Grateful patient Michelle Turman MA ’00 CFRE has made a $25,000 challenge gift to encourage other patients and donors to advance research and comprehensive care at the USF Health Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center.

Turman was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease 10 years ago and was on a medication that worked for about six years before she became immune to it. Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition, and when she saw signs that her health was deteriorating, she waited for the call back from her previous gastroenterologist. Weeks passed without a response.

Then she met USF Health’s Chief Medical Officer Mark Moseley, who lived with the same condition. He connected her with Dr. Reneé Marchioni Beery, who ran some tests and found that Michelle’s medications had quit working. They developed a new treatment plan, and shortly after Michelle started a new medication and found herself in remission.

“With Crohn’s, you don’t realize how much pain you’re in because you learn to tolerate it, and you don’t have to be in that pain. I never knew that kind of care before I came to USF Health.”

Now, Turman has transferred all of her health care to USF Health so that her doctors can coordinate their care without the burden of her continually having to restate her symptoms and concerns with all of her medical providers.

The USF Health IBD Center is a community of specialized healthcare providers trained in the field of IBD ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. As the only academic medical center on the west coast of Florida, the center provides cutting-edge treatment, technology, and research. The team of dedicated experts provides comprehensive care using state-of of-the the-art treatment and disease management approaches focused on IBD.

“What was being created here at USF Health with this new center was a continued center of care — one that could shepherd you and connect all of your doctors together on one platform,” said Turman. “It saved me the time and stress of having to coordinate all of my doctors, communicate the story numerous times, and making sure all the tests and results were in one place.”

This is the largest gift to date for the new IBD Center, which needs additional philanthropy as it upgrades its clinical space to improve patient care and facilitate coordination between its providers.

Turman’s USF roots run deep, as both of her parents were members of the university’s first graduating class. Turman received her master’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences and currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council. In addition to her gift to USF Health, Turman also created the Turman Study Abroad Scholarship in Ancient Studies in 2018 to provide undergraduates and graduates with the opportunity to study in Greece.

Turman is the Founder and CEO of Catalyst Consulting Services and has nearly 30 years of nonprofit experience in the areas of executive search, organizational management, and fundraising. She has raised over $75 million for the Tampa Bay community and currently serves on the national board of Donate Life America and the Hillsborough County Cultural Assets Commission. She has been recognized by Tampa Bay Metro magazine as one of Tampa Bay’s Distinguished Women in Business and the Face of Nonprofit Change and was recently nominated by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce as The Outstanding Small Business Leader of the Year.

To support the new Michelle Turman IBD Research fund at USF Health, visit usf.to/Turman.

Video by Torie Doll, USF Health Communications & Marketing

Story reposted from USF Health Office of Development and Alumni Relations