News

Drs. Abbott & Shultz Honored with Physician Awards

VAIL CO — Vail Valley Medical Center president and CEO Doris Kirchner honored the 2014 winners of the Physician of the Year and Rising Star awards presented to Drs. Abbott and Schultz respectively. Dr. Mindy Cooper vice president of the Medical Staff recently presented the awards at an annual ceremony.

Each year medical staff members nominate their colleagues for physician awards and winners are chosen by their peers physician leadership and hospital administration. Over 200 Vail Valley Medical Center physicians are eligible for these honors.

The Physician of the Year award acknowledges a physician's leadership quality patient care contributions to the community and hospital and the utilization of evidenced-based medicine in daily practice. This year's award recipient Dr. Paul Abbott of Vail-Summit Orthopaedics (VSO) was named one of US News & World Report's Top Doctors in 2013. Dr. Abbott has specialized in sports medicine since 1986 and is the only physician in Eagle and Summit Counties who devotes his elective practice exclusively to the treatment of shoulder problems. He has developed database applications that facilitate the collection of patient-based outcomes and along with Dr. Peter Janes of VSO has produced the largest snowboard injury study in the world. Dr. Abbott is known by his peers for the integrity respect and honesty he brings to his relationships with his patients and colleagues. He actively supports the community through charitable causes and has instilled a culture of generosity and outreach within his practice.

“Dr. Abbott's contributions to sports medicine extend well beyond Eagle and Summit Counties and we are grateful to have him and so many other incredible physicians on VVMC's medical staff and in our communities” said Kirchner.

The Rising Star Award is for physicians that embody all of the qualities of Physician of the Year but have been on staff at Vail Valley Medical Center for five years or less. In his first year as a surgeon with Mountain Surgical Associates (MSA) Dr. John Schultz has impressed his colleagues as a hard-working knowledgeable and caring physician. He is also noted for being willing to teach as well as listen and he communicates and connects well with his patients and their care teams. He brings new ideas to the table and is patient in his explanations. In addition Dr. Schultz rode for the VVMC bike team this summer and despite his busy work schedule he competed in all seven races and had a podium finish in Davos Dash and Beaver Creek Blast!

About Vail Valley Medical Center
From modest beginnings in 1965 VVMC has grown into one of the world's most advanced mountain hospitals providing Olympic-quality sports medicine leading evidence-based research modern cancer care and extensive cardiology services – all top-quality services with exceptional outcomes. An independent nonprofit medical center VVMC keeps hundreds of jobs and resources local better serving our community and visitors. Providing superior health services with compassion and exceptional outcomes VVMC offers expanding services low infection rates free community services and top-rated patient satisfaction scores.