2004 Ron W. Lee, MD
Excellence in Pediatric Care Awards
Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children
is a collaborative program between the
Illinois Department of Public Health and
Loyola University Medical Center
www.luhs.org/emsc
June 17, 2004
2004 Ron W. Lee, MD - Excellence in Pediatric Care Awards
On May 28, 2004, the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Emergency Medical Services for
Children announced the following recipients of the 2004 Ron W. Lee, MD, Excellence in Pediatric Care
Awards.
The awards are given in recognition of excellence to those dedicated to pediatric emergency care and
childhood injury prevention initiatives. Individuals or organizations can be nominated for one of the
following three award categories – Lifetime Achievement, Clinical Excellence and Community Service.
Nominations for the awards were received from throughout the state.
Lifetime Achievement

The
Children’s
Memorial
Hospital Transport Team at
Children’s Memorial Hospital
(CMH),
Chicago.
The
Children’s Memorial Hospital
Transport Team at Children’s
Memorial Hospital (CMH) in
Chicago was established in
May 1985 and responds to a variety of health problems that require transport to CMH. When an
infant is born premature and requires immediate care at their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or an
adolescent in unstable condition with a diagnosis of meningitis requires transport to their Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit, the transport team is there for them. The transport team is comprised of 18
dedicated nurses and respiratory therapists and are capable of transporting infants as small as 500
grams up through adolescence. Team members are dedicated to their excellence in pediatric care
and strive to be leaders and educators within their community. In addition to transporting over 1200
children per year, the CMH Transport Team is involved in a number of community and outreach
activities, including publishing a quarterly newsletter that provides education to the hospitals that
they receive patients from, volunteering at community health fairs and speaking to high school
students on emergency medical services related topics. Recognized as experts in their field, the
team members are frequently asked to lecture at conferences both nationally and internationally,
and have published numerous articles and chapters for pediatric transport manuals.
Clinical Excellence

Carolynn Zonia, DO, FACEP, FACOEP,
Emergency Medicine, St. Francis Hospital of
Evanston, Evanston and Clinical Assistant
Professor,
Department
of
Emergency
Medicine at the University of Illinois at
Chicago. Dr. Zonia is a Staff Physician in
the Emergency Department at St. Francis
Hospital of Evanston and Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine at the
University of Illinois at Chicago. In the ten years that she has been practicing emergency medicine,
her peers describe her as a true advocate for children. She has traveled considerably throughout the
state to assist with pediatric emergency medicine educational trainings for thousands of physicians,
nurses, paramedics and EMT’s so that the level of care for children can be improved within our
state. Dr. Zonia has educated hundreds of physicians-in-training, and currently serves as the
Assistant Program Director for the Resurrection Emergency Medicine Residency program. She has
been actively involved in statewide EMSC efforts and assisted with development of state criteria to
ensure that hospitals within Illinois have appropriate capabilities and resources to meet the needs of
children. Her work also includes several pediatric research projects and publications. Lastly, her
physician peers recognize her leadership capabilities, as evidenced by their election of Dr. Zonia as
their current President of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians.

David Jaimovich, MD, FAAP, Section Chief, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Hope Children’s
Hospital, Oak Lawn, Illinois and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at
Chicago. Dr. Jaimovich is Section Chief, Division of Critical Care Medicine at Hope Children’s
Hospital, Oak Lawn, Illinois and is also Medical Director of the Hope Pediatric Transport Team.
He is a recognized expert in the field of pediatric and neonatal transport, and has done considerable
work in expanding the educational role of physicians and health care providers involved in pediatric
transport medicine so that they may educate those who care for critically ill children. He has also
worked to establish appropriate transport guidelines and has published a Handbook of Pediatric and
Neonatal Transport Medicine as well as numerous other articles on critical care topics. In addition,
Dr. Jaimovich has been involved in research initiatives, particularly in the areas of pediatric
resuscitation, critical care and transport of the critically ill child. As an active member of the
American Academy of Pediatrics, he has worked to ensure that the best possible care can be
delivered to critically ill infants and children.
Community Service

St. John’s Hospital of Springfield. Over the years, St. John’s Hospital has ensured that appropriate
resources and adequately trained personnel are in place to meet the emergency care needs of
children. In addition, St. John’s has established educational programs to educate children and their
families about such things as car safety seats, poison control and injury prevention. The special
pediatric emergency care and educational programs undertaken by St. John’s include:

Specialized pediatric training for emergency medical technicians and paramedics, including
new training developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Weekly child safety seat clinics with the Illinois Secretary of State's Office to assist with the
fitting and distribution of car seats and booster seats.

A Car Seat Safety Resource Center that serves 35 counties in the Springfield Perinatal Region,
which consists of 34 hospitals, 35 local health departments and 22 community agencies.

The St. John's Safe Sitter Program that teaches boys and girls, 11 to 13 years of age how to
handle medical emergencies when caring for children, nurturing techniques and behavior
management skills. Over the past five years, the program has certified more than 2,000 sitters.

Outreach education to schools, community groups, organizations and businesses in central
Illinois regarding poison prevention as one of the 13 satellite facilities affiliated with the Illinois
Poison Center.

Free athletic training services to athletic programs at 31 middle and high schools in a fivecounty region. The AthletiCare Program also provides community education for coaches,
schools, athletic programs and individuals.

The annual Child Health and Safety Fair at White Oaks Mall, Springfield. The fair, which has
been held since 1997, has educated more than 6,000 children on child health and injury
prevention through free activities and exhibits.

Designation in 2001 as an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP), which
indicates the hospital is capable of meeting pediatric emergency standards that include
professionals specially trained in pediatric emergency care; availability of essential pediatric
equipment, supplies and medication; and treatment protocols for the management of abused
and critically injured children.