MICHAEL BLACKSTONE Obituary

BLACKSTONE--Dr. Michael Oliver. Dr. Michael O. Blackstone, an acclaimed University of Chicago gastroenterologist and textbook author, died in New York City on March 7, 2022. He was 81. Blackstone grew up in Englewood, NJ, the son of drugstore owners who would later run a wholesale cosmetic business. His medical career took him first to Germany, where he was stationed during a tour of duty during the Vietnam War. In 1974, he went to Chicago and remained a professor in the department of medicine for nearly thirty years. In 1984, he published Endoscopic Interpretation: Normal and Pathologic Appearances of the Gastrointestinal Tract. The volume is considered the definitive reference on the techniques and procedures of endoscopy. He returned to the East Coast in 2020, ultimately settling in Manhattan. Here he loved walking along the East River, eating French food, particularly stinky cheese, using the Metropolitan Opera's Met Player on his iPad, and reading political nonfiction and Shakespeare's canon. Blackstone is survived by a daughter, Maya, a CNN producer; a son, Charles, a novelist and deputy chief of staff to New York City Mayor Eric Adams's department of homeless services, and his wife Caroline, a senior vice president at healthcare marketing agency Calcium in Philadelphia; another daughter, Elissa, a grant writer based in Austin, Texas; and Anita Pomerance, an attorney, his beloved companion. He was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Projansky; his brother, Gerald Blackstone; and his parents, Helen and Daniel Blackstone.

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Published by New York Times on Mar. 20, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for MICHAEL BLACKSTONE

10 Entries

Virgil Moore

June 19, 2024

Doctor black diagnosed me with acid reflux when I was 20 years old in 1991. He was one of my favorite doctors. He took good care of me. He treated my mother to for Gerd. I will miss Doctor Blackstone. Excellent Doctor. He was my doc from 1991 until 2003! Love you Doctor Blackstone. I know God has a Angel!

Stephen F Deutsch MD

April 2, 2022

I will so miss this amazing character. I first met Dr. Blackstone in 1978 as an Intern at the University of Chicago. We were very close over the next 6 years as I completed internship, residency, GI fellowship, and one year as an attending physician. I was blessed with both a professional and personal relationship with this unigue gentleman; a time to this day that has been truly cherished and meaningful to me, my career and in turn to my patients. "MOB" or "Stone" as I called him was brilliant, dedicated, and idiosyncratic. Think hybrid of Professor Irwin Corey and Albert Einstein.

Before computers and online files, he maintained what he called "The Brain" - an extensive array of file cabinets filled with relevant scholarly medical articles either manually ripped out of journals or sent to him by the original author. He was indeed a role model. I copied his obsessive-compulsive nature in creating my own "Brain Met." Others later named his Brain "evidence-based medicine."

I was blessed to be able to work with him closely on his definitive textbook at the time - Endoscopic Interpetation: Normal and Pathologic Appearances of the Gastrointestinal Tract. I did get the privilege of being a frequent contributor to the photodocumention component of the book and serving as a proofreader. I thought I did a pretty good job, but I never forgave him for not sharing with me in advance the Acknowledgement section. There my name was blended with the famous Dr. Stephen Hanauer´s name into Stephen B. Hanauer F. Deutsch. I forever teased him about this. I loved that he dedicated the book to his parents and quoted his father´s most important lesson of all - "Lasting success..... doesn´t just happen; it comes through hard work." This endeavor was indeed a true labor of love for Stone and a serious comprehensive intellectual undertaking. He was concerned in particular about "reflecting a critical attitude, especially when dealing with (endoscopic) appearances which have an uncertain significance." He was focused on precise descriptive terminology and correlating the endoscopist´s findings with the histologic evidence and in turn applying that interpretation in a thoughtful manner to the patient´s clinical situation.

MOB was also the lead author on a landmark breakthrough article "Dysplasia-associated lesion or mass detected by colonoscopy in long-standing UC." Attention to this issue no doubt helped save countless lives over the course of decades.

With regard to EGDs, my teacher also always warned me about not going into the "Fellows Area" - the third part of the duodenum. He told us there was little gained by doing so and he did not want any of us to reduplicate the famous "Driscoll Maneuver" in which the scope was tied into a knot!

With regard to ERCP, he was again decades ahead of his time, knowing how important it was to keep the duodenoscopes and their orifices meticulously clean. Fellows were made to even come in on weekends for MOB´s specific step-by-step methodology to disinfect and wrap the scopes up with 4x4s and rubber bands such that all channels were kept sterile.

He was so focused on and passionate about diagnostic criteria more so than therapeutic interventions. I was fortunate however that he encouraged my desire to be more adventurous and begin to delve into the therapeutic world. He allowed me the freedom to go see Jerry Siegel, subsequently perform the first 20 sphincterotomies at the University of Chicago and designate himself as my attending for such even though he was averse to the idea. The first handful of cases were tolerable for him, but after my first " zipper" effect with the old 40 mm wire, his face did turn ashen. That did not help his appreciation of endoscopic therapeutics.

Nevertheless, again with his backing, he then also allowed me the opportunity to perform the first 20 PEGS at the University, in conjunction with Ed Kaplan, when I literally constructed the tubes myself by cutting up Foley catheters, before there were ever commercial kits available.

"Unbelievable." Stone´s most often used word. I have had this single word inscribed in a picture frame that I have proudly displayed and kept in my personal library ever since to honor and remember him. He used that word often during endoscopic procedures to express his frustration with me, my colleagues and/or the support staff, including his loyal secretary Birdie Gold and cytotechnician Leroy Cockerham. He always maintained high standards and liked things done his way. He demonstrated unbelievable patience in dealing with his hordes of chronic pain patients. We shared a passion for meticulous quality care for our patients.

His enthusiasm for Endoscopy and the joys of life outside the work environment was contagious. There were many weekend dinners together with Michael and Barbara, fellows and nurses, lots of wine and often French food. L´Escargot at the Allerton Hotel was his favorite restaurant back in the day. We really did save his life one night after too much alcohol and some pasta aspiration. We were literally later walking him arm-in-arm around the block repeatedly on a cold Chicago winter night. He forever remained foggy about that event.

In the olden days as my grandchildren call them, we could safely go to our teachers´s homes. I did get to witness his children using their Dad´s teachings as to how to handle after hours direct calls from patients at home. MOB refused to be the one to answer them. He had his children instead pick up the phone, and before the patient could even speak, simply say "Go to the Emergency Room." He very much cherished you Charles and Elissa for this and of course for so many other reasons.

Stone provided so many laughs for all of us. That was a treasure of such importance at a time when life could be so serious. He gave us perspective on life. We literally saw eye-to-eye. I so enjoyed his tutelage. I so often thanked him for helping make me the thinking thorough caring clinician I strove to be. He was a confidant. MOB you will never be forgotten. I miss you so. My most sincere condolences to all your friends and family.

Themos Dassopoulos

March 29, 2022

Dr. Blackstone was a magnificent teacher with encyclopedic knowledge. I credit him with teaching me how to explain abdominal pain and constipation to patients, and thus relieving me of the fear that gripped me when I saw such patients early in my fellowship. I recall walking into his office with questions. He would answer me and refer me to articles(s) that he would locate immediately among the numerous paper stacks in his office. His Endoscopy textbook was an invaluable aide to my training. Beyond Medicine, he was able to discuss any topic in the Humanities. We will miss him.

William Fiedelman, MD

March 28, 2022

Dr. Blackstone was a classmate of mine at NY Medical College, Class of '65. He was quite the character as a medical student. I lost touch with him after graduation and was saddened to hear of his passing. His family should be comforted
by his many contributions to gastroenterology, about which I just learned. RIP.

Shu-Yuan Xiao

March 25, 2022

Interesting how some things stay in our memory forever. During my first year of residency many centuries ago, I presented a case at the Medicine M&M conference on ischemic bowel necrosis due to polyarteritis nodosa. I still vividly remember Dr. Blackstone in one of the front row seats. He asked a few questions, and afterward shared some kind words about my talk. It meant a lot to me in that stage of my training.

Paul Kefalides

March 22, 2022

Dr. Blackstone was one of the most memorable and influential teachers during my gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Chicago. His aphorisms and clinical pearls playback from my memories in my head as I practice today. He loved to learn and to teach and he taught so passionately that working with him became such a singular experience. And his love of language and written expression was also exceptional (I can still remember the words I learned from him, embarrassingly for the first time-at age 30). By demonstrating daily the scientific basis of medicine and the intersection of our profession with culture and politics, Dr. Blackstone helped open the minds of students and encouraged trainees to aspire to the highest standards. I am grateful to have known and learned from him and I extend my condolences to his family.

Steven Ricanati

March 22, 2022

Funny, irreverent, obscenely generous. He taught me to love medicine and Belgian beer. I am grateful to have known him.

Ira Hanan MD

March 22, 2022

I first met Mike in November 1979 when he interviewed me for residency at the University of Chicago. I guess I passed his test because I matched at the U of C where I continued my career as a gastroenterologist. A week doesn't go by that I don't impart words of wisdom I learned from Mike, to those starting their careers. He always demanded the best from those he trained as well as colleagues. He insisted on evidence based medicine before the term was in vogue. A great teacher that all of his students and trainees will remember. Rest in peace, Mike.

MICHAEL D BROWN MD

March 21, 2022

Michael Blackstone taught me gastrointestinal endoscopy as a fellow at University of Chicago in the late 80´s. As a teaching endoscopist myself inspired by his skills I´ve taught nearly 100 fellows using his techniques and methods for teaching this amazing skill set. He thought me to be descriptive in my documentation and to carefully separate what I saw; my findings, from what I thought it was; my impression. I still impart that wisdom to all of my fellows. His insistence that endoscopists take the time to document and photodocument accurately was so important to Dr Blackstone. It was often overlooked and remains, as he rightly pointed out the only lasting evidence of our procedures. His pioneering efforts in endoscopy and particularly in endoscopic teaching are impressive and enduring.

Ellen Gelles

March 20, 2022

Dr. Blackstone was my memorable attending on the GI service when I was a medicine resident at U Chicago in the 1990´s. He will be remembered for his encyclopedic knowledge (always with copies of the primary source to be shared during morning rounds), extravagant and delicious end-of-month off service dinners, endearing quirkiness, and clear love of being in a teaching environment . Sending comfort to his family. May his memory be a blessing.

Ellen Gelles, MD, FACP
Cleveland, OH

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