By Rebecca Salowe
Scheie Vision Summer 2021
The Scheie Eye Institute mourns the loss of Jane Portnoy, MD, a treasured member of the UPenn Department of Ophthalmology for the past 20 years. Dr. Portnoy died on March 28, 2021.
Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Portnoy was the first woman board-certified ophthalmologist in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She was a brilliant diagnostician and a true healer, who was passionate about serving others in all aspects of her life. She treated all of her patients and colleagues with selflessness and compassion. She leaves behind a beautiful legacy of altruism and courage, which will be an inspiration for generations to come.
To honor the legacy of Dr. Portnoy, the Scheie Eye Institute will sponsor an award to the graduating medical student who best represents her humanitarian values and exemplary life.
Below, faculty, staff, and alumni share their memories of Dr. Portnoy.
“She was very personable, always willing to go out of her comfort zone and the go-to neuro-ophthalmologist at Radnor. I loved her enthusiasm and her pupil lecture she would give the residents every year!”
- Madhura Tamhankar, MD
“I am lead Ophthalmic tech at the Radnor location and supported Dr. Portnoy in her clinic here since she arrived in August of 2000. On day one, she began giving all of us at Radnor her trust and appreciation of our work. After many more difficult days she would always let us know that she ‘couldn’t have done this day without all of you.’ Dr. Portnoy always conveyed that we work together and we lunch together. The humility she displayed made any day a pleasure. Dr. Portnoy was more than an amazing physician. She was a constant source of all of the qualities one looks for in a friend. She would put her patient’s mind at ease from start to finish. I will miss Dr. Portnoy, but I will keep her with me as a gift and use this with each and every patient I assist moving forward. We are all so fortunate to have had Dr. ‘P’ in our lives.”
- Cathy Lawn
“I first met Jane in 1995 as a medical student and can attest to her skill, compassion, and quiet generosity. She will be missed but this award will allow her memory and dedication to live on.”
- Scott Goldstein, MD
“Dr. Portnoy was not only a ‘brilliant diagnostician and true healer,’ but she was a great teacher as well. She taught me many valuable lessons during residency which I still carry forward to this day. She treated everyone with dignity and respect and had a true calming effect on her patients. She will be sorely missed and my prayers go out to her family. I am so glad that this award will allow her legacy to live on.”
- Robert Stoltz, MD
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Jane Portnoy. By far, I have not spent as much time with Jane as many of you have. However, the times I did share with her are filled with kindness and grace. She was the person who taught me the pupil during my OP200 rotation; the person to guide me through my first and only ECCE during residency; and the first person I saw on my first day on faculty. Throughout these years, we have had many conversations about our families and our lives. She was an amazing listener; possessed a fierce love for her family and community; and was so humble.When I had heard she had written a cookbook, I was utterly surprised and probably pestered her way too much with my questions about it. Jane will forever be a part of my life and I will sorely miss her and our conversations.”
- Vivian Lee, MD
“Jane was an expert and giving physician. Her patients were devoted to her because she listened and truly cared for them. The same was true for her colleagues and friends. Jane lit up the room with her smile, and she focused always on others and never on herself. Jane was in every sense a healer.”
- Joan O’Brien, MD
“I have fond memories of talking with Jane in between patients at the VA about our latest cooking and baking adventures. She brought over chocolate chip cookies when we first moved into our home and my daughter still talks about them. I will surely miss her kind and warm heart.”
- Nirali Bhatt, MD
“I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Portnoy for 12 years. She was always kind, pleasant, humble, and caring. She stood for fair treatment of all, including middle level personnel. She loved her staff and patients and we loved her. She was a fantastic baker. I even suggested to her, on more than one occasion, to stop being a doctor and open a bakery. She would just smile. I will truly miss her, my heart is broken. RIP Dr. Portnoy!”
- Donna Kirkland
“I worked with Dr. Portnoy at the Mercy Fitzgerald office for a number of years. She had such varied interests, and it was not unusual for her to bake some treat and bring it in to share with the office staff. She spoke French with patients whose native language it was. She shared memories from her travels and experiences, and brought a cheerful spirit to the office. We all, patients and staff alike, feel her loss.”
- Gaby Ortiz
“Jane was such a wonderful person. She and I were the helms of Penn eye care at Mercy Fitzgerald for almost two decades. This is how I got to know her well. She is such a kind person with so many outstanding qualities and she brought all these fine qualities when she came to work. Her patients really loved her, not only for the medical experience, but also for her care. Although I am sad about her passing, her legacy and her influence will live on. I am happy for that.”
- Prithvi Sankar, MD
“Jane was an amazing colleague and friend, and a gifted ophthalmologist. Her compassion for her patients was unsurpassed. She had a true love for ophthalmology. I remember the amazing talk she gave on the history of ophthalmology that she researched using original documents from the Historical Medical Library at College of Physicians of Philadelphia. I loved to hear about Jane’s family, her travels, her view of life. When she spoke of France, I felt like I was actually there. She even tried to civilize me by taking me to the opera (my first time!). Jane, you made life better for all of us. I miss you.”
- Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD
“I have known Dr. Portnoy for 20 years, first with the privilege of learning from her as a resident trainee, and then as a faculty colleague for the last 16 years. Our schedules overlapped almost every Thursday afternoon working at the VA eye clinic. Dr. Portnoy was a dedicated and compassionate physician and outstanding colleague, always willing to offer advice and assistance. In addition to her busy comprehensive ophthalmology practice, she had completed subspecialty training in neuro-ophthalmology and was an active member of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society for as long as I have known her. I will always remember and be grateful for Dr. Portnoy stepping in and helping me on occasion when I was out of town and there were acute neuro-ophthalmology patients that needed attention at the VA. Beyond our work together, Dr. Portnoy was a very caring friend who took a sincere interest in people's lives. We discovered years ago that her mother and my parents lived in the same community in Florida, and from that moment on she never missed an opportunity to inquire about my parents and share stories of her own mother. Dr. Portnoy also generously helped my family and me make arrangements to attend holiday services on several occasions when we had nowhere else to go. I will miss her caring and thoughtful discussions about our families and her unwavering dedication to her patients.”
- Ken Shindler, MD, PhD
“Dr. Portnoy had such a kind soul, she respected and appreciated the staff who worked with her and would express that frequently. I feel fortunate to have her cookbook which she personalized for me. I have made many of her delicious recipes, the Jewish apple cake is superb! Dr. Portnoy will remain in my heart as one of the nicest and most gracious doctors who I worked with in my 30 years of working in Ophthalmology.”
- Jeanne Nemetz
Dr. Portnoy’s loving family, including (left to right) Michael Portnoy, Marshall Portnoy, Julie Beth Portnoy Simon, Jordan Simon, and Alex Simon.