BRATTLEBORO — The Vermont Medical Society (VMS) recently honored five Vermonters for their outstanding contributions to the health and well being of the state's residents. The award recipients were recognized during the 197th annual meeting of VMS at the Equinox Resort in Manchester.
The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Peter Gibbons, MD, who has for many years served as the Chief Radiologist at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Fellow BMH physician, Richard Burtis, MD, a winner of the award himself in 1999, nominated Gibbons for his commitment to his colleagues and dedication to the medical profession.
The Distinguished Service Award, the highest award VMS can bestow upon one of its members, is given on the basis of meritorious service in the science and art of medicine and for outstanding contributions to the medical profession, its organizations, and the welfare of the public.
In his award speech, Burtis commended Gibbons for his contributions in keeping the BMH Radiology Department up-to-date technologically, particularly in making ultrasound, interventional studies, CT scanning, and MRI available to the community.
According to Burtis, “A particularly demanding and crucial role for Dr. Gibbons occurred in recent years when two fellow radiologists resigned with minimal advance notice, leaving him as the only full-time radiologist for the hospital. This 'full-time' position became a 24/7 obligation for an extended period.” In his speech, Burtis further stated, “Dr. Gibbons' dedication and vigor (he is an excellent squash player and hard-core Nordic skier) enabled him to weather this very stormy period until new staff was hired.”
In addition to his regular and extracurricular clinical duties, Gibbons has served as the medical staff's education coordinator, which involved planning and recruiting for educational in-house programming, something he did for more than 30 years. Facing an exhausting schedule paired with institutional hurdles, Dr. Gibbons has remained the consummate professional, which undoubtedly contributed to the reason he also earned the decades-old title of “President for Life” of the Windham County Medical Society.
Dr. Gibbons came to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital in 1973, having graduated from Yale Medical School, followed by his internship in pediatrics at Stanford and radiology residency at UVM. He had served in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 1970 as an on-board physician to Korean and American troops being transported to Vietnam.
Dr. Gibbons is not just an accomplished and dedicated physician, he is also a skilled athlete and accomplished violinist with the Windham Orchestra. According to Dr. Burtis, “He is leaving behind a career of unrivaled service and commitment to the people of Southern Vermont and to his colleagues. He is a great friend and a role model.”
Dr. Burtis was a past president of the VMS in 1986, as were John T. Chard, MD (2000) and Carolyn Taylor-Olson, MD (2002 and 2003, acting).
BMH family physician Robert Tortolani, MD, ended his term as president of VMS the evening of this award.
In addition to Dr. Gibbons this year and Dr. Burtis in 1999, other BMH doctors whom the VMS Distinguished Service Award was bestowed upon include Philip Wheeler, MD, in 1983, and John R. Hogel, MD, in 1966. Other award winners in recent years from the Brattleboro area included Sen. Nancy Chard (Citizen of the Year Award, 2001), and Dr. Wheeler (Physician Award for Community Service, 1971).