Family-Inspired Fund to Support Gastroenterology and Hepatology Training
Since she was a young child, Lisa Gangarosa, MD, knew she wanted to become a doctor. With the support of her parents, that dream became a reality.
Today, Dr. Gangarosa is honoring them by establishing the Gangarosa Family Gastroenterology and Hepatology Endowment Fund to support the training and continued education of young faculty and fellows in the UNC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Dr. Gangarosa’s parents, Edward C. and Ellen Barter Gangarosa, ran a tavern in Rochester, New York. Her father, a first generation American whose parents immigrated from Sicily, began working in junior high to help support his family. Her mother taught high school math before leaving the profession to raise their three children, later returning to teaching at a nearby college after all three had gone on to college.
Growing up, Dr. Gangarosa helped at the family tavern, working as a cook, server and bartender, but her parents always emphasized education as the path forward.
“I think in part because my dad hadn’t gone to college, he felt education was very important, as did my mom,” Dr. Gangarosa said. “So, it was expected that we would go to college. I never doubted how proud my dad was of me because he would tell all his customers how well I was doing and they in turn let me know that.”
Her $100,000 gift, made in honor of her parents, will support junior faculty and fellows seeking additional training opportunities outside UNC. Early-career physicians often face financial pressures from things like student loans and the expenses associated with starting families, making it difficult to pursue supplemental training.
Dr. Gangarosa said funding young faculty acquiring new skills and bringing them back to UNC benefits both their careers and their patients.
“We all want to be the most skilled and at the forefront of what we can offer,” Dr. Gangarosa said. “Any additional training that could enhance that expertise is worthwhile.”
Several of Dr. Gangarosa’s UNC GI colleagues recently participated in training on trans-abdominal ultrasound for inflammatory bowel disease, a technique widely used in Europe but still emerging in the United States. Opportunities like this allow physicians to bring new innovations back to their patients, and her fund ensures others can do the same.
“Keeping us on the cutting edge and enhancing our expertise will ultimately help our patients,” she said.
The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology treats patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux, pancreaticobiliary disorders, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and acute and chronic liver diseases. The division treats more than 50,000 patients each year at UNC Health while also supporting basic research and training the next generation of clinicians.
Millie Long, MD, MPH, chief of the division, said Dr. Gangarosa’s gift will have a meaningful impact on early-career faculty.
“Providing support for innovative training and opportunities at this integral time period sets these individuals up for success in their careers,” Dr. Long said.
Faculty gifts like Dr. Gangarosa’s play an important role in advancing UNC’s mission. By investing in training and education, faculty help ensure the institution continues to provide exceptional care for patients while preparing future leaders in medicine.
“The fact that current and former faculty members choose to invest in the future of UNC GI speaks to what a special place this is,” Dr. Long said. “Our faculty are extremely committed to providing the best training possible for the next generation of physicians.”
To learn more about supporting the UNC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology or to make a gift, contact Meghan Hauser, Director of Development, UNC Health Foundation, at [email protected], or visit unchf.org/GangarosaFamily.
