A Generous Gift to Transform Cardiovascular Care

When Eric Zorn reflects on his journey through illness and recovery, he speaks with deep gratitude — and certainty. “If there was one physician I would want by my side for the rest of my life, it would be Dr. Jerry Estep,” he says.

That conviction is at the heart of a $3 million gift from Eric and Lois Zorn to establish an Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic in Florida, honoring Jerry Estep, MD, Division Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine. The Zorns’ philanthropy is both a tribute to exceptional medical care and a commitment to advancing patient care, research, and education for generations to come.

Eric’s story is one of resilience — and of a care team that refused to give up. In November 2025, while on the way from his home in Sarasota, Florida to the Weston Hospital for spinal surgery, a frightening situation unfolded. Eric, who hadn’t been feeling well, became ill and lost consciousness while Lois was driving. She was able to maintain her composure and called Dr. Estep, who had a team of physicians waiting when they arrived at the hospital. The team diagnosed Eric with acute renal failure. He spent a week in the ICU and another week hospitalized. During that time, Dr. Estep stepped in not only as his cardiovascular specialist, but as what Eric describes as his “general,” coordinating care across specialties, from nephrology to hepatology to urology.

“He put together a miraculous team to take care of me. There is no question in my mind that he saved my life at least twice,” Eric says.

During Eric’s illness, Dr. Estep and his wife were there for Lois. “The whole situation was devastating to me,” she recalls. “From Dr. Estep to Rosa Perez, our patient liaison, every person in the office, every person that took care of Eric — the staff, the nurses — I felt like they were my family. I thank them for the privilege of having Eric with me today.”

Against the odds, Eric recovered. His kidney failure proved to be a rare one-off case, and he did not require additional dialysis. After returning home, he was monitored remotely by Dr. Estep for weeks.

The Zorns’ relationship with Cleveland Clinic spans many years. In January 2020, Eric found himself struggling to breathe on a golf course in Sarasota. He soon underwent quadruple bypass surgery at another hospital, but his health continued to deteriorate. A friend, Larry Pollock, Chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Philanthropy Committee, referred him to Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where he was diagnosed with amyloidosis — a rare protein disorder that had been previously overlooked and had led to heart failure.

Under the care of Dr. Estep – who was practicing in Ohio at the time – and Jason Valent, MD, Eric received chemotherapy and cardiovascular treatment. When he returned home to Sarasota, Dr. Estep called him multiple times a week, checked in on his progress and even called to wish him a happy birthday. “I felt like he was around the corner,” Eric says. “Eighteen months later, Dr. Estep transferred to Florida and we couldn’t have been more thrilled.”

For Eric and Lois, their endowed chair is an expression of love, gratitude, and belief in Cleveland Clinic’s mission. “We love Cleveland Clinic,” Lois says. “We can’t say enough.”

Their gift ensures that the kind of compassionate, coordinated, life‑saving care that transformed their lives will continue — and that physicians like Dr. Estep will have the support they need to change countless more.