N.C. Pediatric Society Announces 2021 Pediatric Excellence Awards

The North Carolina Pediatric Society (NCPeds) has awarded Dr. Shannon Dowler and Dr. Rasheeda Monroe with two of its pediatric excellence awards for 2021.  The awards will be presented during the NCPeds Virtual Annual Meeting on Aug. 28, 2021.

“Though 2020 was a difficult year for everyone, there were countless individuals who truly stepped up to help their communities overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Dowler and Dr. Monroe have been focused on helping their communities stay healthy while keeping a keen eye on equity, and we are proud to recognize their efforts,” said Christoph Diasio, MD, FAAP, President of NCPeds.

Dr. Shannon Dowler, MD, FAFP, will receive the James D. Bernstein Excellence in Public Service to Children Award in recognition of her creative and equity-focused solutions for addressing COVID-19 and Medicaid reform.  Dr. Dowler is the Chief Medical Officer for N.C. Medicaid. The James D. Bernstein Excellence in Public Service to Children Award is given to a public servant in either the executive or legislative branch of government in recognition of outstanding achievement to improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents. 

“An award like this is once in a lifetime, and I am so honored to be recognized,” Dowler said. “But, I want to be certain that the credit really goes to the amazing group of public servants who distinguish themselves daily in our Health and Human Services team at the state.”

When COVID-19 first came to N.C., Dr. Dowler and her team responded with an array of strategies, including broadening telehealth for Medicaid beneficiaries and leading all payers to align and transparently share their telehealth offerings, providing supports to practices and focused efforts to assure historically marginalized populations had strong access to services including COVID tests and vaccines. Through this time an intentional primary care infrastructure investment strategy was implemented to support the stability of the state’s critical medical homes. As the State has transitioned to Managed Care for Medicaid, she sought to emphasize prevention, primary care and equity-promotion in the design and implementation of this monumental transition for the state. 

Dr. Rasheeda Monroe, MD, FAAP, will be honored with the David T. Tayloe Sr. Award for Outstanding Community Service, for her efforts to promote equity in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The award is given to a pediatrician who has made exceptional contributions in her/his local community or statewide, and that may include efforts beyond the practice setting.  Dr. Monroe is the Medical Director of Primary Care Pediatrics at WakeMed Physician Practices and the Campus Director of the UNC School of Medicine for the Raleigh area. 

Through her efforts to reach underserved communities with COVID-19 vaccines, she recruited nearly 300 volunteers, coordinated multiple vaccination events, and, ultimately, administered 14,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.  

“When we started our vaccination outreach efforts, our goal was to reach as many people as we could and to spread the word about the importance of vaccination in communities of color who were hardest hit by COVID-19. Thank you to the N.C. Pediatric Society for recognizing the importance of this work,” Dr. Monroe said.