Giving Stories

Building on its tradition of surgical excellence, NSMC is preparing to launch a Robotic Surgery Program at its Salem Hospital campus. Supported by a $1 million challenge grant from the Davenport Fund, the program will be the only one of its kind on the North Shore. “Adding robotic surgery to NSMC is an exciting advance for our facility and our patients,” says Marc S. Rubin, M.D., Chair of Surgery at NSMC.

The $1 million “challenge” grant kicked off a campaign to raise an additional $1 million to purchase a state-of-the-art surgical robot.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of Mike Davenport and his family’s fund, and are optimistic that others in our community will step forward as we strive to raise an additional $1 million in ongoing support,” says Sara Andrews, Senior Vice President of Development at NSMC. The robot will enable surgeons to perform delicate and complex procedures with enhanced precision. Andrews expects that NSMC will acquire a robot this summer and begin using it for urologic and prostate cancer surgeries, as well as ear, nose and throat procedures in the fall of 2018.

During robot-assisted surgery, a highly trained surgeon operates robotic arms while seated at a computer console that provides high-definition, magnified and 3-D views of the surgical site. “The robot is a remote extension of the surgeon’s own hands but its instrumentation enables finer access, maneuverability and technical precision,” says Rubin. Other advantages of robotic surgery include smaller incisions, reduced pain and discomfort, and faster recovery for patients.

Since its establishment in 1976, the Davenport Fund has provided $5.2 million in support of infrastructure and other capital improvements at NSMC. Mike Davenport is today a donor and volunteer for NSMC, continuing the service of his late father, Horace “Davvy” Davenport. The former owner of Pickering Oil Company, Horace moved to Swampscott in the 1930s and became involved in several community organizations including Salem Hospital, where he served on and later chaired the Board of Trustees. In addition to the endowed fund, the Davenport name graces a building at NSMC Salem Hospital.