On October 20, 2015, the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) celebrated the naming of the newly renovated SB 101 Auditorium after respected physician and professor of medicine, Dr. Ismail Khalil. The naming was made possible by a generous donation from a grateful patient who wished to honor Dr. Khalil and thank him for the care he received while being treated at AUBMC. The Auditorium will provide a state-of-the-art space for teaching and learning in the Faculty of Medicine.
The ceremony was attended by AUB President Fadlo Khuri, Executive VP for Medical Affairs and Global Strategy and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Dr. Mohamed H. Sayegh, Associate Dean for Medical Education Dr. Kamal Badr, Deputy Chief of Staff for Medical Services and Emeritus Professor of Surgery Dr. Ismail Khalil, in whose honor the Auditorium was named, the Khalil family, a number of dignitaries, and members of the AUBMC community.
In his remarks, Dr. Badr reflected on Dr. Khalil’s excellence as a physician and his devotion to his patients and students. “Dr. Khalil has helped numerous AUB graduates to pursue their careers in the US,” he said. “His tremendous achievements in vascular surgery will remain an inspiration to all the students he has taught.”
President Khuri thanked Dr. Khalil for his contributions to medicine, to AUBMC, and to the University. “The auditorium now has the name of a great individual who has been associated with this university for five decades; a name we can all agree will stand in perpetuity for a great scholar, educator, and mentor,” he said.
Dr. Sayegh described Dr. Khalil as the embodiment of AUBMC’s institutional vision and values. “No one deserves this recognition more than Dr. Ismail for all he has done and continues to do to lift the name and image of AUB and AUBMC over the years,” he said. “It is donations such as this one that will allow us to continue to progress towards the attainment of our AUBMC 2020 Vision.”
Dr. Khalil expressed his gratitude for the honor bestowed upon him by both the grateful patient and by members of the Medical Center. “Today’s event proves that when a patient has a good experience and a positive outcome, and when the institution and physicians educate patients about the value of supporting and investing in the work that AUBMC does, the potential for donations is limitless,” he said.
Commenting on the importance of the SB 101 Auditorium, he added, “It is in rooms like this that AUB and AUBMC have raised the bar for academic education and healthcare delivery in the country and the region.”
