Milton G. Ettinger, MD (1930–2008)

Abstract

MILTON ETTINGER, LONG-TIME CHIEF OF NEUROLOGY AND FOUNDER OF THE MINNESOTA REGIONAL SLEEP DISORDERS CENTER AT HENNEPIN COUNTY Medical Center in Minneapolis, died May 2, 2008 of meningitis. He was a graduate of St. Paul Central High School and completed his medical studies at the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1954. Following an internship in Los Angeles he completed a neurology residency at the University of Minnesota under Dr. A. B. Baker. After a stint in the Air Force he returned to Minneapolis, to become the first full-time neurology staff member at the Minneapolis General Hospital (later to become Hennepin County Medical Center). He and a few colleagues were instrumental in the transformation of the old “General Hospital” to its current status as a major clinical, teaching, and research facility—while continuing to serve as one of the few remaining true “safety-net” hospitals. Milton G. Ettinger, MD (1930–2008) Beyond his legendary clinical, teaching, and administrative skills, he will be remembered as a visionary and mentor extraordinare. He helped create one of the first medical ethics committees in the country, and established a multidisciplinary Huntington's Disease Clinic. In the mid-1970s, he foresaw the clinical importance of sleep medicine as a discipline, leading to the establishment of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in 1978. Realizing that clinical and research aspects of Sleep Medicine ideally involved numerous medical specialties, he emphasized the importance of a truly multidisciplinary approach. From the onset, the importance of sleep medicine training for medical students, residents, and fellows was emphasized, as was clinical research. He appreciated the fact that thoughtful and thorough clinical evaluation combined with long-term, careful, and systematic follow-up of patients was paramount, not just for patient care, but also for clinical discovery. He encouraged close collaboration between clinicians and basic science researchers. Under his watch, a number of previously unidentified or unrecognized sleep disorders were identified, including REM sleep behavior disorder, parasomnia overlap disorder, status dissociatus, sleep-related eating disorder, sleep-related dissociative disorders, and epic dreaming. Following his “retirement” in 1995, he continued to provide clinical and educational activities, along with mentorship, at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. At the time of his death, he was actively promoting the development of the first academically based sleep medicine forensics unit. Throughout his career, he maintained non-negotiable priorities of teaching and serving the underserved, disadvantaged, and less fortunate. His teaching skills did not go unnoticed: in 1990 he was bestowed the prestigious A. B. Baker award for excellence in neurological education by the American Academy of Neurology. His vision of developing a multidisciplinary sleep medicine program has well-served the field—not only as a model to be emulated, but also as a source of a large number of trainees who continue to contribute to the field. He was a true visionary and mentor who received his own personal joy and satisfaction never by being in the limelight himself, but rather by allowing others to enjoy the limelight he helped create for them. He was a proud husband and father, who enjoyed fishing and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Jeanne, son David, daughter Adrienne, and two grandchildren. His influence on our field is immeasurable