Allegheny Health Network Establishes the Roe Green Endowed Chair for Aortic Disease Following Transformative $2.5 Million Gift

Candice Lee, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon to be Appointed to Endowed Chair Position with Honorary Ceremony on Tuesday

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced the establishment of the Roe Green Endowed Chair for Aortic Disease, made possible through a generous $2.5 million gift from Florida-based arts and theater philanthropist Roe Green.

Lovingly referred to as "the fairy godmother of the arts," Roe Green is known for her decades of philanthropy in culture, theater, and fine arts, as well as global health and domestic violence prevention. She has spent the majority of her life transforming communities throughout Ohio, Florida, and Colorado, but her personal experience as a patient at AHN Allegheny General Hospital inspired her commitment to advance lifesaving cardiovascular care in Western Pennsylvania.

Candice Lee, MD, a respected surgeon in the community and leader within AHN's Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, has been appointed as the inaugural chair.

AGH leaders, clinicians and staff will gather Tuesday evening for a formal ceremony celebrating the establishment of the endowed chair, and Dr. Lee's appointment to the position. Endowed chairs represent one of the highest honors in medicine, and provide dedicated financial resources to help attract, retain, and support exceptional clinical leaders and researchers.

Roe's Story:
In July 2024, Roe Green became unresponsive at her Chatauqua County, NY, home. She was transported to AHN Westfield Hospital before being transferred by LifeFlight to AHN AGH.

Roe was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition known as an aortic dissection. Aortic dissections, typically caused by an aneurysm and tear within the wall of the aorta (the body's main artery), are serious cardiac incidents. Roe suffered a "type A" dissection, which occurs closer to the heart; as many as 40% of people with an aortic dissection die instantly, and the risk of death increases by up to 4% every hour if the condition is left untreated.

Dr. Candice Lee, alongside Stephen Bailey, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and Department Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at AHN, were on call that Sunday evening and successfully performed an aortic dissection repair. Today, Roe is thriving and continuing to give back to her community.

She credits the AHN team with saving her life and inspiring her desire to give back.

"What Dr. Lee, Dr. Bailey and the entire team accomplished was nothing short of extraordinary," Green said. "They gave me my life back. This gift is my way of expressing gratitude while helping ensure that future patients continue to have access to the same level of expertise, innovation and compassionate care that I received."

Among her many initiatives, Roe is responsible for the Roe Green Center for the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State, the Roe Green Visiting Director Series for the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of Colorado, and "Green House," a domestic violence shelter in Geauga, Ohio.

Endowed Chair for Aortic Disease:
The Roe Green Endowed Chair for Aortic Disease will support clinical excellence, research, education, innovation, and physician leadership focused on the diagnosis and treatment of complex aortic conditions.

"At AHN, we are committed to advancing medical innovation and providing world-class care to the communities we serve," said Mark Sevco, president of AHN. "Endowed chairs create lasting opportunities to support and retain visionary physician leaders whose work transforms lives. We are deeply grateful to Roe Green for her extraordinary generosity and honored to recognize Dr. Candice Lee as the inaugural holder of this distinguished chair."

Dr. Lee is nationally recognized for expertise in treating some of the most complex forms of cardiovascular disease and performing highly specialized cardiac procedures, including pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). She is one of a few surgeons in the country who performs this curative procedure.

"The purpose of an endowed chair is to recognize individuals whose contributions have distinguished them among their peers and whose potential to shape the future of medicine is truly exceptional," said Stephen H. Bailey, MD, Department Chair of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. "Dr. Lee embodies those qualities through her clinical expertise, leadership and unwavering commitment to delivering the highest standards of care for our patients."

Dr. Lee said the chair will enhance AHN's ability to advance care for individuals living with aortic disease while creating new opportunities for research, education, and clinical advancement. Millions of Americans are affected by aortic disease, including conditions such as aortic stenosis (thickening of the aorta) and aortic dissection.

In many circumstances, patients often face challenging care decisions and are closely followed by cardiac specialists.

"On behalf of the entire cardiovascular team at AHN, it is a privilege to care for patients and families facing these challenging diagnoses," Dr. Lee said. "This endowment strengthens our ability to pursue innovation and expand access to lifesaving expertise while continuing to improve outcomes for patients throughout our region and beyond. Roe's generosity is a powerful reminder of how philanthropy can advance innovation, expand access to care, and improve the lives of patients for generations to come."

SOURCE Allegheny Health Network