Here are the finalists in the 2014 Health Care Heroes Community Outreach category.

Honors an individual or team who communicated to the community about a health issue, including treatments and best practices, health threats and other education initiatives.

Iris Baker

TITLE: Outreach coordinator

ORGANIZATION: New Hanover Regional Medical Center

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “During her 30-year career at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Iris has been instrumental in programs that provide screenings for heart disease in women, and provide mammograms and diagnostic screenings for people who would otherwise not be able to afford them.

As the Outreach Coordinator at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Iris Baker leads the team that implements both the NHRMC Red Dress Project and the NHRMC Pink Ribbon Project, as well as many other outreach programs in the region.

The Pink Ribbon Project gives people the hope of early detection of breast cancer, and Iris has spent countless hours qualifying people for the program and communicating with the diagnostic facilities about the project. For years, Iris coordinated the project, including sometimes even driving the bus that used to house a mobile mammography unit around the region to ensure that men and women throughout the area had access to these screenings.

When the mobile mammography unit could no longer handle the demand from the community, the Pink Ribbon Project switched to a voucher system that provides mammograms for even more residents in our area. In the four years since the voucher program began, Iris has helped close to 4,000 people receive the testing they needed.”
 

Damian Brezinski

TITLE: Cardiologist

ORGANIZATION: Wilmington Health

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “One of the most difficult challenges with being a doctor is the art of balancing a stressful, demanding career, family life, social activities and philanthropic work.
Leave it up to Damian Brezinski, MD, FACC to make it look easy. He graduated medical school from the esteemed Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD after receiving his undergraduate degree at Harvard University. Dr. Brezinski completed his fellowship at Duke University Medical Center in Durham and is American Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.

As a cardiologist, he uses evidence-based medicine to provide up-to-date comprehensive care for heart and vascular disease.

In addition to maintaining and managing conditions, Dr. Brezinski focuses on preventive care with his patients to optimize heart health.

For those who know Dr. Brezinski, it is evident he has several passions including philanthropic organizations like the one he founded, Chords for a Cause. When Dr. Brezinski is not working with cardiology patients or nonprofits, he can be found with his wife and four boys.

As if that isn't already a full plate, Dr. Brezinski also enjoys surfing, skiing and traveling.”
 

Murray Seidel

TITLE: Retired physician

ORGANIZATION: OrthoWilmington

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Murray Seidel founded Southeastern Orthopedic Clinic, which later merged with Coastal Orthopedics to become Atlantic Orthopedics. [It] merged again with another practice in 2012 to become OrthoWilmington, which includes 20 orthopedic surgeons and more than 150 employees.

[Seidel] provided free sports physicals for the local public schools and Pop Warner League for approximately 20 years.

[He served as] New Hanover County Board of Health: Chairman, hired [the] first specially-trained administrator to return the Department of Public Health to sound fiscal footing.

[He was the] first physician to serve 4 years as a department chairman, including Credentials Committee and Executive Committee of the medical staff of New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC), provided first aid and emergency physician availability for Wrightsville Beach Ocean Racing Association from 1973 to 2008 [and is] currently, President of College Acres Good Neighbor Association (CAGNA). Its major initiative is the safety and security of neighbors in this development working with Wilmington Police Department and University of North Carolina Wilmington.”