UC San Diego Health Sciences received numerous honors in the 2008 San Diego Business Journal “Health Care Champions” awards ceremony, with 20 finalists and five winners of Health Care Champion awards.

Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences and Dean, School of Medicine David Brenner was named a Health Care Champion for leading the UC San Diego Health Sciences and advancing translational medicine, with groundbreaking research leading to improved patient care.

The UCSD Regional Burn Center was honored as a Champion for serving the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with life-saving burn care.

UCSD Medical Center Chaplain Mark Reeves was named a Champion for providing spiritual support to those dealing with illness and tragedy, at UC San Diego’s hospitals and as a volunteer in the community and with the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT).

David Adler, Pharm.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, received a Champion award for his community service activities, including his longstanding support of the UCSD Student Run Free Clinics through his volunteerism and facilitation of pharmaceutical donations for the Clinic’s uninsured patients.

And Dilip Jeste, M.D., Distinguished Professor and Director of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, was honored as a Champion for his contributions to healthful aging as SIRA’s leader, and through his own research and clinical efforts.

Also honored as finalists for “Health Care Champion” awards were:

Barbara Brody, M.P.H., Director of Community Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Center
Ted Chan, M.D., Medical Director, Emergency Department
Raul Coimbra, M.D., Chief, Trauma/Surgical Critical Care/Burns
Jody Corey-Bloom, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Professor, Neurosciences
Rick Ford, R.R.T., Director, Respiratory Services, UCSD Medical Center
Allison Helm, Supervisor, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation Services
Richard Liekweg, CEO, UCSD Medical Center
Timothy Morris, M.D., Pulmonary Medicine
John Newhart II, Technology Applications Manager, Respiratory Care, UCSD Medical Center
Patrick Olson, R.N., B.S.N., Nurse Manager, Orthopedic Surgery, UCSD Medical Center
Therese Rymer, N.P., Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response, UCSD Medical Center
Georgia Sadler, Ph.D., Clinical Professor, Moores UCSD Cancer Center
Chris Searles, M.D., Family Medicine and Psychiatry Combined Residency Program
Davey Smith, M.D., Division of Infectious Diseases, Medicine
Mark Talamini, M.D., Chair, Surgery

and under organizations:

UCSD Medical Center Hospitalist Program

One of the exciting success stories for UCSD Health Sciences has been the evolution of the Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center (CVC), which is taking shape as an important new patient care facility on the UCSD Medical Center-La Jolla campus. The building opening is projected for 2011. The CVC will have an internal governing board to help set direction and provide coordination of our cardiovascular services expansion, and a new model has been created for the directorship, with three-year terms and a new “director-elect” position.

Anthony DeMaria, M.D., Professor of Medicine, has agreed to continue serving as Director of the Sulpizio CVC, and Stuart Jamieson, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Surgery, has accepted the position of Director-Elect, to assume the Directorship at the end of DeMaria’s three-year term. At that time a new Director-Elect will be named to succeed Jamieson at the end of his term.

DeMaria holds the Judith and Jack White Chair in Cardiology. A respected cardiologist and leader in the development of cardiac imaging technologies, he has served as president of both the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography, and has served on the editorial boards of most of the major cardiology journals. He currently is editor-in-chief of the prestigious Journal of the American College of Cardiology. DeMaria has been instrumental in the development of the UCSD Cardiovascular Center program.

Jamieson is Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director of the Lung Transplant Program. He has served as President of the International Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons; the World Congress of World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons, and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and is currently Chancellor of the World Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He recently was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, presented to Americans of diverse origins for their outstanding contributions to American society.

“These two individuals are eminently distinguished in their respective fields, and together represent the passion for innovation and excellence in clinical care that are the hallmarks of our comprehensive cardiovascular program,” said David A. Brenner, M.D., Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences.

James Dunford, M.D., UCSD Department of Emergency Medicine, has been selected Physician Volunteer of the Year by the American Heart Association, Western States Affiliate. The Award is the Affiliate’s premier award recognizing the most outstanding physician volunteer of the year. Dunford was honored for his significant service contribution to the Western States Affiliate, his distinguished commitment to the mission of the American Heart Association, and his achievement in advancing the objectives of the Affiliate during the year and over time.

The award was presented at the American Heart Association’s Executive Leadership Conference awards luncheon in San Jose.

Among Dunford’s other awards for community service have been two from UCSD – he was honored as the first recipient of the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Community Service Excellence Award and also received the Chancellor’s Associates Faculty Excellence Award for Excellence in Community Service.