THEODORE J. DUBUQUE, JR., MD, FACS, RECEIVES 2004 ACS SURGICAL VOLUNTEERISM AWARD

NEW ORLEANS—Theodore J. Dubuque, Jr., MD, FACS, a general surgeon from St. Louis, MO, has been named the 2004 recipient of the "Surgical Volunteerism Award" of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Dr. Dubuque received the award during the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors dinner last night, which was held during the College's 90th Annual Clinical Congress. The ACS Surgical Volunteerism Award Program is presented in association with its sponsor, the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative. The award was presented to Dr. Dubuque by Courtney M. Townsend, Jr., MD, FACS, Chair, ACS Board of Governors, and is given "in recognition of those surgeons committed to giving something of themselves back to society by making significant contributions to surgical care through organized volunteer activities."

Dr. Dubuque, former President of the CRUDEM Foundation, was recognized for his longstanding humanitarian efforts and surgical leadership in providing much needed surgical services to patients who live in and near the town of Milot, in northern Haiti. Dr. Dubuque inaugurated and equipped the operating room at the Hospital Sacre Coeur in Milot, and also founded the CRUDEM (Center for the Rural Development of Milot) Foundation, in association with St. Louis businessman Carlos Reese. The Foundation now raises most of the funds to operate and service the mission hospital on an ongoing basis.

Dr. Dubuque came to Haiti at a propitious time in 1986 as the new hospital had just been built. Previously the medical facility in Milot had been just a 12-bed clinic. During his first visit to Haiti, which lasted six months, Dr. Dubuque inaugurated the operating room and established surgical capabilities at the hospital. His commitment to make numerous visits enabled him to equip and oversee the development of the operating room facilities at what was to become a multi-specialty 54-bed facility with two operating rooms, Hospital Sacre Coeur. Today it is the site for over 30,000 outpatient visits each year and over 750 surgical procedures are performed there annually. Moreover, it is now the largest employer of Haitians in its area.

Throughout his ongoing 18-year relationship with the mission hospital, Dr. Dubuque has personally made at least four annual visits to the facility. During these trips, he has introduced volunteer surgeons from multiple specialties to the facility and its patients, and led or assisted them in performing operations. By 2004 over 170 volunteers—including surgeons, nurse anesthetists, and nurses—were working at the mission hospital annually. The volunteers come from community-based practices and academic settings, including renowned institutions such as the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins. They are retired or still actively involved with their own medical practices. All share a dedication for the vision-in-action of medical volunteerism that Dr. Dubuque has sparked in the Milot region.

Dr. Dubuque's tireless efforts have not only included organizing and recruiting the health care professionals who volunteer at Hospital Sacre Coeur, but also overseeing the staffing and operation of the hospital facility itself and its Haitian employees. And as the mission hospital grew, so did the need for funds to help sustain its growth. Therefore, Dr. Dubuque subsequently took on the role of volunteer philanthropist by founding the CRUDEM Foundation, a fundraising agency which now raises over $500,000 in donations each year to help service and run the facility.

Frank J. Scarpa, MD, FACS, a general surgeon from Greenwich, CT, who has volunteered at Hospital Sacre Coeur notes that, "Over the past five years, the focus of the hospital has begun to shift toward providing surgical and medical care by local physicians, [with] some of their training coming from the volunteer staff. Hospital Sacre Coeur currently has 10 full-time Haitian physicians. Even during this recent time of turmoil, Dr. Dubuque's vision of training Haitian physicians has allowed the hospital in Milot to continue to care for this local population of over 200,000 people when volunteers have been unable to travel to the country."

"Those of us involved in the CRUDEM project believe that Dr. Dubuque is deserving of this award... [due to] his long-term commitment to providing care for the people of Haiti. He has provided this care not only with his personal surgical skills, but also through his vision and dedication," Dr. Scarpa said.

Dr. Dubuque is the third recipient of the ACS Surgical Volunteerism Award, which was inaugurated in 2003. In addition to his work with the mission hospital in Haiti and as former President of the CRUDEM Foundation, he serves as emeritus professor of surgery at St. Louis University, and was chief of surgery at St. Mary's Hospital, as well as staff surgeon at St. Louis University and Glennon Memorial Hospital for Children.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 66,000 members, and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world (http://www.facs.org).

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