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CLEVELAND – Minority-health advocate, esteemed physician and beloved educator Edgar Jackson, M.D., of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, received the Crystal Stair Award, the highest recognition given by the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, on March 27 in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Jackson was the fourth recipient ever of this award designed specifically for the commission. The Crystal Award will recognize his significant accomplishments in the field of medicine and the uplifting of minority people.

“You have walked with Kings and kept the common touch. The respect of your colleagues and the community serve as testimony to your expertise, compassion, dedication and commitment,” wrote Cheryl A. Boyce, M.S., Executive Director of the Commission on Minority Health, in a letter informing Dr. Jackson of the award earlier this month. The Ohio Commission on Minority Health was established in 1987 to fund innovative, culturally sensitive projects designed to reduce the incidence and severity of diseases or conditions impacting minority populations.

CLEVELAND – Geraldine Blair, a receptionist in the Mather Surgery Waiting Area at University Hospitals and founder of an outreach organization that helps minority women in the fight against breast cancer, received the Shero Award from the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. The Shero Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to improve the health status of minorities in Ohio.

She received the award March 27 at the Verne Riffe Center in Columbus, Ohio. She was nominated for the award by Nathan A. Berger, M.D., an oncologist in the University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center and director of the Center for Science, Health and Society at Case Western Reserve University. Ms. Blair also will be honored on April 4 at the Minority Health Kickoff Ceremony in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda at noon.

CLEVELAND – The Coleman family has donated more than $3 million to further advance cancer clinical trials at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center. In honor of her late husband, Lester, Kathleen Coleman has made a $1.5 million gift commitment to establish the Kathleen A. and Dr. Lester E. Coleman Clinical Research Suite to be built in the future Cancer Hospital at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. This gift is in addition to the $1.5 million Dr. Lester E. Coleman, Jr. Chair in Cancer Research and Therapeutics, established by Mrs. Coleman in 2003.

Dr. Coleman, the former CEO of The Lubrizol Corporation, was a patient at the Ireland Cancer Center and participated in a clinical trial. “Les was grateful for the care he received at the Ireland Cancer Center and enjoyed greater quality of life thanks to the clinical trials program,” said Mrs. Coleman, a member of UH’s National Cancer Leadership Council, a group of volunteers who serve as advocates for the Ireland Cancer Center. “This gift honors his wishes, as a grateful patient and scientist, to support the advancement of clinical trials for patients. It is made with the deepest appreciation to the wonderful physician-scientists of Ireland Cancer Center, who have a profound impact on people’s lives every day.”

CLEVELAND – The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has recognized 36 University Hospitals physicians for providing the highest level of diabetes care. The physicians represent 17 practice groups within University Hospitals Medical Practices (UHMP).

The doctors received the distinction through NCQA’s Diabetes Physicians Recognition Program (DPRP), which was developed with the American Diabetes Association to focus on physicians who use evidence-based measures and provide excellent care to patients with diabetes.

“This honor highlights our region-wide commitment to diabetes treatment and prevention,” said Michael L. Nochomovitz, M.D., President and Chief Medical Officer of UHMP. “And, it acknowledges the dedication that our physicians have to their patients.

CLEVELAND – The federal government has recently selected the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) to join an elite group of hospitals to rapidly evaluate and treat potential victims of radiological and chemical attacks. The Ireland Cancer Center is the only adult site in Ohio to be part of the Radiation Injury Treatment Network (RITN), created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

The Ireland Cancer Center, selected for its expertise in stem cell transplantation and immune deficiencies, will be one of 52 centers across the country to respond to victims exposed to radiation or other bone marrow injuries. RITN, a joint project of the National Marrow Donor Program and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, was formed so that when disasters strike these centers can triage and treat patients. Examples include chemical (mustard gas), nuclear devices or dirty bombs.

CLEVELAND — March 16-22 is National Poison Prevention Week; Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and the Greater Cleveland Poison Control Center want to remind parents and caregivers that children act fast...so do poisons! Poison control centers in the United States receive 1.2 million calls each year as a result of accidental poisoning of children ages 5 and under. Because nine out of ten toxic exposures occur in the home, parents are the first line of defense in protecting their children from poisoning. Parents may think that prescription and over-the-counter medications are the biggest poisoning threat to children, but in fact 60 percent of cases involve non-pharmaceutical products such as cosmetics, cleansers, personal care products, plants, pesticides, art supplies, alcohol and toys.

“It doesn’t take much to make a small child sick,” said Dr. Lawrence Quang, Medical Director of the Greater Cleveland Poison Control Center and pediatric emergency department physician at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, lead agency for the Poison Center. “Kids have faster metabolisms than adults and anything they ingest will be absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly.”