Endeavor Health proudly announced the appointment of three distinguished physicians as new endowed chair holders, recognizing their exceptional contributions to medicine and the community.
Funded through contributions to the NorthShore Hospitals Foundation, Part of Endeavor Health, endowed chairs further enhance Endeavor Health’s ability to deliver world-class care, promote continuous education and conduct groundbreaking research across multiple disciplines.
“These appointments represent a significant milestone for Endeavor Health,” said J.P. Gallagher, President and CEO of Endeavor Health. “The generous support from visionary donors like the Pepper Family Foundation allows us to attract and retain top-tier medical professionals like Drs. Pursnani, Pesce and Sohlkhah, who are not only leaders in their clinical fields but also deeply committed to mentoring colleagues in their academic and clinical careers and to advancing the well-being of our patients and their families. These newest endowed chair holders will have a lasting impact on the future of medicine at Endeavor Health and well beyond,” he continued.
Meet the new chairs
Amit Pursnani, MD, MSc, is the inaugural holder of the Pepper Family Foundation Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Excellence and Education. He is Director of the Endeavor Health Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship launched in 2016 and the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Fellowship launched in 2023. He completed fellowships in cardiovascular disease and echocardiography at New York University and a fellowship in advanced cardiac imaging at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital. He earned his medical degree at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and completed his residency at University of Chicago Hospitals. He also earned a Master of Science degree in clinical epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Pepper Family Foundation — longtime philanthropists in the greater Chicago community — have generously funded Endeavor Health’s 40th and newest endowed chair to support the system’s continued pursuit of excellence, particularly training specialists in all facets of cardiovascular medicine and research.
Catherine Pesce, MD, has been named to the Board of Directors/David P. Winchester, MD, Endowed Chair of Surgical Oncology. An accomplished breast cancer surgeon, Dr. Pesce has taken Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals’ breast surgery program to a nationally recognized level and serves as Division Chief of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Pesce completed a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center after fulfilling her general surgery residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and earning her medical degree at Rush Medical College. Dr. Pesce also personally developed a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Endeavor Health jointly with The University of Chicago and serves as Program Director of the fellowship. The chair honors the legacy of Dr. Winchester, an earlier leader in the field within the system, and was funded primarily by an anonymous donor.
Ramon Solhkhah, MD, MBA, an esteemed expert in mental health and the Endeavor Health Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, has been named to the Board of Directors Endowed Chair of Psychiatry. Dr. Solhkhah was recruited in 2023 and brings an innovative and compassionate approach to psychiatric care, addressing the growing need for mental health services in the community. He is a quadruple board-certified physician in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine. He earned his medical degree from New York Medical College, then completed residencies at Mount Sinai Medical Center and the Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and Massachusetts General and McLean Hospitals (Harvard Medical School). He earned his MBA at Monmouth University Leon Hess School of Business. The endowed chair was funded by the health system through unrestricted philanthropic contributions.
The NorthShore Hospitals Foundation and Endeavor Health leaders are grateful to the Pepper Family Foundation and other endowed chair donors for their unwavering support and dedication to advancing healthcare in our own communities and throughout the system.
These efforts would not be possible without philanthropic support. We are powered by the generosity of donors who directly impact our ability to deliver on our commitment to community-connected care.
Read more about Endeavor Health’s endowed chairs here.
Masthead Photo (left to right): Ramon Solhkhah, MD, MBA, Board of Directors Endowed Chair of Psychiatry; Catherine E. Pesce, MD, Board of Directors/David P. Winchester, MD, Endowed Chair of Surgical Oncology; Amit K. Pursnani, MD, Pepper Family Foundation Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Excellence and Education (Inaugural)
Photo credit: Jon Hillenbrand
