New York Organ Donor Network Names New Board Officers and Members

Rocco Andriola , Esq. is the Organ Procurement Organization's First Non-Physician Chairperson

New York , NY , March 2, 2004 : The New York Organ Donor Network has named four new officers of the board of directors for 2004.

Rocco F. Andriola , Esq. will serve as chairperson of the Donor Network's board of directors until December 2005. Mr. Andriola , a managing director at Lehman Brothers, Inc. in Manhattan , has the distinction of being the Donor Network's first non-physician chairperson since its inception in 1978. He replaces Lewis Teperman , M.D. , director of transplantation at NYU Medical Center , who will hold the title of past chairperson until his term ends. Mr. Andriola 's life was personally touched by donation and transplantation more than 15 years ago when his father received a new liver at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Dale Distant , M.D. is the vice chairperson. Dr. Distant , who was previously the board secretary, is the director of transplantation at SUNY Downstate Medical Center .

Tim Ettenheim has been reappointed to the board and will serve as secretary. Mr. Ettenheim is the associate dean of the Milano Graduate School at The New School University in Manhattan .

Peter Hutchings is board treasurer. A retired chief financial officer from Guardian Life, Mr. Hutchings first joined the board a year ago. He replaces Joseph White, who is stepping down from the board due to term limits.

Joseph Fins, M.D., F.A.C.P.	Robert Markowitz	Thanjavur Ravikumar, M.D., F.A.C.S.

The following new board members have also been appointed by the New York Organ Donor Network: Joseph Fins, M.D., FACP, the chief of the division of medical ethics, and associate professor of medicine, public health and medicine in psychiatry, at New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York Weill Cornell Medical Center; Wilbur Levin , the clerk for Kings County (Brooklyn), was reappointed to the board; Robert Markowitz , president emeritus of FOJP Service Corporation in Manhattan; Todd Semon , a private investor in Norwood, New Jersey; and Thanjavur Ravikumar, M.D., FACS , professor and university chairman at Montefiore Medical Center.

Besides Joseph White, the following board members are stepping down due to term limits: Catherine Manley-Cullen , executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Westchester Medical Center; Lorraine Egan , executive director of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation in Manhattan; Anita Principe , administrative director of transplant services at Montefiore Medical Center; Richard Roth , CNN senior United Nations correspondent; and William Stubenbord , M.D., chief of the division of transplantation at New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York Weill Cornell Campus. Both Ms. Principe and Dr. Stubenbord are joining the Donor Network's medical board.

Sadly, another member of the board, Rhoda Blicht , passed away late last year.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ¨ Contact: Martin Woolf (212) 870-3960; mwoolf@nyodn.org