Each year, ACEP recognizes outstanding contributions to emergency medicine. Here are this year’s recipients of these awards:

Mark L. DeBard, M.D., FACEP

John G. Wiegens tein Leadership Award

ACEP presents the John G. Wiegenstein Leadership Award to a current or past national leader in recognition of outstanding contribution to the College. The award honors Dr. John G. Wiegenstein, a founding member and the first president of ACEP.

Dr. Mark L. DeBard is a professor of emergency medicine at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, where he teaches medical students and residents. He also works full time as a clinician in the OSU Wexner Medical Center at

University Hospital East in Columbus and serves as co-chair of the medical school’s admissions committee.

Dr. DeBard’s service to ACEP began early. He joined the College in 1976 and quickly became a leader at the state and national levels. He was elected to Ohio ACEP’s Board of Directors in 1982 and served until 2005. He was the chapter’s President in 1990 and continues as one of its longest serving representatives on the Council. He served on the national ACEP Board of Directors from 1992-1998, as Council Vice Speaker from 1999-2003 and as Speaker from 2003-2005.

Throughout his career, he has championed important improvements in emergency care, including standards for exams and counseling of sexual assault patients and the identification of excited delirium syndrome as a clinical entity. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Ohio ACEP’s Bill Hall

Service Award in 1995, ACEP’s Council Meritorious Service Award in 2006, and the OSUCOM Distinguished Educator of the Year Award in 2011.

Dr. DeBard grew up in Centerville, Ohio, outside of Dayton, where his father was a country family physician and his mother ran their medical office as a medical technician. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton and his medical degree from Ohio State.

He lives with his wife, Linda, a retired secondary-school French teacher, in Columbus. Avid Francophiles, they love traveling and Broadway musicals. They are the parents of four adult children: Jason, Brittany, Nathan and Alicia.

Diana L. Fite, M.D., FACEP

James D. Mills Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Medicine Award

ACEP presents the James D. Mills Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Medicine Award to an active, life or honorary member for significant contributions to emergency medicine. The award honors the late James D. Mills Jr., MD, the second president of the College and organizer of the Alexandria Plan for full-time emergency department staffing and management.

Dr. Diana L. Fite is an attending physician at two hospital emergency departments in Houston, Methodist Willowbrook and Christus Saint Catherine’s, as well as at free standing emergency facilities in Tomball and Katy, Texas. She served for 22 years as part-time clinical assistant professor for the emergency medicine residency program at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

Her father was an English neurosurgeon who immigrated to the United States to escape socialized medicine. Her mother was an operating room nurse. Dr. Fite grew up in the Texas Panhandle, received

her undergraduate education at West Texas State University and her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

When she graduated, there were no emergency medicine residencies in Texas or surrounding states, so she pursued obstetrics and gynecology and took every possible elective month in the emergency department. She worked hard to help establish emergency medicine in Texas and lectured extensively on child abuse and domestic violence. She has served for 22 years as the Texas College of Emergency Physicians’ legislative chair.

In 1995, Dr. Fite became the first female president of TCEP and the first emergency physician to serve as president of the 12,000-member Harris County Medical Society. In both roles, she raised the visibility of emergency medicine and championed issues of importance to the emergency physicians and patients.

Dr. Fite lives in Tomball, Texas, and is the proud and devoted mother of eight children: Tracy, Anna, Arthur, Elizabeth, Alexandria, Renée, Aaron, and Amanda.

Amal Mattu, M.D., FACEP

Outstanding Contribution in Education Award

ACEP presents the Outstanding Contribution in Education Award to a member who has made a significant contribution to the educational aspects of emergency medicine.

Dr. Mattu is a tenured professor, vice chair and director of the Faculty Development Fellowship, and the Emergency Cardiology Fellowship in the Department of Emergency Medicine, at the University of Maryland.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, he grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. After college, he received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. He completed an emergency medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, followed by a teaching fellowship with a special focus on emergency cardiology.

Dr. Mattu’s areas of academic focus are emergency cardiology, geriatric emergency medicine, and faculty development. Since joining the faculty at the University of Maryland in 1996, he has received more than 20 awards for lecturing and teaching, including national awards from ACEP. He is the author of “ECGs for the Emergency Physician,” Volumes 1 and 2, and has served as an editor for 13 other textbooks in emergency medicine, including ACEP’s “Electrocardiography in Emergency Medicine.”

Dr. Mattu is the editor and host of “EMCast,” EmedHome’s monthly podcast, and creator of a weekly EKG video series with subscribers in more than 150 countries around the world. He is a frequent speaker at educational conferences nationwide and in 18 other countries.

Dr. Mattu and his wife, Sejal, live outside Annapolis, Md., with their three children: Nikhil, Kamran, and Eleena. He enjoys traveling with his wife, teaching his kids electrocardiography and quoting “The Princess Bride.”

Jeffrey Tabas, M.D., FACEP

Outstanding Contribution in Education Award

ACEP presents the Outstanding Contribution in Education Award to a member who has made a significant contribution to the educational aspects of emergency medicine.

Dr. Jeffrey Tabas is professor of emergency medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and practices at San Francisco General Hospital. He

currently serves as a director in the UCSF Office of Continuing Medical Education and has taught emergency medicine, advanced procedural skills training and electro- cardiography to a generation of students and residents.

Born in Philadelphia, Dr. Tabas earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed an internal medicine residency at University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center and an emergency medicine residency at the UCLA-Olive View program.

His areas of educational and research focus are cardiovascular emergencies and procedural skill training. He has been an active lecturer, book chapter and review article author, editor of a textbook on emergency electrocardiography, and course chair for several popular emergency medicine conferences. For JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr. Tabas serves as editor of the continuing medical education section and a clinical electrocardiography series.

Dr. Tabas has shown his dedication to ACEP in innovative ways, including the creation of a groundbreaking cadaver-based life-saving procedures lab. He has served as a member of the ACEP Education Committee and Scientific Assembly Planning Committee for more than a decade and was chair of the ACEP 2011 Scientific Assembly.

Dr. Tabas and his wife, pediatrician Michiko Shibata, live in San Francisco with their three children, Kenzo, Kai, and Maya. When he’s not pursuing academic and clinical interests or spending time with his family, he enjoys throwing hip checks and honing his ever-improving ice hockey skills.

Brian J. O’Neil, M.D., FACEP

Outstanding Contribution in Research Award

ACEP presents the Outstanding Contribution in Research Award to a member who has made a significant contribution to research in emergency medicine.

Dr. O’Neil is chair, director of basic science research and Edward S. Thomas endowed professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine. He is also a specialist and chief at Detroit Medical Center.

Born in Detroit and raised in East Detroit, Dr. O’Neil studied at Wayne State University, completing his undergraduate degree, medical training, emergency medicine residency, and fellowship at the Detroit campus.

He is nationally recognized as an expert in the fields of cardiac and cerebral ischemia and resuscitation. He has served ACEP in many high-impact roles, including chair of the Scientific Review Committees for Clinical Science and Basic Science, chair of the Research Committee, Chair of The Research Forum Subcommittee and chair of the Emergency Medicine Research Section.

He is past chair of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Committee and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Committee, is the immediate past president of the AHA ECC Science Subcommittee, and a member of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, an AHA advisory group.

Dr. O’Neil is a member of the writing committee for the AHA’s Acute Coronary Syndromes Guidelines and its Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Subcommittee and Writing Group. He co-wrote the AHA’s 2010 guidelines on acute coronary syndromes and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which significantly updated the CPR basics taught to millions.

He and his wife, Lynda O’Neil, RN-BSN, live in Clarkston, Mich. They are the parents of two children, Christina and Brendan, who share their father’s love of music. He is an avid sportsman who enjoys softball, golf, volleyball, fishing, and skiing.

Daniel G. Hankins, M.D., FACEP

Outstanding Contribution in EMS Award

ACEP presents the Outstanding Contribution in EMS Award to a member or non-member who has made a contribution to emergency medical services that is nationally significant in application or scope.

Based at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Dr. Hankins is a consultant and associate professor of emergency medicine and co-medical director of Mayo Clinical Medical Transport.

He was born and raised in Pittsburgh and earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Minnesota and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1977 to 1979.

Dr. Hankins joined ACEP in 1980 and became board certified in emergency medicine in 1983. An active member of Minnesota ACEP, he served the chapter as president and chair of the EMS Committee.

He became involved in emergency medical services when he joined Saint Paul-Ramsey Medical Center, now Regions Hospital. At SPRMC, he served as medical director for the Saint Paul Fire Department ALS service, the Life Link 3 air and ground critical care transport service, as well as multiple other ALS, BLS, and first responder services.

A committed champion of air medical services, he has served as board member and President of the Association of Air Medical Services. In 1999, AAMS recognized his seminal contributions with its Barbara A. Hess Research Award.

Dr. Hankins and his wife, Joan, a Mayo flight nurse, live in Oronoco, Minn. Their blended family includes three children: Stephanie, David, and Julia. His favorite non-medical activity is visiting the battlefields of the Civil War. Joan looks forward to joining him on walking tours of all 13,000.

William Wesley Fields, M.D., FACEP

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

ACEP presents the Colin C. Rorrie Jr., PhD Health Policy Award to a member or non-member who has made an outstanding contribution in monitoring and influencing health policy of importance to emergency medicine.

Dr. Fields is a long-time member and past chair of the Board of Directors of CEP America. He serves on the clinical faculty at the University of California, Irvine, and has been an attending physician at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills for 30 years.

Born in Illinois and raised in California, Dr. Fields received his undergraduate degree from the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He graduated from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and completed an emergency medicine residency at Harbor/UCLA.

He is a Past President of California ACEP and has strengthened national ACEP as a dedicated member of the Federal Government Affairs Committee and the NEMPAC Board of Trustees.

He has served on many national expert task forces and panels, including recent work for the National Quality Forum on regionalizing emergency care.

He reviews health policy for several journals and is the author of a number of peer-reviewed articles and practice management chapters.

He is the founding chair of the Emergency Medicine Action Fund, a broad-based coalition engaged in federal regulatory and legal advocacy, health care reform, and policy development for the acute care continuum.

Dr. Fields and his partner, Nadia Pipe, live in Laguna Niguel, Calif. With his late wife, Molly, he is the father of two adult children, Paris and Katie, who lives nearby.

The author of two novels, Dr. Fields looks forward to returning to fiction and nonfiction if he ever swears off policy and politics.

Paul R. Pomeroy Jr., M.D., FACEP

John A. Rupke Legacy Award

ACEP presents the John A. Rupke Legacy Award to a current ACEP member for outstanding lifetime contributions to the College. In recognition of his longevity and unwavering dedication, ACEP presents the Legacy award in honor of John A. Rupke, M.D., FACEP, one of the College’s initial founding members.

Dr. Pomeroy is a retired emergency physician who spent his career caring for patients in the Detroit area. He held department director positions at several suburban hospitals, including St. Mary Mercy Livonia Hospital and St Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac.

He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his medical degree from the University of Michigan School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Wayne County General Hospital, where he was chief resident.

Throughout his career, he helped guide and shape emergency medical services systems. He served multiple terms as medical director for EMS systems in Oakland and Western Wayne counties. During his tenure, he developed, implemented, and supervised important pilot programs, including the use of automated defibrillators and an intermediate airway device by basic emergency medical technicians.

Dr. Pomeroy’s dedication to ACEP began early and continues today. He served as President of the Michigan Chapter in the early 1980s and is the longest continuously serving member of the ACEP Council. In addition to recognition from the Michigan Chapter, he is the recipient of ACEP’s Council Meritorious Service Award and Honorary Membership Award.

Dr. Pomeroy and his wife, Barbara, an emergency nurse, live in Livonia, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. They spend winters in La Quinta, Calif., to be close to their children. Their blended family includes son, Jeff, and his wife, Danna; and daughter, Noelle, and her husband, Rich. When he isn’t traveling or gardening with Barbara, Dr. Pomeroy helps keep two regional bridge organizations going strong.

Caral Edelberg, CPC, CPMA, CAC, CCS-P, CHC

Honorary Membership Award

ACEP presents the Honorary Membership Award to an individual who has rendered outstanding service to the College or to the medical profession.

Mrs. Edelberg is President of Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Edelberg Compliance Associates, a firm specializing in emergency, EMS/ambulance, and hospital medicine coding and compliance.

A widely recognized expert on emergency department revenue cycle management, she manages projects in facilities across the country. She also develops training, auditing, and monitoring tools that identify coding and billing problems for emergency and hospitalist medicine.

Mrs. Edelberg has shared her knowledge and skill with the College and its members for decades. She is a longstanding member of the ACEP Coding & Nomenclature Advisory Committee. As a member, she has helped develop key tools, including frequently asked questions, on coding and reimbursement.

A sought-after educator, she has served as a faculty member for wide-ranging organizations, including national ACEP and nearly two dozen ACEP chapters. She is the first non-physician to receive ACEP’s Outstanding Speaker of the Year Award and a two-time recipient of the ACEP Educational Meeting Committee’s “Over the Top” Faculty Award for teaching prowess and excellence.

Among other publications, she is the author of “Procedure Coding for Emergency Medicine” published by ACEP, “The Emergency Medicine Study Guide,” “The Emergency Medicine Coding Competency Examination,” and “The Emergency Department Answer Book.”

Mrs. Edelberg and her husband, ACEP member Dr. Jay Edelberg, live in Baton Rouge. Their family includes two adult sons, Michael and Erik; one adult daughter, Tracey; two grandsons they have raised as their own, Tyler and Joshua; and five other grandchildren. Outside of emergency medicine, her greatest passions include her family, beaches, and writing.

Robert M. Roth, D.O., FACEP

Council Meritorious Service Award

ACEP presents the Council Meritorious Service Award to a member who has made consistent contributions to the growth and effectiveness of the ACEP Council.

Dr. Roth is senior partner and compliance officer for Cumberland Emergency Physicians PC and is in active clinical practice at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn.

Born in Dubuque, Iowa, he grew up on the Mississippi. He completed a Bachelor’s degree at Loras College, a Master’s degree in biometry at the Medical College of South Carolina and his medical training at the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Des Moines. After Air Force training in aerospace medicine, he completed an emergency medicine residency at Wright State University.

From the beginning, his career in emergency medicine has included an unwavering commitment to the College. He has served the Tennessee Chapter as President and continues to be an active board member. In addition to influencing state policy on pediatric emergency care, he is currently working to change the standard for care in medical malpractice reform.

At the national level, Dr. Roth has been active in the ACEP Council since the 1980s and has served on the Tellers, Credentials & Elections Committee and on Reference Committees. His insight, integrity and resourcefulness have advanced the Council’s mission to represent all emergency physicians.

Dr. Roth and his wife, Terri, live in Brentwood, Tenn. They are the parents of three young adult children: Jeremy, Taylor, and Alison. He treasures time with his family, enjoys downhill skiing, and is a connoisseur of fine wine – especially Italian reds, Oregon Pinot Noir, and French Bordeaux.

Thomas Dean Kirsch, M.D., MPH, FACEP

Disaster Medical Sciences Award

ACEP and the Disaster Preparedness & Response Committee present the Disaster Medical Sciences Award to the member who has made consistent contributions to disaster response education and implementation.

Dr. Kirsch currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he is also co-director of the Center for Refugee and Disaster Response.

Dr. Kirsch is an expert in disaster research, planning and response, and disaster and wilderness medicine. He has been teaching disaster-related subjects for more than 20 years, both nationally and internationally in countries such as Israel, Belgium, Taiwan, Azerbaijan and Pakistan. He currently teaches the masters-level courses Introduction to Humanitarian Emergencies and Public Health Methods in Disasters at the School of Public Health and Austere Medicine at the School of Medicine. He also directs the Disaster Fellowship in the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Kirsch has authored more than 50 scientific articles, dozens of abstracts, and 18 textbook chapters. He also authored the disaster medical textbook, “Emergent Field Medicine.”

He has served as the National Physician Advisor for the American Red Cross Disaster Health Services and has consulted on disaster-related issues for several organizations, including: The World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), The Pan American Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.