Newsmakers: January 2012

Saara Taylor

Text4baby wins award

Text4baby, a campaign to help women have healthy pregnancies and babies, was honored with a Silver Anvil Award by the Public Relations Society of America in June. The free health text messaging service supports moms by providing information and resources.

Pendleton to lead health group

Wayne Pendleton in September was appointed chief operating officer of the Public Health Management Corporation. Pendleton previously served as CEO of Medicare’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly and also worked as a health care consultant.

Carmel takes reins at American Medical Association

In June, the American Medical Association announced that Peter Carmel, MD, would serve as the association’s president for the 2011-2012 term. Carmel is a pediatric neurosurgeon practicing in Newark, N.J. Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD, a Colorado psychiatrist, was named president-elect.

Williams joins SAMHSA

Aaron Williams in August became director of training and technical assistance for substance abuse at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Integrated Health Solutions. Williams has more than 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field.

Philadelphia homeless health center expands

To better accommodate a growing homeless population, Philadelphia’s Mary Howard Health Center recently expanded its facility. The center, which serves about 2,100 patients a year, features six new physical examination rooms and four additional behavioral health rooms.

Physician assistants group taps Wooten

Robert Wooten, PA-C, in June was named president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. A physician assistant for nearly three decades, Wooten serves as assistant director of the emergency department at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Roa appointed director of new NIH clinical center

Mahendra Roa, MD, PhD, in August was named director of the Intramural Center for Regenerative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. The center works to advance research and therapies that implement stem-cell technology.

Crutchfield honored as a top black doctor

The Atlanta Post recently named dermatologist Charles Crutchfield III, MD, as one of its “Top 21 Black Doctors in America.” A Minnesota dermatologist, Crutchfield also serves as a professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota and is active in medical research and academic medicine.

Online community health tool lauded

Uniform Data System Mapper in August took first place among Web-based applications at Esri’s 2011 International Users Conference in San Diego. A geographic information system developed for the Health Resources and Services Administration, the tool allows users to better understand where federally funded health centers are operating and where gaps in the safety net might exist, as well as what regions hold the highest priorities for health center expansion.