Interstitial Cystitis Community Loses Beloved Doctor and Advocate

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Apr 15, 2011, 10:01 ET

Fund Established to Commemorate His Important Work

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On April 13, 2011, the interstitial cystitis (IC) community lost a beloved and compassionate clinician, researcher, and supporter, Daniel Brookoff, MD, PhD. Dr. Brookoff had been a member of the Interstitial Cystitis Association's (ICA) Medical Advisory Board for many years.

He received his MD and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, where he also completed his residency in medicine and a fellowship in medical oncology. When he discovered IC patients had pain management needs as great as many of his cancer patients, he began dedicating much of his practice to IC care. At a time when many doctors doubted that IC was a real condition and were often unwilling to manage IC patients' pain, Dr. Brookoff believed them, treated their pain, and gave them hope. Thus began his relationship with the ICA.

"If your patient's on fire, you've got to run into the fire, not away from it," he often said. His patients' dedication to him and the sacrifices he made to take care of them demonstrated he lived by that code. Dr. Brookoff played a major role in establishing a Memphis clinic for AIDS patients when few others would treat them. When the Comprehensive Pain Institute at Methodist Hospitals in Memphis, Tennessee, was closed because Dr. Brookoff's IC pain practice was not considered financially viable, he went to Colorado to establish another, sacrificing precious family time to ensure IC patients in the worst pain would be treated.

Not only a clinician, Dr. Brookoff authored numerous papers and textbook chapters on pain management and helped develop new pain management devices and techniques. With his knowledge of cutting-edge pain research and his creativity in finding helpful solutions for IC patients, he inspired many articles in the ICA's quarterly patient magazine, the ICA Update, and provided useful information for its website.

Dr. Brookoff is survived by his wife, Jill, and two daughters, who reside in Memphis, TN. Services will be held on Monday, April 18, 10:30 am at the Temple Israel Cemetery, Levy-Cooper Chapel. The family has established a fund for an ICA Dan Brookoff Memorial Pain Management Forum in memory of the important work he did. Donations can be made at www.ichelp.org/DanBrookoffMemorial or mailed to: ICA, 100 Park Avenue, Suite 108A, Rockville, MD 20850.

About the Interstitial Cystitis Association

The Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA) is the only nonprofit health association dedicated solely to improving the quality of healthcare and lives of people living with IC. The ICA provides advocacy, research funding, and education to ensure early diagnosis and optimal care with dignity for people affected by IC. Together, we will achieve our mission of Conquering IC and Changing Lives!

To learn more about IC, successful treatment techniques, and the latest research, visit www.ichelp.org.

SOURCE Interstitial Cystitis Association