Joseph Sweeney, M.D. Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Joseph Sweeney, M.D. has received the 2014 Milton Hamolsky Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island Chapter of the American College of Physicians.
Recognized leader in his field
The award recognizes Sweeney's contributions in both the field of internal medicine and to the Rhode Island Chapter. Sweeney is the medical director of the blood banks at the Miriam and Rhode Island hospitals. He oversees the transfusion of about two-thirds of all the blood transfused in the state of Rhode Island. Also, as Lifespan’s director of coagulation and transfusion medicine, he is responsible for ensuring safe and appropriate transfusion and managing blood coagulation problems.
“Since coming to Rhode Island 20 years ago from Virginia, where he was Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research at the Norfolk American Red Cross, Dr. Sweeney has pioneered the use of new technologies,” said Thomas F. Tracy, Jr., M.D., chief medical officer and senior vice president of medical affairs at The Miriam. “As a result, he has been a recognized leader in safe transfusion practices, while eliminating waste and inefficiencies.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSweeney, who hails from Barrington, is medical director of the School of Technology at Rhode Island Hospital and is a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His writings include more than 230 scientific papers and abstracts. Sweeney is also medical director of the blood bank at Roger Williams Hospital.
“Dr. Sweeney provides that critical knowledge for many of the patients who come into our Level 1 Trauma Center at Rhode Island Hospital in the middle of the night in need of immediate, quality care,” Tracy added. “He is the one fielding those time-sensitive, critical questions and advising on the best care.”
Blood transfusion research
In addition to teaching residents and fellows, Sweeney also engages in blood transfusion research. His recent publications on blood management have received special recognition by The Joint Commission, and he was recently accepted as a member of the Brown University Alpha-Omega-Alpha, a U.S. medical school honor society.
Sweeney received his medical degree from the National University of Ireland at Galway. He trained in internal medicine and hematology in Dublin, Ireland, becoming a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He subsequently trained in clinical hematology and blood banking at Montefiore and the Bronx Municipal Hospitals in New York City, and in medical oncology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.
Related Slideshow: New England’s Healthiest States 2013
The United Health Foundation recently released its 2013 annual reoprt: America's Health Rankings, which provides a comparative state by state analysis of several health measures to provide a comprehensive perspective of our nation's health issues. See how the New England states rank in the slides below.
Definitions
All Outcomes Rank: Outcomes represent what has already occurred, either through death, disease or missed days due to illness. In America's Health Rankings, outcomes include prevalence of diabetes, number of poor mental or physical health days in last 30 days, health disparity, infant mortality rate, cardiovascular death rate, cancer death rate and premature death. Outcomes account for 25% of the final ranking.
Determinants Rank: Determinants represent those actions that can affect the future health of the population. For clarity, determinants are divided into four groups: Behaviors, Community and Environment, Public and Health Policies, and Clinical Care. These four groups of measures influence the health outcomes of the population in a state, and improving these inputs will improve outcomes over time. Most measures are actually a combination of activities in all four groups.
Diabetes Rank: Based on percent of adults who responded yes to the question "Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have diabetes?" Does not include pre-diabetes or diabetes during pregnancy.
Smoking Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are current smokers (self-report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke).
Obesity Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher.
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