Faculty honored as Health Care Heroes

Story Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:34:00 EST

Five EVMS faculty were among those honored as Health Care Heroes at a Feb. 21 ceremony sponsored by the local publication Inside Business.

A crowd of nearly 200 was on hand to celebrate the 13 recipients of the 2012 Health Care Heroes awards.

The audience also paused to honor the memory of Pediatrics Chair Donald W. Lewis, MD, who died last week.

The EVMS honorees were:

• Terri W. Babineau, MD, Director of Community Outreach and a graduate of EVMS. Dr. Babineau received the Primary Care Physician award for her efforts to facilitate student involvement in the community, such as the HOPES Clinic, the first student-run free clinic in Virginia.

• W. Thomas Bass, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, who received the award for Advancements in Health Care. Dr. Bass, a neonatologist at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, was part of a team that pioneered a technique to reduce the chance of long-term brain damage among children who experience brain trauma during childbirth.

• Edward H. Karotkin, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, who received the Pediatrician award. Dr. Karotkin, a neonatologist at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, was honored for his work with Physicians for Peace.

• Jean E. Shelton, MD, Professor and former Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who received the award for Physician Specialist. Dr. Shelton has dedicated her life to develop services for children with disabilities and traumatic injuries.

• Thomas R. Pellegrino, MD, who was presented a posthumous award recognizing him in the category Health Care Leader. Associate Dean for Education at the time of his death of 2011, he was celebrated as the consummate educator, even using his own battle with cancer as a learning opportunity for students. His wife, Jane Pellegrino, was on hand to accept the award.