Health
Sciences Center announces community awards
The UNM
Health Sciences Center (HSC) has announced the recipients of
its 2003 Community Partnership Awards.
The awards
recognize and honor organizations and individuals who have worked
in partnership with the HSC to help address important questions
in health care, mentor the next generation of biomedical scientists
and health care professionals, expand the frontiers of research
and scholarship, explore new ways to deliver patient care, and
improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans.
The awards
were presented last month at a ceremony at the Old Albuquerque
Airport Terminal. The awards and this years recipients
are as follows:
Cornerstone
Award: Maralyn Budke
The Cornerstone
Award recognizes outstanding contributions over the career of
an individual who has fostered the growth and development of
the HSC. As former director of the New Mexico State Legislative
Finance Committee staff, Budke shepherded several major initiatives
that led to the creation of the UNM School of Medicine and to
legislation authorizing the UNM Board of Regents to lease what
is now UNM Hospital from Bernalillo County. Budke also has served
on the UNM Hospital Board of Trustees and as chair of the hospitals
Clinical Operations Board.
Philanthropy
Award: Milton Rosenbaum, M.D., and the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation
The Philanthropy
Award recognizes significant gifts from individuals and private
foundations in support of the Health Sciences Center. Emeritus
Professor of Psychiatry Milton Rosenbaum created, with his late
wife, Jean, two important endowments that fund psychiatric research
and a lecture series in the UNM School of Medicine. During the
past year, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has given
almost $300,000 to the UNM Cancer Research & Treatment Center
for a peer support program for Hispanic women newly diagnosed
with breast cancer and a childcare program for women undergoing
breast cancer evaluation and treatment.
Pathways
Award: Rep. Henry Kiki Saavedra, D-Albuquerque
The Pathways
Award recognizes an individual or organization that has served
as an advocate for the HSC to the business community or government.
Saavedra became a champion of the HSC several years ago after
seeing first-hand what the Newborn Intensive Care unit at UNM
Hospital could do for the prematurely born grandson of one of
his close friends. Since then, Saavedra has helped the HSC secure
legislative funding for many programs including the College
of Nursing, Newborn Intensive Care and the Office of the Medical
Investigator.
Corporate
Support Award: Pfizer
The corporate
support award recognizes outstanding gifts or other forms of
support from corporations or businesses. Pfizer Incorporated
has contributed almost $400,000 for projects such as a cardiovascular
risk reduction clinic and College of Pharmacy faculty research,
while total giving from the Pfizer Foundation exceeds $3.5 million,
primarily to support the indigent drug program at the UNM Hospital
Pharmacy. Pfizer also provided the College of Pharmacy with
equipment valued at more than $80,000 and each year recruits
several UNM students as interns.
Building
Bridges Awards: Jonathan Abrams, M.D. and Duke City Civitans
The Building
Bridges Award recognizes outstanding service from a community
volunteer or volunteer or preceptor faculty or from a civic
or community organization. Abrams, a professor of cardiology
in the UNM School of Medicine, founded the University Hospital
Art Gallery and serves as its curator. In addition, he has persuaded
well-known artists to contribute their works to help transform
the public spaces of the HSC into a welcoming environment for
patients, faculty, and staff. The Duke City Civitans have been
active supporters of UNM Childrens Hospital since 1992,
volunteering their contributions and time for projects ranging
from staffing telephone banks for the hospitals telethons
to purchasing games for children at UNM Childrens Psychiatric
Hospital.