March 10, 2006
Indiana University School of Medicine has plenty of Health Care Heroes
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University School of Medicine was well represented March 10 at the 2006 Indiana Business Journal’s Health Care Heroes awards ceremony.
Two finalists were recognized in the Advancements in Health Care category with Michael A. Kraus, M.D., won for his role in developing the NxStage System One Hemodialysis device, which is a portable daily dialysis device for home use. Dr. Kraus is an associate professor of medicine and medical director of the Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis and Acute Dialysis Units at Indiana University Hospital.
The other finalist was J. Marc Overhage, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of the Indiana Network for Patient Care, associate professor of medicine and research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute Inc. Dr. Overhage was honored for his role in developing a community-wide electronic medical records system to improve patient care.
Winning the Health Care Heroes physician category was Indiana University Cancer Center oncologist Rafat Abonour, M.D., associate professor of medicine and the associate dean for clinical research. He was recognized for this outreach to his myeloma patients and for his Miles for Myeloma run this past October to raise funds for myeloma research.
Roberta A. Hibbard, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director of child protection programs at Riley Hospital, was a finalist in the physician category. Dr. Hibbard was nominated for her years of dedication to child abuse victims through her work in courtrooms, government meetings, the State House and the hospital.
Also accepting finalist honors in the physician category was Rama Jager, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the Colon and Rectal Care Center in Indianapolis.
In the volunteer category, Michael Smith was one of three finalists. Smith is the familiar face at the reception desks at the medical center hospitals and the Indiana University Cancer Center. Mike has volunteered more than 24,000 hours since he began helping IU patients and families 20 years ago. Alice Langford, who is an activist for HIV/AIDS patients, took home the top honor in the category. The third finalist was Sue Ann Bube, founder of the Indiana chapter of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.
Other Health Care Heroes finalists are:
- Non-physicians category – Patricia Ebright, D.N.S., R.N., of the IU School of Nursing; Ramona Paulsrud, St. Vincent Women’s Hospital; and Jan Erlenbaugh Gaddis, R.N., St. Francis Hospital/Holy Cross Catholic Church parish nurse, who was awarded the category’s top honor.
- Community Achievement in Health Care – The Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County was the category award for guiding the financial turn-around of Wishard Health Services; the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana and St. Vince New Hope/Crooked Creek Northwest community Development Corporation.
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Media Contact:
Mary Hardin
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(317) 695-4090 (cell)
mhardin@iupui.edu