Devoted to his patients and students

Michael J. Haut, 71, of Center City, a respected hematologist and oncologist, died Wednesday, June 26, of bladder cancer at Pennsylvania Hospital, where he taught and saw patients for three decades.

Dr. Haut was a major contributor, both as a clinician and educator, to the hospital and the larger Penn Medicine health system.

"Even in retirement, Dr. Haut fully supported our mission and remained actively involved with the hospital," hospital officials said in a statement. "He was the embodiment of caring and compassion."

David M. Mintzer, chief of hematology-oncology, said Dr. Haut never forgot the person behind the disease and was open to the entire hospital community.

"He was always generous with his time, willing to talk and listen - whether with patients, family, colleagues, or students. He will be missed by all of us," Mintzer said.

A Philadelphia native, Dr. Haut lived in Merion before moving near Pennsylvania Hospital several years ago.

He graduated from Northeast High School and received his undergraduate degree in 1963 from Franklin and Marshall College. He earned a medical degree in 1967 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Dr. Haut did his internship at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and a residency at Presbyterian Medical Center here. He completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology in 1972 at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital.

Dr. Haut was a U.S. Army physician from 1972 to 1979 at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He served as chief of hematology from 1974 to 1979 and received the Meritorious Service Medal during the final year.

Board certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology, Dr. Haut joined the staff of Pennsylvania Hospital in 1979. In 2000, he was named a full clinical professor of medicine.

Dr. Haut directed the Pennsylvania Hospital Sickle Cell Disease Program for 18 years, established a partnership with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and created the Philadelphia Adult Gaucher's Disease Center in 1991. The lipid-storage disease affects the blood.

He also founded the Special Coagulation Laboratory at Pennsylvania Hospital in 1981 to manage clotting problems in expectant mothers and surgical patients.

Throughout his career, Dr. Haut left his mark on hundreds of young interns, residents, and faculty members. He was honored with the Edward D. Viner Teaching Award from the Department of Medicine, the Annual Teaching Award for a Non-Obstetrician from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Faculty Honor Roll from the Perelman School of Medicine. His portrait, painted in 2009, is among those lining the hospital's walls.

He cofounded the Society for Translational Oncology, an international group dedicated to finding applications for advances in tumor biology, molecular biology, and pharmacology in clinical oncology.

Dr. Haut retired from Pennsylvania Hospital in 2008 and devoted his time to editing, as a scientific and research grant reviewer.

His son Elliott is an associate professor of surgery, anesthesiology, and critical-care and emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He trained in Philadelphia alongside his father.

"He was pretty excited when I decided to go into medicine," his son said.

Surviving, besides his son, are his wife, the former Rosalie Brooks; another son, Jonathan B.; a daughter, Wendy L.; two grandchildren; and a brother.

The funeral will be at noon Sunday, June 30, at Goldsteins' Rosenberg's Raphael-Sacks, 6410 N. Broad St., Philadelphia. Burial will be in Montefiore Cemetery, 600 Church Rd., Jenkintown.

Donations may be made to the Michael J. Haut Lectureship in Translational Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Medicine Development, 3535 Market St., Seventh Floor, Suite 750, Philadelphia 19104, or via www.pennmedicine.org/giving.

Condolences to the family may be offered at www.goldsteinsfuneral.com.