The Virginia Brooks Jefferson Award is given in recognition of an individual, group, corporation or foundation whose outstanding volunteer leadership supports Versiti’s mission to advance patient care by providing life-saving solutions grounded in unparalleled medical expertise.
2024 Virginia Brooks Jefferson Award Recipient: Gilbert C. White II, MD
Gilbert C. White II, MD, joined Versiti Blood Research Institute (VBRI) in 2004, serving as a senior investigator, Richard H. and Sara E. Aster Chair for Medical Research, and executive vice president and chief scientific officer. His research focused on understanding the signaling pathways that affect platelets, with a goal of controlling vascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.
During Dr. White’s tenure, VBRI tripled its number of investigators, more than doubled direct research expenditures, doubled research space, more than doubled its number of post-doctoral fellows and graduate students, and more than tripled income from intellectual property. He was also committed to supporting the next generation of scientists, mentoring more than 60 students, fellows and investigators before retiring in 2019.
2023 Recipient: Jackie Fredrick
Jackie Fredrick began her career in blood health at the Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, now Versiti, and was appointed its fourth CEO in 2001. For more than 15 years, she guided the organization through unprecedented growth and foresaw the changes that swept across health care during the economic downturn. Jackie retired in 2016 but continues to support Versiti’s lifesaving mission, including through a named scholarship that benefits graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
This award is given to a recipient who has persevered and displayed hope as well as gratitude, through a difficult and challenging blood disease. Join us in celebrating strength and resiliency.
2024 Imagine Award Recipient: Mary Ferguson
The summer after her first year in the counseling psychology PhD program at Indiana University, Mary Ferguson had a major stroke. Fortunately, her neurologist took the time to test Mary’s blood for autoimmune factors. This insight led to Mary’s diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, a clotting disorder that is often associated with lupus.
Mary has been under the care of the Versiti hematology team since 2019, when she found herself in the midst of an APS flare, called catastrophic APS. During this time, Mary requested a hematology consult and Versiti’s Lisa Baumann Kreuziger, MD, MS, was on call. Thanks to her experience and knowledge, Dr. Baumann figured out what was going on and recommended a lifesaving course of treatment.
Mary, her family and her friends are all grateful for the research and support of Versiti clinicians.
2023 Recipient: Elise Goebel
As a teenager, Elise was diagnosed with severe factor VII deficiency, a rare bleeding disorder that affects the blood’s ability to clot. She receives medical care at Versiti Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders, which taught her how to self-infuse the factor VII replacement her blood lacks.
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