Physician creates a legacy of leadership with $1.5 million gift to establish endowed chair

Kathleen Yaremchuk, M.D., is no stranger to being a leader in her field. She was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Henry Ford Medical Group’s Board of Governors, the 2020 recipient of the Women in Otolaryngology Helen F. Krause, M.D., Trailblazer Award, and served as the President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. And that’s all just in the last few years.

Dr. Yaremchuk is board-certified in both sleep medicine and otolaryngology. She credits another trailblazer in otolaryngology at Henry Ford – Shiro Fujita, M.D., who pioneered a surgical approach, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, to treat patients with sleep apnea – for her pursuit of the certification.

“I decided to honor the legacy that was started here at Henry Ford and go through the board certification,” Dr. Yaremchuk said.

While her own legacy is studded with many accomplishments over the course of her storied career, one particular accolade sticks out to Dr. Yaremchuk: being named the Henry Ford Medical Group’s Chair of Otolaryngology.

“At the time, there were 105 departments of otolaryngology [nationwide] – there were only five women that were chairs,” she recalled. “I think now we’re up to nine. I’ve been very involved in gender equity in surgical specialties and otolaryngology.”

Much of Dr. Yaremchuk’s career has been dedicated to making the medical field more inclusive to better serve a diverse patient base – a commitment that is evidenced by her published research that aims to identify and reduce inequities in the field of otolaryngology and patient care.

Her most recent endeavor is a $1.5 million gift to establish the Kathleen Yaremchuk, M.D., Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Research. The fund will be used to support translational research that advances patient care and to teach the next generation of physicians – reinforcing the Department of Otolaryngology’s long tradition of innovation and education.

Of the motivation behind making this remarkable gift, Dr. Yaremchuk said, “Henry Ford has been my life. I’ve been here for years, and I believe in the way we treat patients, and the opportunity for our providers – for a physician – to make a difference.”

In addition to research, the fund will aid in recruitment, retention, and mentoring within the Department of Otolaryngology. Dr. Yaremchuk envisions the endowed chair offering the best and brightest in the field an opportunity to make a change in the way treatment is delivered – personalizing the care patients receive and improving outcomes.

“I think it’s so important for individuals to recognize the value of philanthropy,” Dr. Yaremchuk said. “And we often look to our patients to be the donors, but I think for many of the physicians and the people that have worked in this institution, they have the opportunity to pay it forward.”

Dr. Yaremchuk hopes that her colleagues feel the same philanthropic urge to develop research-driven innovations and improve patient care. She said, “Everybody needs to pay it forward.”