Ophthalmologist Shares Vision for Giving

By Danette Baker for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | July 13, 2009

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J. Avery Rush III, M.D., says his philanthropic spirit came from the example exhibited by his parents, who were altruistic leaders in Amarillo. Their emphasis on putting community first, inspired him to invest in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Rush’s gift in 2006 established The Mrs. J Avery “Janie” Rush Endowed Chair of Excellence at the School of Medicine at Amarillo. Dedicated to his mother, an ovarian cancer survivor, the chair position supports research and patient care in women’s health and oncology.

The impact ovarian cancer had on his family and others, Rush says, encouraged a personal responsibility to support efforts to improve women’s health. Rush has a sister who is battling the disease as well as a daughter and granddaughter that could be potentially affected.

Rush shares the School of Medicine’s vision of becoming a key force in improving women’s health and is excited about the ensuing possibilities in research and treatments that will come from the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health.

Amarillo gynecologic oncologist Rusty Robinson, M.D., was named to the chair position in 2008 . Robinson, a National Institutes of Health-funded researcher, has written and published on a variety of medical topics pertaining to obstetrics and gynecology and the treatment of the female patient. He will lead research efforts in breast, ovarian and other gynecologic malignancies.

“We have excellent teachers, excellent students and excellent health professionals,” said Robinson. “Now is the time to develop excellence in research. This is a perfect way to get the ball rolling.”