May 4, 2001
University Park, Pa.–Walter A. Koltun, M.D., was named the Peter and Marshia Carlino Professor in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Dr. Koltun, associate professor of surgery, is a nationally recognized expert in inflammatory bowel disease and surgical diseases of the colon and rectum. This endowed faculty position was created with a $500,000 gift from Peter and Marshia ( Marnie) Carlino of Reading.

Dr. Koltun joined the faculty of the College of Medicine in 1990.  He has conducted research in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for the past 10 years, and in doing so has brought together a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals, including researchers, in support of the advancement of IBD treatment.  He earned the Thomas V.N. Ballantine Memorial Award for excellence in surgical education in 1996. Because of his contributions, he was named chief of the department of surgery’s recently-created section of colon and rectal surgery. The section also recently added a second surgeon. Dr. Koltun has also developed an IBD patient registry.

Peter Carlino, a 1969 Penn State graduate, is chairman and CEO of Wyomissing–based Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns and operates casinos, racetracks and off-track wagering facilities in five states, including Pennsylvania.

The Peter and Marshia Carlino Professorship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease will provide support for teaching and research into this illness. Inflammatory bowel disease is the collective name for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, serious chronic inflammatory disorders of the intestinal tract, that primarily strikes in the third decade of life but can also show up later in life. Its cause is unknown and it can be fatal if untreated. With the right medication the symptoms can be controlled, but there is currently no cure. The Carlinos themselves have a son who has IBD.

“It is estimated that there may be up to 2 million Americans who suffer from some form of this debilitating disease,” said Darrell G. Kirch, Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, Dean of the College of Medicine, and Chief Executive Officer of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “The Carlino Professorship sets a sterling example of giving to an extremely worthy cause and is only the most recent example of Peter and Marnie’s generosity. We are very grateful to them for this latest evidence of their commitment to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Dr. Koltun, with his extensive knowledge and experience in his field, is a perfect fit for the professorship.”

In 1996 Peter Carlino, joining with other Penn National employee volunteers, initiated the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Golf Tournament, an annual event that benefits the Carlino Fund, supporting inflammatory bowel disease research at the Hershey Medical Center. Last year, the golf tournament netted $58,000 in proceeds designated to IBD research. This year’s tournament will be held on Monday, August 6, at the Hershey Country Club. The Carlinos also contribute personally to the Carlino Fund outside of the golf tournament.

Peter Carlino is a member of the board of directors of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and since October 1999 has served on the medical center’s volunteer Campaign Committee, part of the Penn State’s Grand Destiny billion-dollar capital campaign. He has also served on the board of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Central Pennsylvania.

He has developed, built and operated residential and commercial real estate projects primarily in central Pennsylvania through the Carlino Development Group, which he founded in 1981.

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