CHICAGO, Ill. – Two Chicago-area physicians and a Chicago hospital transport team are this year's recipients of the 2004 Ron W. Lee, M.D., Excellence in Pediatric Awards, Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, today announced.

The awards, which are presented annually by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program, recognize those dedicated to pediatric emergency care and childhood injury prevention initiatives. Individuals or organizations can be nominated in one of three award categories - Lifetime Achievement, Clinical Excellence and Community Service. Nominations for the awards were received from throughout the state.

The following are this year's EMSC award recipients:

Lifetime Achievement - The Children's Memorial Hospital Transport Team, Chicago.

Clinical Excellence - Carolynn Zonia, DO, FACEP, FACOEP, Emergency Medicine, St. Francis Hospital of Evanston, Evanston and Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago; and David Jaimovich, M.D., FAAP, Section Chief, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, Oak Lawn; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Medical Director, Hope Pediatric Transport Team.

Last week, Dr. Whitaker announced St. John's Hospital of Springfield was this year's EMSC award winner for Community Service.

"These doctors and hospitals are being recognized for showing an extraordinary dedication to meeting the needs of pediatric patients," Dr. Whitaker said. "While our emergency system tends to focus on the care of adult patients, we have learned that emergency medical care for children requires special training, equipment, supplies and procedures. Physicians like Dr. Zonia and Dr. Jaimovich, the transport team at Children's Hospital and St. John's Hospital are helping to lead the way to improving the care of the child."

The Children's Memorial Hospital Transport Team was established in 1985 was the first dedicated transport team in the state. It now transports about 1,200 children per year, including premature infants and adolescents in unstable condition. The team, which is comprised of 13 nurses and five respiratory therapists, is capable of transporting infants as small as 500 grams. In addition to transporting children, the team is involved in community and outreach activities, including publishing a quarterly newsletter for hospitals they receive patients from, volunteering at community health fairs and speaking to high school students on emergency medical services. Team members are frequently asked to lecture at national and international conferences, and have published articles and chapters for pediatric transport manuals.

In the more than 10 years Dr. Zonia has been involved in pediatric emergency care, she has been described as a true advocate for children. She has traveled throughout the state to assist with pediatric emergency medicine trainings for physicians, nurses, paramedics and emergency medical technicians so that the level of care for children is improved. She has educated physicians-in-training and currently serves as the assistant program director for the Resurrection Emergency Medicine Residency program. She has been involved in EMSC efforts statewide and assisted with the development of state standards to ensure hospitals have the capabilities and resources to meet the needs of children. Her work includes pediatric research projects and publications. Dr. Zonia is the current president of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians.

Dr. Jaimovich is an expert in the field of pediatric and neonatal transport, and has worked to expand the educational role of physicians and health care providers involved in pediatric transport medicine so they can educate those who care for critically injured children. He also has strived to establish appropriate transport guidelines and published the Handbook of Pediatric and Neonatal Transport Medicine. His research initiatives include pediatric resuscitation, critical care and transport of the critically injured child.

The Illinois EMSC program is a collaborative effort of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Loyola University Medical Center of Chicago. It was established in 1994 to ensure that the emergency medical care needs of children are adequately addressed.

The Ron W. Lee, M.D. award is presented each May as part of Emergency Medical Services Week observances. Dr. Lee was the director of emergency medicine at Loyola University Medical Center and was instrumental in establishing and fostering the EMSC program in Illinois. He passed away in 1998.