Lexington Physician Receives Humanitarian Award

(NORTHBROOK, IL, January 7, 2010)—Don Hayes, Jr., MD, FCCP, of Lexington, KY, has been nationally recognized for his humanitarian efforts in creating and maintaining the University of Kentucky Salvation Army Pulmonary Clinic, located in Lexington, KY.

The CHEST Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), recently announced the winners of the 2009 D. Robert McCaffree, MD, Master FCCP Humanitarian Awards, at The Foundation's Making a Difference Awards Dinner, held in October in San Diego, CA. Dr. Hayes was one of four recipients of The CHEST Foundation's $5,000 Humanitarian Awards, which are given on behalf of medical professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to improve the health of communities and people in need worldwide.

"These physicians and their projects leave lasting impressions on the communities in which they serve," said John C. Alexander, Jr., MD, FCCP, President of The CHEST Foundation. "The CHEST Foundation commends their efforts and is proud to recognize and support this year's award recipients."

Dr. Hayes, a physician from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, is the project creator, medical director, and member of the project team. He is the only attending physician who provides direct patient care and supervises medical students who perform the initial history and physical examinations on the mostly homeless women and their children who come to the clinic for medical care. Since nearly 50 percent of the patients smoke, Dr. Hayes and his team provide information about smoking cessation, counseling, nicotine replacement products, and follow-up contacts.

Established in 1998, The CHEST Foundation D. Robert McCaffree, MD, Master FCCP Humanitarian 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 17,500 members who provide clinical pulmonary, critical care, sleep, and cardiothoracic patient care in the United States and throughout the world. The mission of the ACCP 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.

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Contact:
Jennifer Stawarz, (847) 498-8306