2006 Co-Founder Of The Measles Vaccine, Samuel L. Katz, MD, Receives The Alfred I. duPont Award for Excellence in Children’s Health Care
Nemours Enterprise
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 @ 12:00 AM EDT
Nemours, one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems, announced that Samuel L. Katz, MD, Wilburt Cornell Davison Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC,will be honored with the 2006 Alfred I. duPont Award for Excellence in Children’s Health Care at the duPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday September 26, 2006. An original member of the team that developed the measles virus vaccine now used throughout the world, Dr. Katz is being honored for his lifetime of research. He will receive a $50,000 cash award and an original Steuben Glass sculpture as recipient of the national award.
The Alfred I. duPont Award for Excellence in Children’s Health Care was established in 2001 by the Board of Directors of Nemours to honor duPont’s legacy of care for children. In his life and work, Alfred I. duPont, benefactor of Nemours, was creative but exacting - seeking for himself and inspiring others to achieve excellence. Dr. Katz’s lifetime of dedication to the research and prevention of childhood diseases, particularly with measles, fulfills the ideals of the Award’s criteria.
“I was thrilled, flattered and overwhelmed when I learned of this award. With so many of these awards, one must always remember you build on the shoulders of those that precede you. As a surviving member of the original team that discovered the measles vaccine, I’m humbled by this recognition,” said Dr. Katz. “From an estimated eight million children dying from the measles annually prior to vaccine availability to an estimated 454,000 reported in 2005, if there’s anything I’ve done to have any bearing on the thrust of this award, I would hope this is it. Measles is my hallmark.”
The duPont Award reflects Nemours national commitment to upholding the delivery of safe, high quality care to patients and to support individuals who are advocates for improving the health care of children.
"Dr. Katz’s work has impacted and saved the lives of millions of children worldwide. That is the very essence of what this award represents – excellence in children’s health care. His dedication to this field has shown no signs of slowing down. His relentless prevention pursuit continues today, with one focus on vaccines for pediatric AIDS," said John "Jack" Porter III, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nemours. “Dr. Katz is truly a remarkable icon in pediatric preventive medicine and Nemours salutes him for his lifetime of dedication to improving the lives of children.”
For more details on the Alfred I. duPont Award, additional information about this year’s recipient and to download a photograph of Dr. Katz, please click here.
modified: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 @ 03:52 PM EST
created: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 @ 03:52 PM EST
About Nemours
Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.
Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.
Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.
