Bartolucci family supporting endocrinology, Medical School education

Dr. Enrico and Suzanne Bartolucci

By Erin Prather Stafford

For Dr. Enrico Bartolucci, whose own medical practice is dedicated to dental implantology and periodontics, it was a personal experience that piqued his interest in endocrine surgery. After having undergone a thyroidectomy, Dr. Bartolucci gained a firsthand appreciation for the complexity of the endocrine system and how skillful specialists can greatly minimize the impact surgery has on patients like him.

Motivated by a desire to assist future generations of endocrine surgeons, he, his wife Suzanne, and their children have given $100,000 to create the Enrico G. Bartolucci, M.D. Lectureship in Endocrine Surgery.

“A great city like Dallas deserves this great Medical Center,” Dr. Bartolucci said. “My family and I believe in championing medical research and teaching initiatives, especially when it helps bring an even higher level of expertise to this city and supports UT Southwestern’s objective to be among the best medical centers in the world.”

The endocrine system’s organs (the thyroid, pancreas, parathyroid, and adrenal glands) produce and regulate many of the hormones that help the body function day to day. UT Southwestern is home to one of the largest groups of endocrine surgeons in the country who are dedicated to offering leading-edge treatments for disorders and tumors that affect these organs, as well as neuroendocrine diseases of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract. This includes specialized expertise in groundbreaking treatments for complex thyroid and parathyroid cancers.

“The Bartolucci family’s generosity will play a vital role in making it possible for UT Southwestern to educate the next generation of physicians, while also enhancing the Medical Center’s ability to recruit some of the most brilliant minds in medicine to our faculty,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern. “By empowering innovative teaching and training opportunities for our students, residents, and fellows, these gifts inspire great achievement and help UT Southwestern continue to shape the field of medical science.”

Endocrine surgery has deep roots on campus. One key figure was Dr. William H. “Bill” Snyder III (1936-2010), a pioneering and highly respected surgeon who was known affectionately as “the ultimate surgeon.” Dr. Snyder, who joined the UTSW faculty in 1971, spent his entire career – nearly 40 years – at UT Southwestern and was instrumental in establishing the Department of Surgery’s reputation as one of the elite academic surgical departments in the U.S. He and his colleagues pioneered advances in endocrine surgery and founded the Medical Center’s endocrine surgery program. In 2006, Dr. Snyder was selected as the Master of the Edward H. Cary College, one of six colleges at UTSW designed to bring together medical students and faculty to study and emulate the clinical skills, professionalism, and other attributes of a premier physician.

To recognize Dr. Snyder and as part of their support for UT Southwestern, the Bartolucci family has also donated $100,000 to fund the Dr. William H. Snyder III Endocrine Surgery Fellowship.

“It’s difficult to articulate how much Dr. Snyder meant to UT Southwestern and the many students he trained,” said Dr. Alan Dackiw, Professor of Surgery in the Division of General Surgery and a world-renowned expert in endocrine surgery and surgical oncology. “All of us who knew Dr. Snyder are so appreciative of this wonderful gift, which honors the life and legacy of a beloved professor who set high standards both for superb technique and compassionate patient care.”

Said Dr. Bartolucci, “I hope new medical students pursuing the subspecialty of endocrine surgery will be inspired by Dr. Snyder’s example and follow in his footsteps.”

Additionally, the Bartolucci family gave $60,000 to the Jay Simmons Scholarship Fund. Established to honor Mrs. Bartolucci’s father, the fund helps UT Southwestern medical students achieve their dreams of becoming physicians.

Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.