Theresa M. Caridi, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Radiology and Daniel Cox, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery are the 2022 winners of the Brewer-Heslin Endowed Award for Professionalism in Medicine.
Established in 2015 by the late Alabama Gov. Albert P. Brewer, the award recognizes physicians at UAB who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to providing highly skilled and deeply compassionate medical care to their patients.
The award is named for both Brewer and Martin Heslin, M.D., a longtime UAB surgeon leader.
Learn more about these faculty members below.
Theresa M. Caridi, M.D.
Caridi is an associate professor in the Department of Radiology. She also serves as the division director of Interventional Radiology and the inaugural vice chair of Interventional Affairs.
Caridi has brought with her an expertise in fibroid embolization, a procedure that has historically been underutilized at UAB. Not only does she bring her procedure expertise and operational experience in creating this service line, but she also brings a deep understanding of the opportunities this procedure provides to mitigate health disparities.
To combat fibroid disease in African American women, who are disproportionately plagued by the disease, Caridi has established a telehealth program for fibroid evaluation and treatment with Whitfield Regional in the black belt of Alabama. This is just one example of her clinical service and impact on our patients across the state.
“Dr. Caridi’s accomplishments in the relatively short period of time of joining UAB are frankly spectacular. She has had great success in recruiting her team, and with careful selection and leadership, has changed the culture of her division, and patient care is the number one priority,” said Cheri L. Canon, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Radiology.
Caridi has been a role model for her team during the pandemic exemplifying leadership, service, and professional expertise in her area. She truly set the pace and tenor for the team, and as a result, they were able to bridge this fairly dark time and provide remarkable care to our patients.
“Dr. Caridi pushed her team through very long and challenging days and did so with remarkable vigor and optimism,” Canon said.
Caridi serves in many medical societies across America including the American Medical Association, Radiological Society of North America, and Society of Interventional Radiology.
Daniel Cox, M.D.
Cox is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery and the trauma medical director in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
Cox has led critical clinical practice transformation processes in the trauma service and trauma burn ICU service to improve patient throughput and outcomes. Through this process, he has developed a care model that is consistently touted as the ideal model for the UAB Health System. As a result, he has effectively developed a business model which has led to a dramatic decrease in patient LOS for the trauma service. This increase in efficiency has decreased the trauma center diversion rates to zero for the last 12 months, which means that the local community is assured available access to trauma services when they are needed.
“The fact that Dr. Cox was able to accomplish these metrics while overseeing a dramatic increase in our trauma evaluations and trauma admissions is evidence of his unwavering dedication, skill, and expertise in his field as well as his deeply compassionate patient care,” said Jeffrey Kerby, M.D., Ph.D., director of UAB’s Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
Cox has successfully led the trauma center through the American College of Surgeons Level 1 Reverification with no critical deficiencies, thereby maintaining UAB’s status as the only ACS verified Level 1 trauma center in Alabama.
Cox collaborates with multiple subspecialty services in both Surgery and Medicine to coordinate optimal care protocols for our trauma patients, and is highly clinically engaged as one of our busiest trauma surgeons regularly producing over 12,000 wRVUs/year. In addition, he is a decorated Air Force veteran and currently still provides service as a member of the Air Force Reserves.
Cox is also a fellow in the American College of Surgeons and is involved with the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Throughout his life, he has exemplified leadership, service, and medical professionalism through his work in the U.S. military and at UAB.
A decorated Air Force veteran and member of the Air Force Reserves, Cox also received recognition for his military leadership this year with a promotion to Colonel.
Cox trained as a general surgery resident under Martin Heslin, M.D., former Department of Surgery Vice Chair and faculty member in the Division of Surgical Oncology. He considers him a mentor and friend. “To receive an award associated with him is a tremendous honor,” Cox said.