We are pleased to honor Dr. Robert F. Maronde (1920 - 2008), who together with Dr. Helen Martin helped to create one of the very first artificial kidney machines.
This early marvel was created in the 1940's, long before the first successful transplants were achieved. And yes... that's a stainless steel beer keg that you're seeing in the photo; being used as a reservoir during these early days of treatment for acute renal failure.
Dr. Maronde served at Los Angeles County - USC Medical Center; and helped to create one of the first community-based hospital care programs for the Latino community of Los Angeles.
He also graduated from Pasadena High School in 1937 and served as a ship's doctor while on active duty in the Navel Reserve in 1946-1947.
In 1968, he became the first chairman of the new division of clinical pharmacology at the USC School of Medicine, where he remained until retirement in 1990.
Here's to a pioneer who was able to think "outside the box" and in the process helped to draw attention to the entire field of treatment for kidney disease.
