2024 Gala Honorees

Gregory C. Kane, MD, MACP

Jane and Leonard Korman Professor of Pulmonary Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine

Dr. Kane is a national leader in pulmonary medicine, critical care, and medical education. He has served as chair of Jefferson’s largest academic department since 2011, a dynamic and talented group of physicians at one of the nation’s top medical schools.

Dr. Kane has been a leader in organized medicine for over 30 years.  He served on the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Critical Care Test and Policy Committee (1996-2006) and the Hospitalist Medicine Test Committee, helping to develop the very first examination for recertification in hospital medicine, a new specialty at the time. He was elected to a three-year term on the Council of the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine in 2006 and served as the Association’s president from 2013-2014. He has also served as treasurer of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine. Dr. Kane represented Pennsylvania as former Governor of the American College of Physicians, where he is currently a lifetime Master and was elected treasurer for three terms in 2019.

Dr. Kane has authored more than 105 original articles, which have appeared in Academic Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, CHEST, JAMA, BMC Cancer, Respiratory Medicine, Clinical Lung Cancer, and the American Journal of Medicine. His landmark book “Lung Cancer Screening: A Population Approach” has been praised as outlining a path to transform lung cancer screening to serve all populations using a community-based strategy addressing vulnerable populations at highest risk for lung cancer.  In recognition of his teaching expertise, Dr. Kane has been recognized with numerous teaching awards, including the Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and the Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Teach” award from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education.

A longtime, dedicated Jeffersonian, Dr. Kane is an alumnus, graduating from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College in 1987 and completing a fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in 1993. In 1997, Dr. Kane was honored with the presentation of his portrait by the medical college senior class. For 14 years, he served as program director of the Internal Medicine Residency. In 2010, he was invited to speak at Jefferson’s White Coat Ceremony for incoming medical students. In 2021 and 2022, he was selected to present the clinician’s perspective to the incoming students. He was invited thrice to speak to graduating Jefferson students at Class Day in 1998, 2001 and 2017. And this year, Jefferson’s Bicentennial, he led the graduates in the recitation of the Hippocratic Oath at Commencement. 

Since 2016, Dr. Kane has served as course director and/or co-director for Jefferson’s Annual Lung Cancer Symposium, hosting more than 200 physicians and healthcare professionals in Philadelphia. In 2017, he helped forge the collaboration between Jefferson Health and National Jewish Health to establish the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute. He has lectured across the U.S.  and Canada, and has been a visiting professor in China and Japan.

Dr. Kane is most proud of his amazing family.  His wife Jean, and their four kids Dylan, Mary Bridget, Brian, and Brogan make it all possible.

Francelia and Richard C. Gozon

This year, we recognize lifelong Jeffersonians Francelia and Richard C. Gozon, benefactors who have led by example through their leadership, philanthropy, and dedication. Francelia and Richard will receive the Award of Merit in recognition of their generous, compassionate support of Jefferson and the students, patients, and families we serve.

Mr. Gozon is a Jefferson emeritus trustee and has served as chair of the Board of Trustees. He served as interim president of Thomas Jefferson University from April 2012 to September 2013; chair of the Board of Trustees from September 2013 to September 2014; and previously served as co-chair of the Jefferson Academic Board.

From 1994 until his retirement in 2002, Mr. Gozon was executive vice president of Pulp, Paper and Packaging for Weyerhaeuser Company; president of Westwood Shipping Lines; and chairman of North Pacific Paper Company. Before that, he served as director, president, and chief operating officer of Alco Standard Corporation, and president of Paper Corporation of America. In March 2016, he retired as chairman of the board of AmerisourceBergen Corporation.

Mr. Gozon has served on a number of boards of public companies and nonprofits, including Triumph Group Inc., UGI Corporation, AmeriGas Partners LP, the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation. He is presently an operating partner of Atlas Holdings LLC.

Mr. Gozon received an honorary degree at Jefferson’s 2022 Commencement. In his honor, Jefferson established the Richard C. Gozon Compassion in Medicine Award to recognize graduating residents and fellows who have demonstrated outstanding compassion in the care of their patients. Francelia and Richard value the importance of scholarships at Jefferson and support the Francelia A. and Richard C. Gozon Leaders in Medicine Scholarship Program.

Francelia and Richard live in Naples, Florida.