(Northbrook, IL, November 1, 2006) – Debra J. Romberger, M.D., of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), is one of six national recipients of The CHEST Foundation’s Humanitarian Project Development Grant Program Award. The CHEST Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), recently announced the 2006 award winners at The Foundation’s “Making a Difference” Awards Dinner, held in October in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The $25,000 Humanitarian Awards are given on behalf of medical professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to improve the health of communities and people in need worldwide.
Dr. Romberger is a professor in the pulmonary, critical care, sleep & allergy section at UNMC and associate chief of staff of research and development at the Omaha Veterans Administration Medical Center.
“These physicians leave lasting impressions on the communities in which they serve and on the lives of those they save,” said Robert Johnson, M.D., president of The CHEST Foundation. “They truly are making a difference, and The CHEST Foundation commends their efforts and is proud to recognize and support this year’s award recipients.”
Dr. Romberger’s project, the One World Tuberculosis Control Program, provides treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis, within the first-generation immigrant population, residing in the Omaha, Nebraska area. This past year, Dr. Romberger, her volunteers, and her staff, have delivered care in over 17 languages to immigrant families from 30 different countries. In addition, patient education, case-contact testing and treatment, case management, laboratory testing, and referral services are provided.
Also, arrangements for low-cost imaging studies, such as chest x-rays and CAT scans, can be made. Dr. Romberger has served as the co-director of the One World Tuberculosis Control Clinic since 1999.
Created in 1998, The CHEST Foundation Humanitarian Development Grant Awards Program encourages volunteer service by ACCP members to improve the health of individuals and communities through advocacy, direct patient care, and/or patient education activities. In addition to honoring the recipient, The CHEST Foundation also grants a monetary award to the organization each recipient supports.
The CHEST Foundation was created in 1996 as the philanthropic arm of the ACCP and seeks to improve lung health for patients and communities through education focused on public health issues. The ACCP represents 16,500 members who provide clinical respiratory, critical care, sleep, and cardiothoracic patient care in the United States and throughout the world. The ACCP’s mission is to promote the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest through leadership, education, research, and communication.
For more information about The CHEST Foundation, please visit The Foundation’s Web site at www.chestfoundation.org