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Dr. Joseph Wright Receives AAP-Section on Emergency Medicine Distinguished Service Award

Washington, DC—Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President of Community Affairs and the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children’s National Health System, has been named the 2013 recipient of the Jim Seidel Distinguished Service Award by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Emergency Medicine.

In its recognition of Dr. Wright, the Academy said, “We are pleased to name Dr. Wright as the esteemed recipient of the 2013 Jim Seidel Distinguished Service Award for his exemplary national and regional leadership and for advocacy work throughout his career. He is among the nation’s original cohort of board-certified pediatric emergency physicians and has served as a long-time friend and leader for the Academy on national advisory committees for the AAP, the Institute of Medicine, FDA, Department of Transportation, March of Dimes, and the Sesame Street Workshop.”

The award will be presented October 26, at the AAP 2013 National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Fla., during the Section on Emergency Medicine program. Established in 1988, the award is presented annually to a member, chosen by the Section’s Executive Committee, who has provided exceptional service to the Section and to the field of pediatric emergency care.

“I congratulate Dr. Wright on this prestigious award, which is well-deserved recognition,” said Kurt Newman, MD, President and CEO of Children’s National Health System. “His many contributions to emergency medicine and his dedicated advocacy for children’s health have benefited the patients and patients and families in the Washington, DC, metropolitan region who visit Children’s National, as well as his colleagues in the field of pediatric emergency care.”

Dr. Wright provides strategic leadership for Children’s National’s  advocacy mission, public policy positions, and community partnerships. He has served as faculty in the Division of Emergency Medicine at Children’s National, and, since 1996, as State EMS Medical Director for Pediatrics within the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. His primary areas of academic interest include emergency medical services, injury prevention, and the needs of the underserved. He is also Professor and Vice Chairman in the Department of Pediatrics and Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Policy at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the School of Public Health and Health Services.

An active member of AAP, Dr. Wright was previously recognized by the Academy in 2011for his career contributions in the areas of youth violence and bullying prevention.  He has also provided national leadership as a federal appointee on the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee, an appointee to the inaugural National EMS Advisory Council, and principal investigator and medical director of the federally-funded Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center based at Children’s National. He has been recognized with the Shining Star Award from the Starlight Children’s Foundation and is an elected member of Delta Omega, the national public health honor society.

The AAP Section on Emergency Medicine, founded in 1981, is the leading advocate for the care of acutely ill and injured children and a professional home for pediatric emergency physicians and affiliated health professionals. Its mission is to optimize the emergency care of all children and provide a forum for Section members to meet, discuss cases and treatment issues, and stimulate research and teaching in the subspecialty.

Contact: Emily Hartman or Caitlyn Camacho at 202-476-4500.

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