DR. SCOTT RIFKIN AND FRANCES RIFKIN PLEDGE $5.7 MILLION TO JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AND JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTH SYSTEM

Gift to support the Department of Neurology's Spine Oncology Program

BALTIMORE, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Founder of Real Time Medical Systems, Provider Partners Health Plans, Mid-Atlantic Healthcare, and long-time healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Scott Rifkin and his wife Frances Rifkin, R.N. today pledged $5.7 million to The Johns Hopkins University and The Johns Hopkins Health System to support research and treatment in the institution's Neurology Spine Oncology program. 

The gift, to be paid in full by June 30, 2024, is personal to Dr. and Mrs. Rifkin as a close family member has and continues to be treated in this program led by Dr. Nicholas Theodore, director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosurgical Spine Center with whom they now have a close relationship. The first $2.4 million dollars was remitted last week.

The capital funding portion of this gift at $2.3 million is earmarked for equipment for Dr. Theodore's lab located at Johns Hopkins Bayview, a part of the Johns Hopkins Health System. This equipment will be used in whole or in part for clinical patient care and/or research at the University. The balance of the gift of $3.4 million is designated for the University.

Dr. Theodore is a nationally recognized expert in brain and spinal cord injury, minimally invasive spine surgeries and robotics. He has written or co-authored 60 book chapters, over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles and is co-holder of 30 patents for medical devices and procedures. His research focuses on trauma, spinal cord injuries, robotics, and developing an understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of spinal diseases. Dr. Theodore treats patients with a variety of spinal disorders including trauma, Chiari malformations, spinal deformities, degenerative spine conditions and spinal cord tumors.

"I am deeply appreciative for the generous gift provided by Dr. Scott Rifkin and Frances Rifkin to support our efforts at Johns Hopkins Neurosurgery in making significant advances in spinal oncology," said Dr. Theodore. "Along with my colleague Dr. Daniel Lubelski we will be launching a robust research effort that will include imaging, robotics, radiation, digital phenotyping, development of bio-markers and ultimately novel chemotherapies. This gift will transform our ability to make inroads on many fronts and I look forward to our partnership," he added.

"Dr. Theodore's research and compassion has been integral in helping our family navigate serious medical issues, said Dr. Rifkin. "I am so grateful for his groundbreaking work in spinal disorders and honored that Fran and I can support his work with a significant gift that will continue to help move his research and treatments forward making a difference for patients today and well into the future," he added.

Dr. Scott Rifkin, an Internist who practiced for twenty years in Owings Mills, has spent his decades-long career focused on improving the health of vulnerable seniors in skilled nursing facilitates as the founder of Real Time Medical Systems and Provider Partners Health Plans. He is the former CEO of Mid- Atlantic Healthcare. Frances, a Registered Nurse, is committed to various animal welfare efforts.

Real Time's suite of Interventional Analytics solutions enables long-term and post-acute care facilities to seamlessly collaborate with their partner hospitals, health systems, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and managed care plans to improve care, reduce costs, and achieve a level of interoperability.

Provider Partners Health Plans (PPHP) is a Medicare Advantage HMO plan for individuals enrolled in Medicare who reside in long-term care facilities. In partnership with local care teams, PPHP provides improved and more coordinated care that keeps members healthier.

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SOURCE Mid-Atlantic Healthcare