Daniel Schafer, MD, an emeritus professor and renowned hepatologist who helped build UNMC’s hepatology program into one of the country’s best, died Nov. 13. He was 76.
Dr. Schafer joined UNMC in July 1981 and retired from UNMC’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2018, after 37 years of helping patients with cirrhosis, hepatitis and liver disease and transplantation. Dr. Schafer and his faculty colleagues supported the world-renowned liver and intestinal transplant program through UNMC’s primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine.
“Dr. Schafer was such an asset to our GI/hepatology and liver transplant program,” said Debra Romberger, MD, Henry J. Lehnhoff Professor and Chair of the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine. “He was so passionate about patient care as well as the academic mission of the medical center. He was known for his wit and his wisdom, and we miss him. Our hearts go out to his family at this time of loss.”
UNMC hepatology faculty member Tim McCashland, MD, recalls how “Dan was the ultimate team member of the GI section, and he had a ‘patient first’ mantra. One of his enduring quotes if anything needed to be done was, ‘Put me in, coach.’”
Dr. Schafer graduated from the UNMC College of Medicine in 1976 and did his internal medicine residency at UNMC. He did a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., and joined UNMC in 1981 as an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine.
“He was a passionate advocate for his patients and a rigorous educator,” said Mark Mailliard, MD, retired professor and former division chief. “He had a remarkable one-in-a-million personality and was beloved by so many people.”
Dr. Mailliard recalled Dr. Schafer’s keen intellect and unique ability to share historical information about Nebraska small towns and their counties with his patients. He is remembered for playing “I Wanna Be Sedated” by the Ramones as patients were being prepared for colonoscopy procedures.
Fedja Rochling, MD, chief of the UNMC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, recalls the many “Schaferisms” that “presented the very essence of his infinite knowledge and advice.”
Dr. Rochling said, “For many years, Dr. Dan chaired the weekly patient liver transplant selection committee meeting. He would start on time with the following quote: ‘We do not punish those on time in favor of those who are late.’ It goes without saying, that the meetings were effective, and the work got done – on time.”
Other Schaferisms, he said, include, “The secret to successful transplantation lies in the evaluation” and “We only transplant volunteers.”
Dr. Schafer’s colleagues say he was a strong advocate for the University of Nebraska System; was passionate about his family; and enjoyed traveling, photography and celebrating Nebraska and regional artists through his involvement with Gallery 1516. Some of Dr. Schafer’s photos hang in the halls of UNMC’s Home Instead Center for Successful Aging.
Dr. Schafer is survived by his wife, Jane Potter, MD, professor of geriatrics, gerontology and palliative medicine at UNMC, children Daniel F Schafer II, PhD; Edwin Conrad Schafer II; and Nicholas Peter Schafer PhD; and grandchildren Fenton Conrad Schafer, Potter Han Schafer and Mia Lin Schafer.
A celebration of life will be held at Gallery 1516, located at 1516 Leavenworth St. in Omaha, on Jan. 20 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Gallery 1516, where Dr. Schafer served as a board member.
View the family’s online memorial page for Dr. Schafer, which includes additional tributes, stories and photos.