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Robert Wood Johnson
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MEDICINE 47
growing up in a limited-resource envi-
ronment."
Everyone in the department is
involved in its philanthropic mission.
Dr. Vinci, who is well known for his
sense of humor, rounds up his medical
colleagues several times a year to don
aprons and bus tables at a local
restaurant. These high-spirited events
have raised more than $50,000 in
support of special programs in the
Department of Pediatrics at Boston
Medical Center, such as the food
pantry and the child protection team.
Kids Can't Fly, a second program
created by Dr. Vinci, has its roots in
his early service as director of the
Pediatric Emergency Department
Every year, especially in summer, the
department saw children with serious
injuries that resulted from falling out
of windows. Most of the children
were from low-income families living
in high-rise public housing. In collab-
oration with Boston's Childhood
Injury Prevention Program, Dr. Vinci
developed Kids Can't Fly, a preven-
tion program that has dramatically
reduced the rate of these injuries. The
program supports a public education
campaign and provides subsidies to
families and landlords that allow
them to afford window guards.
The Class of 1980
D
r. Vinci, a summa cum laude
graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson
University, enjoyed his years at Rutgers
Medical School. "We had a terrific
class," he says. "They were at the same
time driven academically and support-
ive of each other--a great group of col-
leagues who could not have been more
wonderful to work with."
But one of his most formative expe-
riences took place outside the medical
school, between his second and third
years. Eager to start clinical training,
he seized on an opportunity that com-
bined patient care with community
service. Dr. Vinci spent the summer in
an underserved community in south-
ern New Jersey, working in a store-
front medical clinic. "You became
part of the community," he says.
"You made house calls, worked in
public health clinics, and learned how
to make change happen."
Dr. Vinci's career achievements have
earned many awards, including the
Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine
Award. But the highest praise he could
receive comes from former trainees
such as Alisa McQueen, MD, who
completed both the BCRP and a
three-year fellowship program in
pediatric emergency medicine at
Boston Children's Hospital. Now a
faculty member at Comer Children's
Hospital at the University of Chicago,
Dr. McQueen is director of both the
Pediatric Residency Program and the
Fellowship in Pediatric Emergency
Medicine, which she created. "It is no
wonder," she says, "that so many of
his graduates solve challenging prob-
lems by asking ourselves: `What
would Bob do?'"
PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospi-
tal, in New Brunswick. Among his
mentors is Nancy E. Reichman, PhD,
professor of pediatrics, a National In-
stitutes of Health­funded economist
who specializes in linkages between
socioeconomic status and health.
Benjamin F. Crabtree, PhD, profes-
sor of family medicine and communi-
ty health and chief, division of re-
search, also serves as a mentor for Dr.
Jimenez. "The research division has
focused on improving clinical prac-
tice," says Dr. Jimenez. "Ultimately
we need to create a health neighbor-
hood that includes the patient-cen-
tered medical home. It would be a
great benefit to children diagnosed
with developmental disabilities."
"We're excited to get Manny back,"
says Alfred F. Tallia, MD '78, MPH,
professor and chair, Department of
Family Medicine and Community
Health. "He's a perfect fit for the
constellation of resources at Rutgers
and a great match for our depart-
ment, where the research is practice-
based, community-based, focused on
health system changes, and commit-
ted to special-needs populations of all
ages."
Dr. Manuel Jimenez
Joins Faculty as
an Inaugural Chancellor
Scholar
--Continued from page 43
"U
ltimately we need to create
a health neighborhood that
includes the patient-centered
medical home. It would
be a great benefit to children
diagnosed with developmental
disabilities."
--Manuel Jimenez, MD '06, MSHP
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