FREEDLANDER, SAMUEL OSCAR, M.D. (30 July 1893-4 Jan. 1971), Cleveland's first thoracic surgeon (1922), was chief of surgery and chief of thoracic surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital (1946-59) (see MT. SINAI MEDICAL CENTER), chief surgeon at KAISER PERMANENTE (1960s), and chief of surgery and of thoracic surgery at City Hospital (1932-53). He established the division of surgery at City Hospital, pioneered a surgical treatment for tuberculosis, and, with CARL H. LENHART, determined the physiology of pneumothorax (collapsed lung). An authority on the treatment of pulmonary thrombosis, Freedlander instituted the internationally-known technique of thoracoplasty. After retiring from Mt. Sinai, he lobbied the Ohio legislature to establish the Community Health Foundation, Kaiser's predecessor. Freedlander was born in Wooster, OH, to David L. and Anna Arnson Freedlander. He earned both his A. B. (1915) and M.D. (1918) from Western Reserve University (WRU) (see CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY) and did post-graduate work in Vienna, Austria. Trained at City Hospital (1918-21), Freedlander taught surgery at the WRU School of Medicine (1925-59). In 1939 he maintained an office on Carnegie Avenue; later his office was located on EUCLID AVENUE. Freedlander served other hospitals as visiting surgeon, including Lakeside Hospital (see UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF CLEVELAND), FOREST CITY HOSPITAL, and ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER. In addition, he was director of surgery at the Sunny Acres Sanatorium. His medical affiliations included the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the American Medical Association.
On 5 January 1931 Freedlander married Adeline Kaden; they lived on Cedar Road with their 2 children, Nina and Jean. A member of EUCLID AVENUE Temple, Freedlander also belonged to the CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND. He served on its board of directors and as president (1961-62).