Jason Scott Goldfeder M.D
GOLDFEDER: Jason Scott Goldfeder, M.D., born January 11, 1970, passed away on December 9, 2015, from complications due to ALS. He was a very special person, much loved and a gifted and respected physician. Dr. Goldfeder was diagnosed with ALS in November of 2004 and tried his hardest to keep his life as normal as possible for as long as he could. His prognosis was two to three years; however, his tremendous will to live gave him 11 years. Jason was selected to participate in the local MDA Telethon, which was shown on St. Louis news and the local MDA Telethon in September of 2007. He was chosen to participate in the National MDA/ALS Awareness Month, “Anyone’s Life Story” Significant Series, in May 2008. He and his family and friends, participated in the St. Louis Walk to Defeat ALS from 2006-2015 and raised almost $250,000, making second overall as a team and individual fundraiser each year. Jason graduated at the top of his class from the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Allderdice High School. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and Phi Beta Kappa. He was invited to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship in his senior year at Penn. His other honorable distinctions were Dean Scholar in 1990-1991, elected to the Dean’s List every semester at Penn, received an award for being the top freshman chemistry student at Penn, won Hiram S. Lukins Memorial Scholarship and Award for being the top chemistry student at the end of his junior year in 1990, and won the Priestly Club Prize for being the top senior chemistry student in 1991. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1995. Dr. Goldfeder had a long and loving relationship with the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s Emma Kaufmann Camp. He set a record, at that time, for attending Emma Kaufmann Camp as a camper, counselor in training and staff member, for 16 years in a row. He was a counselor for two years and won the award for counselor of the year in his first year on staff at the age of 16. He was a unit head for multiple different units for six years and was well known for being the director of Color War for many years. He developed extensive manuals about how to run Color War and how to run Staff Week, which are still being used more than 20 years later. Emma Kaufmann dedicated Color War to Jason in 2009 in recognition of his love for camp and his many contributions to camp life. Jason attended the residency program at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis from July of 1995 to June of 1998. He joined the faculty in the division of medical education in the Department of Medicine as an instructor in July of 1998 and was promoted to be an assistant professor in July of 2000. He was an attending physician at Barnes Jewish Hospital from July 1998 to July of 2007. His primary responsibility was to serve as the director of the Wohl Medicine Clinic where the residents saw their patients. His main areas of interest were primary care, men’s health, and common diseases like hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis. He delivered numerous lectures in different formats for the residents every year and was an invited lecturer at multiple internal, local and regional meetings. He was also the course chairman for the annual Washington Manual Comprehensive Internal Medicine and Board Review Course for eight years and was made one of the associate program directors for the Barnes Jewish Residency Program in July 2003. He authored multiple book chapters, websites and articles on many different topics. He was named Teacher of the Year, Internal Medicine Residency Program, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in 2004-2005. The 32nd edition of the Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics was dedicated to him in 2007. The annual Dr. Jason S. Goldfeder Outstanding Senior Resident in the Wohl Medicine Clinic was named in his honor in June 2007. The Goldfeder Conference room was also named in his honor in recognition of distinguished service as the Director of the Wohl Medicine Clinic from1998-2007. As his life was drawing to a close many of his students, now seasoned doctors, recalled Jason as the best teacher they ever had. Jason had to retire because of his ALS in July of 2007. Since then he had been a volunteer faculty member in the Division of Medical Education. Despite his illness, he continued to volunteer two half days a week in the Wohl Medicine Clinic from July of 2007 until the end of 2010. From April of 2011 until the present, he had been sending the house staff five board review questions and answers every week to help them prepare for their board exams. Jason will be remembered for his love for his family and friends and for his bravery in dealing with ALS. He is survived by his wife Dr. Nguyet Nguyen, mother and stepfather Judy and Arthur Sales, father and stepmother Ron and Sherye Goldfeder, brother Greg (Allison) Goldfeder, stepsisters Deborah (Matthew) Graver, Lori (David) Kline, Tami (David) Palkovitz, and stepbrother Craig Frand. He was a beloved stepbrother of Rabbi Jay David Sales (of blessed memory) and a loving uncle of Ryan and Ian Goldfeder, Shoshona and Aviva Graver, Joshua Kadosh, Hudson and Quincy Palkovitz and Emma Frand. Contributions in memory of Dr. Goldfeder can be made to the following address: The ALS Association, St. Louis Regional Chapter, 2258 Weldon Parkway, St. Louis, MO 63146.
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