Chancellor’s family shares Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Maurer greets his family members after the awards presentation. From left to right are: Dr. Maurer’s granddaughter, Diana Rosenbach, wife, Beverly, daughters Ann Rosenbach and Wendy Rausch, and Rausch’s friend, Mark Linsky.

Receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award is especially gratifying when family surrounds you. That was the case when UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and his wife, Beverly, traveled to Atlanta for a reception in which Dr. Maurer was honored with the Children’s Oncology Group award.

Much to Dr. Maurer’s surprise, not only did some of his mentees and good friends attend, but his two daughters, one of his grandchildren, and a family friend walked in as he was giving his acceptance speech. The gesture surprised and humbled him.

It was indeed fitting for his family to be there. They are part of his success, he said.

Children’s Oncology Group

Dr. Maurer was one of four physicians presented with the prestigious award Friday. The Children’s Oncology Group, a U.S. National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trials cooperative group, is devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. It develops and coordinates cancer studies at 238 member institutions, which include cancer centers at all major universities and teaching hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as sites in Europe and Australia. The group’s membership is comprised of 5,000 cancer researchers.

Beverly and Harold M. Maurer, M.D.

Beverly Maurer: “Award is significant”

Beverly Maurer was proud to see her husband’s accomplishment. “I think the award is significant in that it’s a culmination of a whole era in life where he was totally dedicated to curing children’s cancer,” she said.

Wendy Rausch, one of Dr. Maurer’s daughters, grew up watching her father fight cancer. She went along to various events and conferences and saw the time commitment her father made to support the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study committee. She said the award validated his efforts.

“He gave me inspiration in my career,” Rausch said. “I could not be prouder. He’s the best. It’s huge to see him get this recognition.”

Making a difference

Dr. Maurer was recognized for his significant contributions to pediatric cancer research, specifically his work with the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group, which he helped to form in 1972. He chaired the group for the next 25 years, becoming the world’s foremost expert on the disease. The IRSG is credited with raising the cure rate of children afflicted with the disease from 20 percent to 75 percent.

Also honored

Besides Dr. Maurer, the other award recipients were: Denman Hammond, M.D., professor of pediatrics and associate vice president of health affairs, University of Southern California, Arcadia; Teresa Vietti, M.D., professor emeritus of pediatrics at Washington University, St. Louis; and Giulio D’Angio, M.D., professor emeritus of Radiation Oncology and Pediatric Oncology, University of Pennsylvania.

Left to right: Norman Breslow, Ph.D., University of Washington at Seattle; Bhaskar Rao, M.D., St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis; Jim Anderson, Ph.D., Stokes-Shackleford Professor of Biostatistics and Chair, Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine at UNMC; Dr. Maurer; and Malcolm Smith, M.D., Ph.D., National Cancer Institute.

“These four recipients really are the giants and the heroes in our efforts to cooperatively and collaboratively work together on pediatric cancer,” said Gregory Reaman, M.D., chairman of the Children’s Oncology Group. “They set the stage and created the template. We hope we can follow in their footsteps.”

Increasing the survivability

UNMC’s Peter Coccia, M.D., attended the conference and award reception along with other members of the UNMC pediatric oncology team. “The whole pediatric oncology community is honoring him as a founder, especially in rhabdomyosarcoma,” he said. “The disease had a 10 to 20 percent survivability when he started. Now it has a 75 percent survivability.”

Working for a common goal

James R. Anderson, Ph.D., Stokes-Shackleford Professor of Biostatistics and chairman, department of preventive and societal medicine at UNMC, presented the award to Dr. Maurer.

“Hal makes a lasting positive impression on people,” Dr. Anderson said in reading the award narrative. “I know of no one better at getting people engaged and working collaboratively for a common goal. He is a master of seeking the opinions of everyone with a stake in an outcome, and then, insisting on a decision when further discussion is no longer helpful.”

Among those celebrating the award were with Beverly and Harold M. Maurer, M.D., were friends and colleagues: Fred Ruymann, M.D., Ohio State University, Children’s Hospital, Columbus; Carol Barbosa, and Jerry Barbosa, of All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Fla.

The resolution also said, “…countless children have been cured of their rhabdomyosarcoma because of the efforts of the intergroup rhabdomyosarcoma studies conducted under Dr. Maurer’s leadership; and whereas Dr. Maurer’s is especially known for his unique abilities to engage people to work collaboratively for a common goal, and to insist on civility, collegiality and tolerance in these collaborations.”

Extending credit to others

In accepting the award, Dr. Maurer gave credit to those who lead cancer study groups and who treat childhood cancer. He also thanked the Children’s Oncology Group executive committee and its members for “bestowing this honor on me, as it also reflects on all of the IRS (Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study) committee.”