Welcome to the Team Ron Page at Webguild

Ron Davis

Director, Center for Health Promotion and
Disease Prevention, Henry Ford Health System

President, American Medical Association
(June 2007 - June 2008)

PanCan Golf and Tennis Gala (in Stuart Florida) on May 30th, 2009
- http://www.pancan.org/golftennisandgala
- Golf and Tennis Gala flyer
- Golf and Tennis Gala brochure
- Simply make a donation
Lustgarten Foundation's Walk for a Cure to Pancreatic Cancer for brother Ron Davis

The Team Ron Page
Photos of the Lustgarten Walk Deerfield Beach, Florida - April 6th 2008

Ron's CarePage - You will need to register to view Ron's messages and postings
PanCan Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Walk in Chicago on May 3rd, 2008
- Ron Davis Family & Friends Team Page

News of the day - March 20th, 2009
National Call-In Day is Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Tuesday, March 31st is the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) Advocacy Day 2009 "National Call-In" to Congress.

Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 31 – and be prepared to spend 10 minutes placing three very important phone calls that day.

The National Call-in is an opportunity for all Pancreatic Cancer Action Network supporters from across the country to join together and with one voice to tell Congress that you support each of the more than 400 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network volunteers with whom they’ll be meeting that day. Demand their support for making pancreatic cancer research a higher national priority.

Please join us for golf, tennis and a gala at the luxurious Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club, located on the St. Lucie River. We will begin with a buffet lunch, followed by your choice of golf or tennis, and then end the day with a glamorous gala and silent auction.

When you register, you can choose from several different registration options. Sign up for golf and lunch for $110 or tennis and lunch for $75. You can also choose to attend golf and the gala for $175, or tennis and the gala for $140. You can also choose to attend just the gala for $115.

Proceeds from this event benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a non- profit organization dedicated to advancing research, supporting patients, and creating hope for those affected by this disease.

Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States, yet receives less funding per patient than other leading cancer killers. Your participation in this event will help us make a difference in the lives of the over 37,000 Americans diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year alone.

Golf, Tennis and Gala
Saturday, May 30, 2009 | 11:30 a.m.
Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club
12600 Harbour Ridge Blvd.
Palm City, FL 34990

Deborah and I have joined our local PanCan chapter. We generally meet monthly in Delray Beach at the Hagen Ranch Road Library. For more information, contact us: gardeb@webguild.com. Also, check out the blog at http://palmbeachpancan.blogspot.com/.

I first met Ron Davis in 1981. I was the new medical reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times. He was a medical student at the University of Chicago, who hoped to turn the Chicago-based American Medical Association into an anti-tobacco group.

I had just broken a story for the Sun-Times on how the AMA Physician Retirement Fund had a major investment in Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds. The AMA stood by its investment, which after all was meant to make money and not make a social statement. Davis and a precious few other physicians saw the disconnect: Here was a group claiming to protect the public health, while at the same time aiming to profit from tobacco stock. more...

A longtime public health and anti-tobacco advocate who served as president of the Chicago-based American Medical Association has died.

Dr. Ronald Davis was 52 when he died at his home outside East Lansing, Mich., Thursday. The Chicago native had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer earlier this year. As a patient, he experienced near-miss medical errors and documented his treatment on a Web site.

During a speech at the AMA's annual meeting in Chicago in June, Davis urged his fellow doctors to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer, which afflicts 37,000 Americans a year and kills 34,000.

In that speech, he also talked about legacy, saying "whether we are ill or well, we should not waste any of that time before figuring out how to leave our mark on this planet." more...

A Great Man Has Passed...

As some of you know by now, Ron passed away yesterday afternoon. We want to thank each and every one of you for your love, support and friendship throughout this extremely difficult time in all our lives. Ron truly appreciated all of your messages, as they lifted him up and made this whole process more bearable. Ron died knowing he was loved and respected by so many. On behalf of our whole family, we thank you for enriching Ron’s life. Each of you played an important role in Ron’s significant and extraordinary life, and we are grateful.

Ronald M. Davis, M.D., age 52, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his loving family, on November 6, 2008 after a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer. Ron was the beloved husband of Nadine (nee Messina), the proud father of three sons, Jared, Evan and Connor, the loving son of the late Alice Komessar (Saul) and the late George Davis (Joyce), loving son-in-law of Mae and the late Frank Messina, dear brother to 9 siblings, Gary (Deborah) Davis, Brenda (Tom) Nyquist, Lynne (Doug Tanner) Davis, Dr. Joseph (Valerie) Golbus, Abby (Eric) Hirsh, CSM David Davis, Debra (Eugene) Magier, David (Marilyn) Komessar, and Julie (Robert) Godnik, caring brother-in-law to David (Brenda) Messina and Roseanne (Shaun) Smith, and uncle to many adoring nieces and nephews.

Ron’s star shone very brightly, albeit too briefly in the medical community. He graduated medical school from the University of Chicago, where he also received a Master of Arts in Public Policy Studies. He completed a Preventive Medicine Residency Program at the U.S Center for Disease Control (CDC). Following his training, he served under Surgeon General C. Everett Koop as the Director of the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC in Rockville, Maryland. Subsequently, he served as Chief Medical Officer for the Michigan Department of Public Health, until assuming his most recent position as Director, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan.

Ron was the founding editor of Tobacco Control, an international publication of the British Medical Journal, and North American Editor of the British Medical Journal from 1998 to 2001. A prolific author, Ron wrote or co-wrote hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as an equal number of editorials and contributions in the lay press. He served as an expert witness to Congress on public health issues, issuing nearly a dozen reports and providing frequent oral testimony. A gifted educator, Ron gave countless lectures and educational seminars, dedicating his career to the service of the public, his colleagues and the next generation of physicians.

After many years of dedicated service, Ron reached the pinnacle of American medicine, being elected as President of the American Medical Association in June of 2007. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal and the Surgeon General’s Medallion, The American College of Preventive Medicine’s Distinguished Service Award, and the American Thoracic Society’s Distinguished Service Award.

While these prestigious awards and accomplishments are extraordinary, Ron’s ultimate legacy will be the strength of his character – impeccable integrity, graciousness, the highest ethical standards, a beautiful smile, respectful manner, and an intense dedication to his family and friends whom he loved so much.

Funeral services will be held at:
10:30 A.M.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Trinity Church
3355 Dunckel Rd.
Lansing, MI
Rabbi Michael Zimmerman and Pastor Royce Allen officiating

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ron’s memory may be made to the following organizations:

The American Medical Association Foundation
Ronald M. Davis, M.D. Legacy Honor Fund
515 North State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
(312) 464-4200

The endowment fund in Dr. Davis’ name will live in perpetuity, supporting the AMA Foundation’s mission to advance health care through support of programs in medical education, research and public health.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)
2141 Rosecrans Avenue
Suite 7000
El Segundo, CA 90245
www.pancan.org

PanCAN advances research, supports patients and creates hope by funding research and supporting an all volunteer network focused on community outreach programs to build awareness, as well as leading advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill to lobby for proper funding levels for pancreatic cancer research.

Ron went with sister Lynne to Detroit to attend a seminar with the intention of making a presentation. However, he came down with a major infection and went to the Henry Ford Hospital. The abdominal pain was intense and after a week or so in the hospital, he received a pump to basically flood his spinal fluid with some strong pain medicine. This made Ron's suffering managable.

I met him in the hospital and the next day (Nov. 1st), after about two weeks, Ron was transferred home to a hospice environment. By Monday, he was feeling well enough to go for a short walk in the unseasonably warm day. Nadine pushed her husband downhill for a bit and then we turned around and I pushed uphill:). Deborah and I returned home to Florida on Tuesday.

Video of Ron's speech at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates - June 18th, 2008

Well, today is Ron's 52nd birthday - Happy Birthday, Ron! Here's the video of Ron's speech from the AMA site (link above).

Even while facing his own grim cancer diagnosis, the top doctor at the American Medical Association urged his colleagues to "never take away someone's hope" in treating their patients during an emotional speech before the group's policy-making meeting in Chicago this afternoon.

Dr. Ronald Davis, 51, completes his one-year term as AMA president on Tuesday amid his own battle against pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., leading to more than 34,000 deaths each year. The AMA president is the key point person on the group's advocacy agenda each year. more...

The AMA president is making his battle against pancreatic cancer public and hopes to raise awareness about the need for more funding to research the illness.

Less than two months ago, American Medical Association President Ron Davis, MD, told the AMA Board of Trustees that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Davis, 51, is continuing to serve as president. But he has reduced his duties to focus on treatment and spend time with his family. He said he realizes that pancreatic cancer has a high death rate, but he plans to be one of the survivors. more...

Deborah and I woke up early today for the Lustgarten Foundation fo Pancreatic Cancer Research 2-mile walk in Deerfield Beach, Florida - just across the street from where we live.

Last night was thunder and lightening and it was a dreary wet morning. We arrived and it was raining as we walked up to the shelter. After checking in and milling around for a half an hour, the walk started at 8:30am. The rain had stopped and with the temperature at about 70, it turned out to be a very pleasant walk. There were about 180 people there. Click here to see some pictures

I’d like to inform all of you of a fundraising effort I’ve initiated to combat pancreatic cancer, in support of my father. The funds raised in this effort will support the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or PanCAN. Here is a description of PanCAN from its website (http://www.pancan.com):

I’ve established the “Ron Davis Family & Friends” Team for PanCAN’s PurpleStride Chicago Walk on Saturday, May 3, 2008. The 5K walk will start and end in Grant Park, just west of Shedd Aquarium near the Field Museum. After the walk, participants will enjoy entertainment and the chance to win some great prizes in an opportunity drawing. PurpleStride registration will open at the park at 8:30 am, and the walk itself will start at 10:00 am.

Those who join the Team and register online before April 19th will receive a PurpleStride Chicago t-shirt. If you have questions, see the FAQ pdf document, or send me an email (jaredda@umich.edu). Thanks, in advance, for your support!

Just wanted to let you know I had a wonderful five day visit with Ronnie, Nadine and the boys. It felt so good to be there and contribute what I could. It was very special to go to Ronnie's first chemo and be able to meet his doctor--who was very kind and compassionate. The whole medical staff was very caring and informative. Ronnie did great through the long ordeal.

Nadine and I were concerned about how Ronnie was hunching over his computer while at home sitting on the living room couch--we were able to find a cool little TV table at BBB which made a big difference in comfort --at least for Nadine and I!

Had some good ping pong games with Connor--who of course beat me. Had fun watching one of his tennis lessons--wow--he is great! Brought back memories of playing tennis with Dad and how fun it was especially since he could hit right to me--made me feel like a good tennis player..Hey why is that--I always danced and played tennis my best when it was with Dad---he knew how to make others shine....

Watched some good movies (although the scary ones I had to opt out of-Jared and Evan have a stronger stomach than I), enjoyed each others company and having time to just hang around together -- had good hugs and heart to hearts. I had been researching on the net for good healthy recipies for Ron and came up with some things that the whole family was brave enough to try......I hope those Chemo popsicles eventually got eaten. They were still in the freezer when I left. It was a tried and true favorite recipe I found that looked promising.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how brave and courageous Ron is and how strong, dedicated and loving Nadine is. The boys are standing strong together--showing up with their loving hearts--coming home--even during very packed school schedules.

We laughed together watching the first installment of the family video-what a great idea!! --Its wonderful to watch all your amazing contributions that you all are doing; family, research, PC walks for funding research, old pic sharing, Joe's Doc. Connections and help, calls, care page postings etc.--

News of the day - March 10th, 2008
DID YOU CALL CONGRESS TUESDAY, MARCH 11 TO TELL THEM TO
FUND PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH AND TO RAISE THE CURE? I DID!

Tuesday, March 11 was the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) Advocacy Day 2008 "National Call-In" to Congress.

This grassroots effort is essential to augment the message that hundreds of our advocates are taking to Washington DC on March 11th during Advocacy Day. Our advocates are personally meeting with members of Congress. We need you to reinforce the urgency and importance of more funding for pancreatic cancer research and ask Congress to support the National Plan to Advance Pancreatic Research (The Plan).

The National Call-In involved calling your 2 Senators and 1 Representative and telling them that pancreatic cancer research is vitally important to you, and that you want them to support the National Plan to Advance Pancreatic Research. Making the calls took less than 10 minutes.

1. Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest cancer: 75% of patients die within the first 12 months of diagnosis. The 5 year survival rate is less than 5%.

2. While cancer death rates have generally declined in recent years, the number of deaths from pancreatic cancer has increased. About 37,000 Americans were diagnosed in 2007 with pancreatic cancer and about 33,000 of them will die, making it the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths.

3. There are no early detection methods to find pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages and there are no effective treatment options. Symptoms often don't appear until it is too late.

4. Pancreatic cancer gets little public attention. In contrast to breast or prostate cancer, relatively few celebrities become spokespeople for pancreatic cancer. There are simply not enough survivors and most people dying of the disease, gradually become more private as their condition worsens.

5. Pancreatic cancer receives the least amount of federal research dollars among all leading cancers. National Cancer Institute devotes less than 2% of it's annual budget. Young investigators are being discouraged from pursuing careers in pancreatic cancer research.

The Team Ron Page

A Great Man Has Passed...