ATA Award Winners and New Fellows Represent Leaders in Telemedicine, mHealth

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Telemedicine Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 ATA Annual Awards.  These awards recognize individuals and organizations on the forefront of healthcare technology for their significant contributions to the development of telemedicine.  Winners will formally accept their awards at the ATA 2012 Meeting and Exposition, April 28-May 1 in San Jose, CA.  

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"This year's winners have evinced a long-term commitment to expanding the quality and accessibility of healthcare through telemedicine and mobile healthcare applications," said Bernard Harris, Jr., MD, MBA, President of the American Telemedicine Association.  "Their work has saved and improved countless lives, whether their patients are young children, soldiers on the battlefield, returning veterans or the average American healthcare consumer. It is an honor to recognize the great accomplishments of each winner."

The following awards were announced:

• ATA President's Award for the Advancement of Telemedicine – Individual
  Award supported by Jay Sanders of The Global Telemedicine Group
  Winner:
  Karen S. Rheuban, MD, Medical Director, Office of Telemedicine; Professor of Pediatrics; Senior Associate Dean for CME and External Affairs, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
  
• ATA President's Award for the Advancement of Telemedicine – Institutional
  Award supported by AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc.
  Winner:
  U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), Fort Detrick, MD
  
• ATA President's Award for the Advancement of Telemedicine – Innovation
  Award supported by InTouch Health
  Winner:
  PTSD Coach Mobile Application, developed by the VA's National Center for PTSD and DoD's National  Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2)
  
• ATA Industry Council Award
  Award supported by ViTel Net
  Winner:
  Donald Jones, JD, Vice President, Global Strategy and Market Development, Wireless Health, Qualcomm Life, San Diego, CA
  
• Special Interest Group & Chapter Achievement Award
  Award supported by UnitedHealth Group
  Winner:
  The ATA Pediatric Telehealth SIG

Full write-ups for each winner are available on the ATA 2012 website (www.ata2012.com).  The ATA Annual Awards have an open nomination period each spring; winners are selected by a peer committee of telemedicine leaders from academia and industry.  

ATA has also elected three members of distinction as Fellows.  Election to the American Telemedicine Association College of Fellows is a high honor that recognizes achievements in telemedicine, services to the general telemedicine community and service to ATA.  The new Fellows are:

• Jerry Cavallerano, OD, Ph.D., Staff Optometrist, Joslin Diabetes Center; Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
• Karen S. Rheuban, MD, Medical Director, Office of Telemedicine; Professor of Pediatrics; Senior Associate Dean for CME and External Affairs, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
• Scott Simmons, MS, Director of TeleHealth, University of Miami TeleHealth, Miami, FL

The American Telemedicine Association is the leading international resource and advocate promoting the use of advanced remote medical technologies. ATA and its diverse membership, works to fully integrate telemedicine into transformed healthcare systems to improve quality, equity and affordability of healthcare throughout the world.  Established in 1993, ATA is headquartered in Washington, DC.  For more information visit www.americantelemed.org.   

Contact: Ben Forstag, Senior Director of Communications, [email protected]; 202‐223‐1721

SOURCE American Telemedicine Association