6/1/2009

Doctors Kleinert and Kutz Honored with Giant Photomurals on Downtown Jewish Hospital Medical Campus

The legacy created by two world-renowned hand surgeons, Harold E. Kleinert M.D., and Joseph E. Kutz, M.D., has been recognized by the Hometown Hero program with giant murals.  The new murals were hung over the weekend on the north wall of the Jewish Hospital Heart & Lung Building located at the corner of Abraham Flexner Way and Brook Street.  Images of Drs. Kleinert and Kutz can be seen by Louisville residents, business visitors, tourists and others passing through the city heading south on I-65.

“Our residents can be proud of the fact that we have world-class hand care right here in Louisville,” says Martin Bonick, president/CEO, Jewish Hospital.  People travel the globe to come to Louisville to receive hand care from the hand surgeons of Kleinert Kutz & Associates, a hand clinic begun by Drs. Kleinert and Kutz.  These two legends in medical care are part of what makes Louisville a world class city.”

“Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare is proud to have shared a close and enduring relationship with Drs. Kleinert and Kutz that dates back to1953,” says Bob Shircliff, JHSMH president/CEO.  “We are honored to be chosen as the site for the murals to hang.  They are internationally acclaimed and their pioneering techniques in hand and microsurgery have made a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of patients and many other surgeons around the world.  We are so grateful that more than fifty years ago, they both decided to set up their practice here in Louisville. Their reputations for leading-edge hand surgery set them apart from their peers.”

“Both Drs. Kleinert and Kutz have contributed to the world in the field of medicine and particularly hand and microsurgery, by teaching and training over 1200 surgeons from 57 foreign countries and every state in the U.S. over the past 56 years, thus helping the city of Louisville to be a special place in the eyes of the medical world,” said Tom Wolff, hand surgeon with Kleinert Kutz & Associates Hand Care Center.

“I appreciate this recognition from my colleagues, Jewish Hospital, the University of Louisville and the City of Louisville,” said Dr. Kleinert. “Since I arrived in Louisville 56 years ago, their assistance has greatly contributed to the improvements and accomplishments that have been made in hand surgery procedures and the training of hand surgeons from around the world. Young and older surgeons have come to Louisville with new ideas and new thoughts regarding upper extremity surgery.  The Christine M. Kleinert Institute and the Kleinert Kutz practice became recognized as a premier place in the world for hand training and research, and more importantly as a place for learning opportunities in hand and microsurgery.”

Dr. Kutz also felt honored with the mural.  He said, “I am greatly honored to be recognized as an equal to the others depicted on the banners -- Diane Sawyer, Muhammad Ali, Tori Murden, Darrell Griffith, Pat Day, Mary T. Meagher, Pee Wee Reese and Paul Horning.  I have always felt that my life purpose was to give my best to the community to improve its healthcare.  I never really expected to be rewarded in such an honorable way.  Again, thank you for this great tribute.”

“Drs. Kleinert and Kutz exemplify what the Hometown Hero program is all about,” said Dan Hartlage of The Louisville Pride Foundation, which oversees the Hometown Hero program.  “As true pioneers in their field, the impact of these two Louisvillians has been felt throughout the world.”

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About Drs. Harold E. Kleinert and Joseph E. Kutz
Drs. Kleinert and Kutz have designed microsurgical instruments and techniques, been honored many times for his pioneering achievements and each have written articles for more than 200 scientific publications. Both hand surgeons have spent their lives improving hand care.

After graduating from Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia and serving an internship and residency at Grace Hospital in Detroit, Dr. Kleinert came to the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1953, where he opened a hand clinic in the old Louisville General Hospital that became the University’s Hand Clinic for the comprehensive care of hand patients. He nurtured his interest in research by setting up a new lab in what had been the coal storage area in the former UofL Medical School building. In 1960, he created the Christine M. Kleinert Fellowship Program, known worldwide for research and education in upper extremity care and microsurgery. Since that time, more than 1,200 hand fellows from 57 countries around the world have been trained at the Kleinert Institute.

Dr. Kutz graduated from University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, followed by a one-year internship in 1958 at Springfield City Hospital in Springfield, Ohio, and then a residency from 1959-63 at the old Louisville General Hospital.  He became a Kleinert Fellow in 1963 and was Dr. Kleinert’s first partner in 1964.  Dr. Kutz has held a number of leadership roles both at U of L School of Medicine and Jewish Hospital, along with a number of national and international hand societies. 

About the Hometown Hero Initiative
The Hometown Hero initiative is implemented by The Louisville Pride Foundation, a not-for-profit organization of business and community leaders dedicated to building civic pride and enhancing the city’s image among residents and visitors to the community.  The initiative consists of recognizing hometown heroes with giant, publicly displayed murals.

About Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare
Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare (JHSMH) is a regional health network that includes more than 70 health care facilities and 1,900 patient beds in Kentucky and southern Indiana.  JHSMH provides a complete array of health care services including hospitals, outpatient care, occupational health, psychiatric care and rehab medicine. JHSMH also provides innovative home health care and specialty programs promoting the highest quality of life to families in Kentucky and southern Indiana and has been nationally ranked in the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified agency providers. JHSMH has 8,300 team members and employs a network of physician practices that provide both primary and specialty medical care.

Images
Kleinert Kutz Photomural	Kleinert Kutz Photomural