University Hospitals gets $1.5M donation for endowed chair in cardiovascular medicine

Dr. Barry Effron

University Hospitals has received a $1.5 million donation that the health system will use to establish an endowed chair within its heart and vacular institute.

Dr. Barry Effron, associate chief of the division of cardiovascular medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, becomes the first holder of the Figgie Family Chair for Clinical Cardiovascular Excellence, which was made possible by the donation.

About $1 million of the donation comes from the Figgie Foundation of Pepper Pike, which was founded by Nancy and the late Harry E. Figgie Jr. Harry Figgie owned the company that’s now called Scott Technologies and was previously known as Figgie International. The remainder of the donation comes from the Harrington-McLaughlin Family Foundation, according to a statement from University Hospitals.

Effron has provided care to the Figgie family, and the donation is an expression of the family’s gratitude to him, Nancy Figgie said in the statement.

The establishment of the endowed chair advances a priority for University Hospitals’ heart and vascular institute–”recruiting and retaining pre-eminent leaders in the field,” acccording to the statement.