In celebration of the West Virginia State Medical Association's contribution to the health of West Virginians through the West Virginia Medical Foundation, the Foundation announces the creation of the prestigious "Excellence in Medicine Awards" that recognize outstanding efforts by members of the West Virginia State Medical Association who help the Foundation fulfill its mission:  To improve the health of all West Virginians by promoting health education, leadership and research; encouraging healthy lifestyles and enhancing access to quality healthcare.

Each year the Foundation will honor a select group of physicians who exemplify the medical profession's highest values:  commitment to service, community involvement, altruism and leadership in the medical profession. The Foundation is accepting nominations for the following 2010 Excellence in Medicine Awards:

Excellence in Medicine for Enhancing Access to Quality Healthcare
Presented to the physician who has demonstrated extraordinary interest and efforts toward improving access to healthcare or reducing health care disparities in West Virginia.

Excellence in Medicine for Leadership in Public Health
Presented to the physician who has made a real difference in creating and nurturing a caring health promotion and disease prevention environment. Efforts may be related to reducing tobacco use, promoting healthy lifestyles, providing leadership in community health or public health policy advocacy.

Excellence in Medicine for a Lifetime of Distinguished Service  
The award recognizes a West Virginia physician who throughout his or her career has exemplified the medical profession’s highest values: commitment to service, community involvement, altruism and leadership in the medical profession. The individual must have practiced medicine for at least 25 years.

The awards will be presented at a black tie optional dinner on Friday, August 27, 2010 at the West Virginia State Medical Association’s Healthcare Summit at The Greenbrier.  Each award is accompanied by a $500 contribution to the charitable medical organization of the recipient’s choice. The nomination packet must be received at the West Virginia Medical Foundation no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31st.

Nomination Information

Official Nomination Form



Know Your Healthy Numbers
The more you know about your health numbers and keep them within the target zones, the better your chance for not developing a chronic health disease, such as heart disease or diabetes.  Start the new year off with information on healthy numbers for cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood glucose and body mass index.

click here, for a copy of the Know Your Numbers Brochure

 
Foundation joins Alzheimer’s Outreach and Registry Program Partnership
The West Virginia Medical Foundation has joined with several partners to help implement the Alzheimer’s Outreach and Registry Program at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) at West Virginia University.

This initiative brings together the Foundation, the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, the Alzheimer’s Association, West Virginia Chapter and the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute.  

The aim of the initiative is to reach every physician and other healthcare providers in the state to improve the diagnosis, treatment and support for the more than 44,000 Alzheimer’s disease patients and their 85,000 caregivers in West Virginia. 

The initiative has three components: 

The West Virginia Medical Foundation is committed to seek ways to help mitigate the burdens families face while dealing with Alzheimer’s by reaching out to physicians, nurses, social workers and caregivers. That is why on September 14 the Foundation, along with the Blanchette Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, the Alzheimer’s Association, West Virginia Chapter, and the West Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association launched a comprehensive outreach program to educate the medical community on diagnostic techniques, how to better link treatment and care, and to collect data that will better inform diagnosis, treatment and research.