BUSM, BMC Faculty Member Receives Award for Physician Excellence

Edward Bernstein, MD, vice chair of academic affairs and professor of emergency medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and an emergency medicine physician at Boston Medical Center (BMC) has been named the recipient of the 2012 Jerome Klein Award for Physician Excellence. Selected by a senior committee of BUSM and BMC physicians, the award was presented at the Medical Executive Committee meeting on Dec. 14.

Established to honor Jerome Klein, MD, a pediatrician at BMC for his 50 years of service to the hospital, the award is given to a physician who mirrors Klein’s commitment and service as a mentor, leader, teacher, researcher and clinician.

“Ed is certainly a most worthy recipient and I am very appreciative for all that he has done for BMC and for our patients over his 25 years here,” said Ravin Davidoff, MD, chief medical officer at BMC, who presented the award.

Bernstein has dedicated his career to incorporating public health into emergency medicine with a special focus on interventions to reduce substance abuse. This includes co-founding Project ASSERT (Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, Education, and Referral to Treatment), which helps patients gain access to treatment for substance abuse and primary care services.

Bernstein expanded the project into the BNI-ART Institute, which provides training for health care providers to help patients overcome barriers to changing harmful behaviors, such as smoking or drug use. Bernstein serves as co-director of BNI-ART Institute/Project ASSERT at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH).

Prior to joining BMC and BUSM, Bernstein founded the emergency medicine residency program at the University of New Mexico. He has published dozens of articles in peer-reviewed journals and co-edited the textbook “Case Studies in Emergency Medicine and the Health of the Public.”

Bernstein received his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and completed an internship in pediatrics at San Francisco General Hospital. He is board certified in both emergency medicine and family medicine.