ACA Announces Award Winners

The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) recognized the 2005 Awards of Excellence and Burgess Award winners on August 12 at a special ceremony during the ACA Annual Educational Conference & Exposition held at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. More than 100 nominations were received this year.

Capt. Kathleen Yancosek, director of the Amputee Section of the Occupational Therapy Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), Washington, DC, received the Professional of the Year Award. "Her tireless efforts have contributed to the outstanding care, functional independence, and community reintegration of numerous amputees," the ACA said. "Her selfless efforts give hope, encourage self-respect and confidence, and nurture a spirit to carry on when things look hopeless."

Brenda Besse, volunteer coordinator for the AgrAbility Unlimited Project, received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Besse, a right transfemoral amputee, offers peer support to farmers with disabilities and teaches them how to modify their equipment so they can continue farming. She also teaches kids about the importance of farm safety, volunteers for Red Cross disaster relief, and is the top female amputee golfer in the US. "Through her volunteer efforts, Besse has made a difference in many lives," the ACA observed.

Jim Mayer, "The Milkshake Man," received the Role Model of the Year Award. Mayer, a bilateral transtibial amputee, is the outreach coordinator in the Seamless Transition Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which facilitates return to civilian lifefor those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. He spends his evenings and part of every weekend at WRAMC, visiting wounded men and women, listening, encouraging, and offering milkshakes he buys with his own money. Mayer is an ACA-certified peer visitor and certified peer visitor trainer.

John H. Bowker, MD, received the Ernest M. Burgess Award, acknowledging his motivation, spirit, and dedication to improving the lives of people with limb loss. He is a professor emeritus in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Miami, Florida, School of Medicine and is the editor of numerous publications.

The Shining Star Award was given to Nancy M. Carroll for her years of exceptional service to the ACA. Carroll was ACA's longtime editor and publications manager who died in December 2004.

ACA Announces Award Winners

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From the Editor: More Adult Cerebral Palsy Patients

HIPAA-Compliant Format Required for Medicare Claims

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