"To echo the words of so many others, it is amazing how many people Jim has touched in his life. Jim was truly gifted in his ability to connect with people. Match that with his sincerity, his boundless energy, and his intelligence and it’s easy to see that Jim was going places. Jim did more in 33 years than most people do in a lifetime.
I met Jim at the AAP meeting in Daytona. I was a PGY3 and he was getting ready to graduate residency and start his fellowship at RIC. I was hoping to come back to Chicago following residency, and after hearing that Jim gave me his phone number and told me to call him if I ever had any questions. When I came to RIC to interview, I didn’t think he would remember me. But, I didn’t know Jim….of course he remembered and he took the time between going to lectures for the Chicago Marathon to have lunch with me while I interviewed. After being selected as one of this year’s RIC Spine and Sports fellows, I couldn’t believe how kind and welcoming Jim (and Gary) were. We spent countless hours on conference calls (with Paula, the other current fellow) and e-mailing back and forth. Jim was always there to give me advice no matter how big or small my question was.
Upon arriving to RIC, it became even clearer to me what an impact Jim had on everyone at RIC. I quickly realized that Paula and I had some very big shoes to fill. As you can imagine, it’s not easy to follow Jim (or Gary)! I decided if I could do even 25% of what they did in a year, then I was doing an amazing job.
While I didn’t know Jim very long he still made a big impact on my life, and I will miss him dearly. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his many friends."

Shana Margolis, MD
RIC Sports and Spine Fellow