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BWH's Joseph Frolkis, MD, PhD, Annie Lewis-O'Connor, PhD, NP-BC, MPH, and Michael Zinner, MD, were recently named 2012 Champions in Health Care by the Boston Business Journal.
The annual awards honor leading professionals who are making major contributions to health care in Massachusetts.
"Our BWH award winners are truly accomplished leaders in their respective fields and have made a difference within our walls and beyond," said BW/F President Betsy Nabel, MD. "We are honored that the Boston Business Journal has recognized them for their dedication and achievements."
Joseph Frolkis, vice chair of Primary Care in BWH's Department of Medicine, was honored in the Physician category, as a pioneer in the practice of medicine. After coming to BWH in October 2009, Frolkis noticed a problem: medical students and residents were turning away from primary care. He made it his mission to transform traditional primary care at BWH to a team-based care model, also known as a patient-centered medical home, now fundamental to systematic health care reform nationally. (See related story at left.)
This model is focused on improving quality and patient and provider satisfaction, enhancing access and lowering costs. Under Frolkis' leadership, the team-based model of a primary care office is becoming a reality. Since Frolkis arrived, the hospital has recruited 33 new primary care doctors and opened two new medical home practices.
"There is a renewed interest in primary care among medical students and residents," Frolkis said. "We believe we are beginning to turn the tide."
Annie Lewis-O'Connor, program director for Nursing Practice in the Connors Center for Women and Newborns, was recognized in the Nursing category. An unwavering champion of domestic violence and sexual assault victims, Lewis-O'Connor founded the After Care Clinic at BWH in April 2011 to serve these survivors' medical needs.
Lewis-O'Connor personally guides survivors through all aspects of their medical follow-up care, from discharge instructions and unanswered questions to appointments and prescriptions. She monitors their injuries and recovery to determine if additional medical care is necessary and has helped 162 female patients and two male patients since the clinic's opening.
Michael Zinner, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery, was honored in the Lifetime Achievement category. He has helped to launch the careers of some of the world's most influential surgeons, including Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, and Bohdan Pomahac, MD. He has also been a champion for the advancement of women in surgery. Through his mentorship, vision and unique ability to bring people together, Zinner has made indelible contributions to health care not only in Boston and Massachusetts, but throughout the world.
His achievements also include launching the first-of-its-kind Center for Surgery and Public Health at BWH, which has been recognized nationally and internationally, and for being a leader in forging the partnership between BWH and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 1997.
"At the center of what has made Dr. Zinner effective is that he takes more joy in the success of others than anyone I have ever known," said Gawande. "He has been my mentor from the time I became a surgical intern in 1995. There's no way I could have done what I have gotten to do without his leadership."
The recipients will be recognized at a ceremony on Aug. 23.