Changing Lives.
Saving Lives.

That’s the mission of the Walter Payton Liver Center at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago.

It is the rare athlete who will not only be remembered for the plays he made on the field, but for the way he lived his life off the field. Walter Payton was such a man.

A two-time NFL Player of the Year and MVP, Walter led the Bears to their 1985 Super Bowl win and retired with both the all-time and single-game rushing records. In 1993, he was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Walter played with a passion that earned him the love of his fans and the respect of his competitors. As much as it was his athletic achievements, it was Walter's joy for life and his generosity that truly earned him the name, Sweetness.

In 1999, it was revealed that Walter had been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease. With the courage and character that defined his life, Walter fought his illness, while bringing new attention to the necessity for medical research to better understand liver diseases and the need for organ donations.

Walter Payton succumbed to complications from his illness in November, 1999. But, his battle – our battle – goes on today at the Walter Payton Liver Center at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago.

We’re making big gains against a fearsome opponent.

Walter Payton was a rare man, but the suffering he experienced, and the loss his family endured, is far too common.

The Walter Payton Liver Center is committed to saving lives. As part of one of the nation’s premier research and medical centers, the Walter Payton Liver Center has assembled the finest medical talent from around the world and put at their disposal the state-of-the-art tools they need. In addition to all-encompassing patient care, the Walter Payton Liver Center is dedicated to reaching out to the community to educate, inform, change lifestyles and change lives for the better.

The mission of the Walter Payton Liver Center is to save lives. Here’s how we do that.

The Payton Center’s multi-disciplinary care team includes hepatologists, gastroenterologists, transplant surgeons, research scientists, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, psychologists, and dieticians who work together to:

• Deliver outstanding and compassionate patient care
• Enhance clinical service with the constant addition of new programs, treatments and specialists
• Expand and tailor new diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures
• Employ and perfect the most advanced surgical technologies
• Teach a strong, basic foundation in medical sciences combined with extensive clinical training in patient care
• Advance cutting-edge basic and clinical research
• Train and promote physicians who are at the forefront of innovative care through the development of new cures, treatments and technologies
• Reach out to inform, educate and enlighten the communities we serve and the world at large
• Above all, save lives

Quite simply, the Walter Payton Liver Center is dedicated to making certain the best care available is available to everybody.

Whether you are a physician, a patient, a family member, or simply a concerned citizen, we invite you to learn more about the Payton Center and the difference it can make in your life.