CAMDEN AHEC HONORED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE LEADERSHIP (en Español)
The Camden Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Camden, has received the 2006 Community Service Leader Award for extraordinary commitment to improving the health and welfare of New Jersey citizens.
The honor was presented at the 67th Annual Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards ceremonies held May 17, 2006 at the Princeton Hyatt Regency. Elizabeth Burke, of Haddon Heights, chairperson of the Camden AHEC board of trustees and Carol Wolff, of Tabernacle, executive director, accepted the prestigious award for the agency.
Camden AHEC’s mission is to improve the health of the medically underserved; the ethnic and culturally diverse, the aged, the poor, the very young, the unemployed, homeless and uninsured. AHEC also trains physicians and future healthcare providers in cultural competence - serving diverse patient groups with respect and dignity.
"The professionals of Camden AHEC work tirelessly to advocate for a healthier environment for the residents of Camden and surrounding communities," said Patricia Costante, Chair and CEO of MDAvantage, the event sponsor. "This dynamic organization is unwavering in its support for the people who live in and near one of the poorest cities in the nation."
The other 2006 Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine awardees include:
* Peter W. Rodino, Jr., Citizen Award: Former Governor Richard J. Codey and Mary Jo Codey
* Edward J. Ill Physician’s Award: William N. Hait, MD, PhD, Director The Cancer Institute of NJ; Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
* Outstanding Medical Educators: Peter W. Carmel, MD, Professor and Chairman, Neurological Surgery, UMDNJ-NJ Medical School; Co-Medical Director, Neurological Institute of NJ; and Vincent K. McInerney, MD, Asst Dean/Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Seton Hall School of Graduate Medical Education; Director, Medical Education, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.
* Outstanding Medical Executive Award: Robert P. Wise, CHE, president/CEO, Hunterdon Healthcare System.
The Excellence in Medicine Awards are named for Edward J. Ill, M.D., a New Jersey physician who pioneered and set the national standard for continuing medical education. Originally presented by the former Academy of Physicians, the Excellence in Medicine Awards are now sponsored by MDAdvantage, a leading New Jersey provider of medical liability insurance.
The Camden Area Health Education Center Camden provides free and affordable medical, dental and psychosocial care to indigent and uninsured South Jersey families, in partnerships with 200 medical schools, agencies, clinics, hospitals, churches and civic organizations. Camden AHEC also trains medical students and faculty in homophobia reduction and cultural competence -- developing respect for patients whose language, culture, race and economic status differ dramatically from their own. AHEC’s mission is to break down cultural and economic barriers that block thousands of disadvantaged people from accessing healthcare services, a challenge in New Jersey, where 15 percent of the population under 65 - more than 1,000,000 people – are without health insurance.
