May 20, 2005

Honoring compassionate care: Conference center dedicated to Schiff

The many contributions of an esteemed MGH physician and two committed friends of the hospital were celebrated May 11 as guests gathered to mark the dedication of the Isaac Schiff Conference Center on the fourth floor of the Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care.

The christening of the expansive, state-of-the-art conference space in honor of Isaac Schiff, MD, chief of the Vincent Memorial Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at the MGH (right), was made possible by a generous gift from Curtis and Patricia Blake, dedicated hospital supporters and namesakes of the Blake Building on campus.

The Blakes decided to name the conference center as a tribute to the quality of care provided by Schiff. "This all came about because Dr. Schiff is such a kind, loving doctor," said Patricia Blake.

Special guests at the ceremony included W. Gerald Austen, MD, honorary trustee of the MGH and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and co-chair of the MGH Philanthropy Program; Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MS, senior vice president for MGH Patient Care Services and chief nurse; Edward Lawrence, chairman of the MGH Board of Trustees; James J. Mongan, MD, president and CEO of Partners HealthCare; and Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH.

Slavin praised Schiff's combination of clinical excellence and deep-seated empathy for his patients. "We are so fortunate to have Isaac as our OB/GYN chief," said Slavin. "Now, thanks to the Blakes, we will have a wonderful conference center available to the Vincent's clinicians and staff."

In his own remarks, Schiff expressed his gratitude — and that of the MGH community — toward the Blakes. "I am deeply, deeply moved," he said. "And all of this because of two people who have touched so many other lives and in so many profound ways."