Dr. David SANDLER

SANDLER, Dr. David (Age 61) Dr. David Sandler, who was so loved and respected by all who knew him, passed away on November 12, 2014. He was born in Stalingrad, Russia on March 14, 1953 to Emmanuel David Sandler and Cecilia Yakov Vidomsky. His mother was a doctor, and from a very early age she took David with her to the hospital where she worked. As a result, David knew that becoming a doctor was his life's ambition. He completed his undergraduate work in Leningrad, Russia, and received his medical degree from the University of Leningrad in 1976. He completed his post-graduate work in Canada and Boston, Massachusetts. In 1985, Dr. Sandler began focusing his medical training on cardiothoracic surgery. From 1985 to 1987, he was the Training Resident/Chief Resident in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada where he received training in cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, and pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. His reputation continued to precede him. From 1990 to 1992, Dr. Sandler served as a Senior Clinical Fellow in Transplant Surgery at the University of Western Ontario Affiliated Teaching Hospitals in London, Ontario where he selected and managed transplant patients and gained experience with orthotopic heart transplant, single lung, heart/lung transplant surgery and organ procurement. With Dr. Sandler's distinguished background and technical surgical skills, he led the way in cardiothoracic surgery techniques and research. He presented new procedures in cardiac surgery and had demonstrated their uses to other physicians at international professional conferences. Dr. Sandler was highly recognized within the United Network of Organ Sharing, established by the U.S. Congress in 1984, which administers the only Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network in the United States. Dr. Sandler was also an accomplished and recognized author. Dr. Tim Icenogle met Dr. David Sandler in 1992 at which time Dr. Icenogle worked very diligently to convince Dr. Sandler to join his team as a partner at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Outside of the hospital, David's focus was his family. He was successful in bringing his only sister, Leonora, and her husband, Yuri, to Canada from Russia, where they all lived before Dr. Sandler joined Dr. Icenogle's team. David enjoyed art, photography, and travelling with his beloved wife of twelve years, Mischelle. Their love story was so special. As soon as they met, their lives were never the same. There was one thing that he definitely said he didn't like, and that was birds. Mischelle owned an exotic bird store; he fell in love with the birds too. David was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother-in-law, Yuri Chernyak. He is survived by his "My Beautiful Wife" Mischelle; his sister, Leonora "Lena" Chernyak; his nephew Mikhail "Michael" Chernyak (Melanie) and niece Maryanna "Marina" Chernyak (Robin Olsen), whom he helped raise; his great nieces and nephews, Oliver and Scarlet, and Natasha, Katrina and Niklas. In loving memory of Dr. David Sandler, a new patient care room in the expanded CICU (large, with city view) will be named in his honor. The cost of this naming opportunity is $15,000. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Providence Health Care Foundation, CICU Campaign in memory of Dr. David Sandler. There will be a memorial service, a Celebration of Dr. Sandler's Life, at the Providence Auditorium, 20 West 9th Ave., Spokane, WA on Saturday, November 22, 2014 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.