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of health care in this country, are presented with unique and complex challenges when it comes to implementing electronic health records,” said Tom Bacon, DrPH, executive associate dean at the UNC School of Medicine and director of AHEC. “We share the same goal with our provider partners—to ensure the highest quality of care for patients and to optimize overall productivity and quality of work-life balance for providers and their staffs.” The health information technology regional extension center is directed by Ann Lefebvre, the program’s associate director of statewide quality improvement. Sam Cykert, MD, the program’s associate director for medical education, is the extension center’s clinical director. More than 40 staff members around the state are serving providers that have enrolled with the center. Gonzalez-Crespo selected to receive 2011 Massey service award Ruben Gonzalez-Crespo has been praised for bringing comfort, care and compassion to the Hispanic community through his work as a Spanish interpreter in UNC Lineberger and the NC Cancer Hospital. By helping patients and their families overcome language and cultural barriers, he is an important advocate for Latino health, increasing the number of minority cancer patients participating in clinical trials, directing patients to the emotional, therapeutic and financial resources available to them, and helping non-Spanish-speaking physicians understand their patients’ needs and concerns. “The Hispanic patients feel welcomed into the UNC Hospitals system and are wellsupported because of his efforts,” a colleague wrote. “Patients are able to effectively communicate their needs to the medical staff and likewise receive treatment with a clear understanding.” The C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Awards is one of the most coveted distinctions the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gives faculty and staff. Messer receives award to investigate dengue virus William Messer, MD, PhD, has been awarded a career development award from the Southeast Regional Center of Excellence for Emerging Infections & Biodefense (SERCEB). Messer is a third-year infectious diseases fellow in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine. Messer’s research focuses on the pathogen-host relationship between the dengue virus (DENV) and its natural mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. This award will provide funding over two years for Messer to conduct research on the genetic determinants of DENV infection of Aedes aegypti. “I am very excited about the funding and deeply appreciate the Division of Infectious Diseases’ and SERCEB’s support in this next step in my career,” said Messer, who received his MD (’06) and PhD from UNC. SERCEB was created to assist the nation in developing and deploying effective and rapid responses to emerging infectious
diseases and biothreats. The career development award aims to improve the health and security of citizens by funding research on effective new therapies and vaccines to combat those threats. The award targets new investigators demonstrating strong potential in their field. “Adding the mosquito model to SERCEB’s scientific repertoire really strengthens the center and adds an important new dimension to its research capacity,” Messer said. Gold honored with distinguished professorship Stuart H. Gold, MD, professor in the UNC School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the NC Children’s Hospital, has been awarded the Stuart H. Gold, MD, Distinguished Professorship that was created in his honor earlier this year. “This professorship honors one of our most beloved faculty members,” says Alan Stiles, MD, chairman of NC Children’s Hospital Department of Pediatrics. “It provides an especially meaningful way to recognize his many contributions to the practice and science of medicine. It will also help assure the continued excellence and success of the division by providing vital resources to attract and retain highly qualified faculty.” Endowed professorships help to bridge the gap between available funding and the need of top medical researchers for expanded resources for research and salary expenses. Such professorships also provide recognition for a physician’s contributions to medical science. Funding for the professorship was initiated by Friends of the Tarheel Angels, a Chapel Hill philanthropic organization, which raised $1.33 million in private funds, thus allowing the department to apply for matching funds from the state.
Doherty gift continued from page 17 done. They’ve also helped us continue our research when we were between grants, or needed special materials that our other funding wouldn’t cover.” “It’s not a lot of money, in the grand scheme of things,” Doherty said, modestly. “It’s just what Cornelia would have wanted me to do. It would have been too restrictive to ask that the money go for any specific thing. After all, you never know where the next great idea is going to come from. And when that great idea arrives, its development doesn’t always follow a linear path. Research often has to wander and take off on different paths. “Cornelia believed in Dr. Egan’s research, and so do I. After all, UNC gave my sister an opportunity to really live again for the last six months of her life. That meant so much to me, to see her acting like her old self again. “It’s easy for people to go through day-to-day life and maybe not understand what other people go through. But I could see what Cornelia went through before her transplant and after it. Donating can help you gain a little more perspective … It also makes you feel good.“