Dr. Elbie Loeb and his wife, Ada Ramos, RN, created the first fund for the physician assistant program, inspired by the investment of K-State professors.
Dr. Elbie Loeb was not sure what he wanted to do for a career, but the one thing he did know: He wanted to help people.
Following a year off school, Elbie found himself in a science lab with Dr. Marjorie Davis. She took notice of his work ethic and asked him if he had considered pursuing medicine. She then introduced him to Dr. Herschel Thomas Gier, who provided mentorship and direction as a pre-medicine advisor and embryology professor. Discovering his passion, Elbie worked as both an anatomy and embryology lab teacher during his time at K-State, prior to attending the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
After graduating from medical school, Elbie spent 11 years in Hays, Kansas, practicing medicine. He then moved to Kansas City, and while working in a hospital, met his wife Ada Ramos. Elbie and Ada have six children, five of whom followed in the Wildcat tradition.
Elbie worked for 21 years as a physician in Kansas City, spending six seasons with the Kansas City Royals as a team physician. Elbie says that watching the progression of the Royals from a losing team to being a Word Series champion team was an incredible experience. Elbie left the Royals due to a condition that worsened his eyesight, causing him to go blind. Although he stopped practicing medicine, Elbie says the value of listening is worth everything. When family members describe symptoms, he can frequently find a diagnosis by just listening.
In Elbie’s 33 years practicing medicine, he especially noticed the value of mid-level providers, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners. The need for these providers was most reflected in his time in western Kansas. With physicians being much more dispersed, the support of physician assistants and nurse practitioners ensured needed care for patients. To the first class of PA program students, Elbie’s advice would be to observe everything and be diligent, because even the most basic science learned in the classroom can be applied to patients.
Elbie and Ada have established the first fund to support the PA program. While Elbie attended K-State, he worked 60 hours a week as both a lab teacher and in ambulance services in Junction City, Kansas. In creating this fund for the PA program, Elbie’s hope is that students can focus on academics, not having to spend as much time working to pay their tuition.
“I feel extremely privileged to be in this position, in order to give back to Kansas State, because it was instrumental of Professor Davis to see, approach and encourage me,” said Elbie. “I never would have made it without that. It is very gratifying to be in this position to give back now.”
In thanks to Elbie and Ada for their support to the PA program, Craig Harms, Betty L. Tointon interim dean and professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences, said “We are profoundly grateful to Dr. Elbie Loeb and Mrs. Ada Ramos for their extraordinary commitment to our new physician assistant program. They share in our excitement for this program’s potential to address systemic health care challenges in our communities. Through their generosity, this PA program and our future health care professionals will benefit for many years to come.”
One gift, multiple goals achieved.
Elbie and Ada are helping their own family AND the K-State family by creating a charitable remainder trust (CRT) through their Last Will and Testament. The benefits to Elbie, Ada and their family are:
- Avoiding the requirement that all of the funds in the IRA must be withdrawn by their children within 10 years of the IRA owner’s death
- Converting the IRA into lifetime income for their children
- Reducing the possibility that their children will be forced into a higher tax bracket
- Growing the assets in the CRT over an extended period of time versus only 10 years
- Potentially reducing estate taxes
- Creating a fund to support the new physician assistant program