Austin, Texas - (March 10, 2008) - In honor of the contributions that Karen W. Teel, M.D. has made to pediatric healthcare in Austin and Central Texas, Dell Children's Medical Center Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the Karen W. Teel, M.D. Lectureship Endowment Fund.
This permanent fund will generate funds to be used each year to present nationally recognized professionals who will address pediatric healthcare providers at the annual Central Texas Pediatric Healthcare Conference that will be hosted by Dell Children's Medical Center.
The First Annual Pediatric Conference will be held on Saturday, May 17th from 7 am to 5 pm and the theme will be "Keeping Central Texas Children Well."
Drs. Phillip Berry, George Edwards, Richard Holt and John Luk have led the effort to establish the Karen W. Teel Lectureship Endowment. Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Dr. John Luk said it was an honor to be involved with such a worthy project.
"We are proud to honor Karen's lasting contributions to our pediatric community, pediatric education and the establishment of Children's Hospital of Austin and Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas."
A pediatrician who practiced from 1963 to 2006, Dr. Teel was a passionate advocate for the establishment of Children's Hospital of Austin, which opened in 1988 and served the children of 46 counties in Austin until it was replaced by Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas in July 2007. She remains committed to the highest quality healthcare for all of our young patients today and continues to work tirelessly in support of that goal.
"Karen's integrity, determination, and insistence that every child in Central Texas receive the highest level of care regardless of their family's financial circumstances has resulted in a legacy that will always be remembered", said Dell Children's Medical Center CEO Bob Bonar. "The establishment of the Karen Teel Lectureship Endowment Fund is a wonderful tribute to an outstanding pediatrician who we will always hold in the highest esteem."