Please join ACEP in congratulating the recipients of the College’s most prestigious awards. Some of these winners will be recognized at the President’s Awards Banquet on Tuesday night, while others will receive their awards at Section, Council, or Research Forum events.

John G. Wiegenstein Leadership Award

Col. Linda L. Lawrence, MD, FACEP

Dr. Lawrence is a Past President and Past Chair of ACEP’s Board of Directors and has served more than 24 years as an emergency physician and physician executive in the Air Force in a variety of roles. She is a recognized executive leader, academician, and clinician, and some highlights of her career include roles as associate professor and commandant at Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland; chief medical officer at David Grant Medical Center in Fairfield, California; chief of the department of emergency medicine at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio; Air Force Medical Service chief consultant for emergency medicine; deployed deputy hospital commander in Balad, Iraq; hospital commander at Aviano Air Base in Italy; director of healthcare operations for the Air Force Medical Support Agency; and, most recently, special assistant to the Air Force surgeon general for Trusted Care Transformation. She is currently retiring from the Air Force and looks forward to coming back to her roots as an emergency physician and beginning her new role as executive vice president of organizational and cultural integration with US Acute Care Solutions.

Dr. Lawrence and her husband James have two children. Their daughter is a junior at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and their son is a cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

John A. Rupke Legacy Award

Kathleen Cowling, DO, FACEP

Dr. Cowling was born on February 29, 1964, making her a leap year baby. Within 3 months, tragedy struck and took her father in a car accident. Growing up, she and her mother traveled the world, and Dr. Cowling began to develop her love of science and biology early. Skipping grades 8 and 12, she started college at 16 after spending the summer doing research in the physiology lab at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing on cat brains and blood flow changes under increased levels of carbon dioxide. She also became the youngest person in Michigan to become licensed as an EMT.

Completing her BS in physiology at MSU, she had already started graduate level work in biomechanics. She completed her MS while enrolling in the DO program at MSU. She graduated from MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1991, earning their award for the most outstanding woman graduate of the class.

During college, she met her husband Robert. They were married on Mackinac Island right before Dr. Cowling started her internship at Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, Michigan, where she was able to learn and train with Dr. John Wiegenstein.

After internship, she continued her training in Lansing at Sparrow Hospital, doing her residency in emergency medicine and finishing as chief resident in 1995. Dr. Cowling was offered the position as core faculty in a new residency in Saginaw, Michigan. Taking a risk that teaching others how to practice emergency medicine was going to be her passion, she took the job which she then had for two decades until taking over the role as program director this past year. Dr. Cowling attributes ACEP’s Teaching Fellowships to helping her gain the knowledge and courage to tackle this incredible role.

Dr. Cowling has worked with the Michigan Chapter for over 25 years, serving on the Board of Directors and as Chapter President. The Chapter awarded her their highest awards—the Ron Krome Award and the Legacy Award. Dr. Cowling was elected to the national ACEP Board of Directors in 2005. After her term on the Board was completed, she was appointed commissioner by Governor Rick Snyder to serve on Michigan’s Certificate of Need, which she is still involved with today.

When not teaching or working clinically, Dr. Cowling and her husband are always seeking out adventures either playing with the German shepherds, watching movies, or going on trips to explore new places.

Amazingly, Dr. Cowling has also taken on getting her MBA, which she hopes to complete in spring 2017.

James D. Mills Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Medicine Award

Lewis R. Goldfrank, MD, FACEP

Dr. Goldfrank has worked at Bellevue Hospital Center and New York University Medical Center for the last 37 years. He is currently the Herbert W. Adams Professor of the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine at New York University. He recently retired as the first chairman of the department. He is also the medical director of the New York City Health Department’s Poison Center. He attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, and the University of Brussels, Belgium.

His efforts have led to the development of NYU’s emergency medicine and medical toxicology residencies. He served as chair of the American Board of Emergency Medicine’s sub-board on medical toxicology, the American Board of Medical Toxicology, and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. His entire career has been spent working in the public hospitals of New York City emphasizing the role of emergency medicine in improving access to care, public health, public policy, and medical humanism.

His investigations in preparedness include developing and leading a consortium on preparedness with the NYC Department of Health, leading the New York University School of Medicine Consortium on Preparedness, being the principal investigator for a Department of Homeland Security Large Scale Emergency Readiness grant, and being a co-principal investigator on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Research grant, the Health Protection Research Initiative.

Dr. Goldfrank is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and chaired the Institute of Medicine Committees on Responding to the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism, Evaluation of the Metropolitan Medical Response Systems Program, and Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic: Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers.

Outstanding Contribution in Education Award

James R. Roberts, MD, FACEP

Dr. Roberts is currently professor of emergency medicine and senior consultant in medical toxicology at Drexel University College of Medicine, and director of medical toxicology at Mercy Catholic Medical Center, both in Philadelphia.

Dr. Roberts graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, completed a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, and a fellowship in medical toxicology at New York University/Bellevue Hospital. He has established two fellowship training programs in medical toxicology, trained over 30 toxicologists, and has been medical director of the New Mexico EMS academy.

Dr. Roberts was a founding member of the Emergency Medicine Residents Association (EMRA), and served as the organization’s first ACEP representative. He received recognition for academic achievement (The Hal Jayne Award) from Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), the David K. Wagner award from American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), was profiled in Lancet, and is a member of Best Doctors in America. Dr. Roberts has been chair of the editorial board of Emergency Medicine News for over 30 years, has written hundreds of columns for the In Focus series, and received the gold award for his work in Emergency Medicine News from the American Society of Healthcare Publications. He has presented continuing education lectures and scientific exhibits in the United States, Iceland, Cuba, Italy, Mexico, Malta, and Canada, and has presented CME/postgraduate courses at the annual scientific assemblies of ACEP, SAEM, and AAEM.

Dr. Roberts currently lives in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania; has been married for 40 years to Lydia; has a daughter, Martha, who is a nurse practitioner in Virginia; and has a son, Matthew, who is a video game producer in Berlin, Germany.

Colin C. Rorrie, Jr. Award for Excellence in Health Policy

Marilyn J. Heine, MD, FACEP

Dr. Heine is an internal medicine physician who practices emergency medicine and hematology oncology in Pennsylvania. She is clinical assistant professor in the Drexel University College of Medicine department of medicine and in the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine department of emergency medicine. Born and raised in New Jersey, she attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, prior to receiving her MD degree at Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey, and completing a residency and fellowship between Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Dr. Heine is a member of the AMA Council on Legislation and previously served on the Board of Directors for AMPAC, the American Medical Association’s political action committee, where she chaired the AMPAC Committee on Political Education and Communication. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) delegation to the AMA House of Delegates. Prior to her presidency of PAMED, Dr. Heine chaired PAMED’s Executive Council on Political Advocacy and the PAMPAC Board of Directors.

Dr. Heine has held many prominent positions with ACEP, including Chair of the Federal Government Affairs Committee, is a member of PAMED’s Specialty Leadership Cabinet, and Past President of the Bucks County Medical Society. She is also active in the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Heine has received many honors that include the ACEP Council Meritorious Service Award, Hero of Emergency Medicine Award, Dr. Benjamin Rush Award, PACEP Meritorious Service Award, US Senate Certificate of Distinguished Service, ACEP 911 Legislative Network Member of the Year, and the Bucks County YWCA’s award for Women Who Make a Difference. She was the inaugural recipient of PAMPAC’s R. William Alexander, MD, Award “for contributions to the medical profession through grassroots political involvement and advocacy.”

Dr. Heine is married to Arlin Silberman, DO, an addiction psychiatrist. They reside in Dresher, Pennsylvania, and share a mutual enjoyment of gardening, cooking, and music.

Council Meritorious Service Award

Col. Marco Coppola, DO, FACEP

Dr. Coppola is a Past ACEP Council Speaker. He is presently the chief medical officer and VP for Medical Affairs for Family ER + Urgent and adjunct clinical professor of emergency medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. He is formerly the program director of three emergency medicine residencies, and past chair of three departments of emergency medicine. He is the recipient of numerous teaching awards and is the author of many textbook chapters and peer-reviewed articles. Col. Coppola is the deputy surgeon and chief of emergency medical services for the Texas Medical Brigade of the Texas State Guard. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was the longest running commander (47 months) of the Texas Medical Command, Texas Army National Guard. He is one of only a handful of Army emergency physicians holding the Surgeon General’s “A” Proficiency Designator in Emergency Medicine, and is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, six Army Commendation Medals, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Texas Lonestar Distinguished Service Medal. He and his wife Stacy have two sons, Antonio and Luca, two sassy shih tzus named Mia and Leelu, and a gallant boxer named Goose.

Disaster Medical Sciences Award

Andrew I. Bern, MD, FACEP

Dr. Bern is a full-time emergency physician and independent health care consultant specializing in emergency and disaster medicine, informatics, and telehealth. Since 1984, he’s concentrated his work in South Florida.

As a former member of ACEP’s Board of Directors, Dr. Bern served with the EMS, Critical Care, Air Medical Transport, Wilderness, and Disaster sections. He was also a founding member of the Disaster, Geriatric, Tactical, Telemedicine, and Disaster Medicine sections. On the ACEP Council, he served on the Steering Committee, on numerous Council sub-committees and on the Reference Committee.

Dr. Bern was instrumental in creating ACEP’s Grant Program that has raised more than $10 million for College projects. He was an active participant in the creation of the Health Policy Grant Program and serves as a Councilor from Florida.

Dr. Bern participated in the joint subcommittees of Reimbursement and American College of Emergency Physicians State Legislative/Regulatory Committee on the issue of fair reimbursement and model legislation, and worked on the development of the H1N1 grant project to develop recommendations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response grants.

Dr. Bern grew up in East Meadow on Long Island. He earned his BS degree from State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical School in Brooklyn. He completed his emergency medicine residency at University of Louisville Affiliated Hospitals.

Dr. Bern lives in Coral Springs, Florida, with his wife, Judith, an early childhood educator. They are the parents of Suzanne, division director for the Tampa Jewish Community Center, and Michael, an attorney in Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Contribution in EMS Award

Jullette M. Saussy, MD, FACEP

Dr. Saussy began her career as an EMT, becoming a paramedic in 1986. She graduated with a BA in sociology from Tulane University, Newcomb College in New Orleans in 1988. Dr. Saussy attended Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine in New Orleans and graduated in 1994. She completed her four-year residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans with LSU Emergency Medicine and was board certified in 2000.

Dr. Saussy’s love for and experience in prehospital emergency medicine has spanned 35 years and includes being EMS medical director for New Orleans Fire Department, director and medical director for New Orleans EMS, and chief medical officer for the City of New Orleans Homeland Security Office. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans August 2005, just eight months after she took over the troubled system. Serving the city before, during, and after Katrina remains one of her greatest career challenges, but also one of her greatest joys.

In 2007, Dr. Saussy was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer that metastasized to her lungs, and she spent 2007–2008 battling this disease. Blessed with an amazing team, she was able to continue to work, traveling weekly to and from Texas for treatment.

In 2010, she resigned and practiced emergency medicine full time as an asssistant clinical professor of emergency medicine at LSU until joining Vidacare/Teleflex and working as one of the medical directors of global clinical and medical affairs.

In July 2015, Dr. Saussy began as EMS medical director/assistant fire chief for DC Fire and EMS. She followed many competent EMS medical directors, and with the promise from the fire department, the deputy mayor of public safety, and the mayor, she was poised to reform a system plagued by years of controversy and intrinsic shortfalls that affected quality patient care. However, it was not to be, and on February 12, 2016, Dr. Saussy resigned. She is currently working clinically in a critical access hospital in Virginia with Riverside Physicians Group.

Dr. Saussy is married to Bob Davis, the former USA Today reporter who wrote the game changing EMS series “Six Minutes to Live” and lives in Alexandria, Virginia. They have five grown daughters.

Outstanding Contribution in Research Award

Carlos A. Camargo, Jr., MD, DrPH, FACEP

Dr. Camargo is professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School, professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Conn Chair in Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, all in Boston.

Dr. Camargo founded and directs the Emergency Medicine Network (EMNet), an international research collaboration with more than 230 hospitals. EMNet focuses on respiratory/allergy emergencies, emergency care health policy, and other public health issues. Dr. Camargo’s research also focuses on nutrition and respiratory/allergy disorders in large cohort studies and in randomized controlled trials.

Dr. Camargo is past president of the American College of Epidemiology and has served on many national committees, including those for the 2005 US dietary guidelines, 2007 National Institutes of Health (NIH) asthma guidelines, and 2010 NIH food allergy guidelines. He has more than 750 publications.

Dr. Camargo was born in Cleveland to a Colombian father and French mother. The family lived in Colombia when he was a child, but then moved more permanently to the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Camargo received his BA from Stanford University (1983); MPH from the University of California, Berkeley (1989); MD from the University of California, San Francisco (1990); and DrPH from Harvard School of Public Health (1996). He completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital (1993), and research fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (1996), both in Boston.

Dr. Camargo lives in Boston with his wife, Ana Maria (Ania), who is a management consultant for several not-for-profit organizations. They have two daughters: Alexandra (Sasa), who attends Stanford University, and Camilla (Mila), who is a high school junior.

Honorary Membership Award

Beth P. Brunner, CAE

Ms. Brunner is the executive director of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians (FCEP) and CEO of the Florida Emergency Medicine Foundation (FEMF), located in the Emergency Medicine Learning and Resource Center in Orlando.

Ms. Brunner has provided leadership for FCEP since 1986. She was instrumental in working to create FEMF in 1990. As executive director, Ms. Brunner works with many local, state, and national organizations and individuals to advocate and support emergency care providers and their patients. Ms. Brunner earned her MBA from the University of Central Florida, and has earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. She resides in Orlando.

Honorary Membership Award

Barbara Burgess

Ms. Burgess has been the part-time executive director for Colorado ACEP for 20 years. Hired by Dr. Dennis Beck, Dr. Jack Dillon, and Dr. Richard Talley, she has greatly surpassed the original three-year commitment she made to them! After holding positions with the State of Colorado EMS Division and Aurora Presbyterian Hospital (EMS Education), Ms. Burgess capitalized on her love of working with EMS providers by joining Colorado Advanced Life Support as their executive director. There, she had the opportunity to work with many distinguished physicians, including Dr. Doug Canham, Dr. Doug Hill, and Dr. Roger Barkin.

Through hard work and a bit of serendipity, Ms. Burgess became ACEP’s Colorado Chapter Executive Director in 1995. The position has expanded her understanding of association management. From planning CME events to getting involved in the political landscape, there are always new challenges and rewards on the horizon.

Ms. Burgess was born and raised in Colorado, where the love of outdoor activities is mandatory. To keep things in perspective and remind her to relax, Ms. Burgess loves to travel with her friends and get in a game of golf every now and then. Just recently blessed with two beautiful granddaughters (Ashlyn and Averie), Ms. Burgess will tell you that although she loves ACEP, being a grandma is the best job yet!