FEATURE

Barbara W. Stechenberg, MD Awarded Weinberg Prize

Dr. Barbara W. Stechenberg received the 2006 Weinberg Family Prize for Academic Excellence at the Medical Staff meeting on October 17, 2006. Her dedication to an outstanding educational experience for our students and residents reflects one of Baystate’s core values. Dr. Stechenberg's emphasis on the age-old values of kindness, compassion, and love of our patients while building and nurturing a modern academic residency program, her adherence to evidence-based medicine and appreciation of clinically meaningful research is central to what our medical center strives to achieve. She exemplifies the values of leadership, dedication, and the traditional role of the physician as teacher, and is beloved by the students and residents whom she has guided.

A Career of Achievements
Dr. Stechenberg graduated from Brandeis University and then the University of Vermont School of Medicine with Alpha Omega Alpha Society membership. She received her pediatric residency and infectious disease fellowship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She had progressive increases in faculty rank. She spent three years on the faculty at Washington University and then at the University of St. Louis before coming to Baystate in 1981and gained appointment as Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine in 1998. . She was appointed Associate Pediatric Residency Program Director in 1987 and became the Program Director and Department Vice-Chair in 1994, positions she holds today. While Dr. Stechenberg has been Program Director, the Pediatrics residency has gone through multiple Review Committee site visits with exceptional reviews.

Dr. Stechenberg has written extensively with 53 textbook chapters in varied areas of pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases, as well as multiple peer-reviewed publications and abstract presentations. Her pediatric AIDS program has received longterm extramural funding and national recognition.  She has received many honors and awards including the Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts, the YMCA Woman of Achievement Award, and the Marc A Callahan Memorial Outstanding Achievement Award for her work in Pediatric AIDS. In 2005 she became a member of the Baystate Board of Trustees.

Weinberg Family Prize Rewards Leadership & Innovation
The annual Weinberg Family Prize for Academic Excellence was established by Saul and Ethel Weinberg to recognize leadership and innovation in education and research. This prize is a symbol of the commitment of Baystate Health to its academic missions. The recipient is selected by the clinical department chairs to recognize a member of Baystate Health's medical staff whose achievements in research, publications, leadership, and medical education have strengthened our academic programs and brought national recognition to Baystate.