family.  The neurological evaluation was complete, but the woman was forced to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital.  We worked together while I placed a speaking valve into her tracheotomy tube (a device used to keep her airway open), so that she could spend the holiday chatting with friends and family.  He went one step further and asked nutrition services to puree the filling of a pumpkin pie, keeping with the Thanksgiving tradition.  He was, after all, treating the mind and the body.
    While he is best known for his work with multiple sclerosis and many associate his name with the business empire his father built; to this transplant he will be remembered for much more.  The Dr. Jacobs I grew to adore was the one who paid such great attention to detail that he privately funded the renovation of much of the neurology department including sandblasting the stone filigree outside the building and restoring the religious carvings which adorned it.  His pride for the city of Buffalo was enormous and he used his position in society for the betterment of the community.  His love for his family was clearly evident through his stories and his insistence on keeping them involved.  Opportunities that were available to him because of his privileged life were shared with those less fortunate or just simply as a gift of appreciation.  A patient may have needed an air conditioner because his body could not tolerate heat, so Dr. Jacobs either bought it himself or started a fund that could be accessed for such things.  He provided a catered dinner for the entire nursing staff each Christmas Eve.  For his staff he held extravagant luncheons with a chef and linen napkins as a way of thanking his team for a job well done during the holiday season.  His generosity and command for excellence extended across the globe when he invited top scientists from all over the world to train and mentor with him.  Collaborative efforts were a top priority because he knew the brightest minds put together were more effective than just one.
    Each Father’s Day, Dr. Jacob’s legacy continues when family, friends, colleagues and patients, join together to celebrate his life at the Annual Jog for the Jake; the 5k run at Delaware Park I organized in his memory.  And the best part–all of the proceeds from the race support research right here in Buffalo with awards going to some of the physicians Dr. J. himself recruited.  The event encompasses all that he loved, family and friends gathering to share his vision and supporting young investigators with fresh ideas, celebrating his life, and having one heck of a party!
    Dr. J. was very competitive by nature and liked to win whether the arena was obtaining research dollars or enrolling the most patients in a study.  However, what separated him from the rest of the pack was his gift of getting the patient back to “living” a life of the highest quality possible.  With that goal in mind he worked feverishly to develop the New York State Consortium of MS Centers that collected data on each enrolled patient to determine the effects of treatment protocols, progression of the disease, and quality of life.  He formed a collaboration of the best researchers and MS Centers across the State of New York.  With this idea he brought together a true disciplinary team of specialists to study, treat, and meet all of the patient’s needs.  In one of our last conversations Dr. Jacobs spoke of how he wanted his long-time friend and colleague, Nick Hopkins, M.D. to move his prestigious Stroke Center to Buffalo General Hospital so they could join together and become the top Neurological Center in the country.  Now, seven years later his wish is coming true as Dr. Hopkins has agreed to head the department of neurosurgery at BGH in 2009.  Those closest to Dr. Jacobs could envision him standing with a big grin on his face, rubbing his hands together, and saying “now we’ve done it…brought the biggest and brightest minds together!”