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PAPAG PA of the Year 2007

LT Ronald Pinheiro currently serves as a Regional Emergency Coordinator (REC), an O-6 billet, in HHS Region II which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. He has the distinction of being the first PHS Lieutenant to serve in the REC capacity. His varied and extensive emergency response experience and his exemplary performance during the CCRF deployment after the World Trade Center attacks allayed any concerns of senior officers and staff about his ability associated with his junior rank.

RECs have two general responsibilities in their regions, preparedness and response, in addition to providing response support to the other HHS Regions during disasters. Their role is to assist Federal, State, local and Tribal health and medical, emergency management and law enforcement entities in the development of comprehensive and integrated preparedness and response plans for all hazards with regard to Federal health and medical disaster response. During emergency response operations, RECs serve as the “tip of the spear’ coordinating the operational aspect of the Public Health and Medical function (ESF-8) of the National Response Plan. Response duties can range from performing health infrastructure assessments, to defining mission requirements with State and Federal authorities, to participating in the activation and deployment of health and medical personnel - which include OFRD Teams, NDMS Teams consisting of approximately 9,000 intermittent employees, Veterans Affairs employees, the Department of Defense and Federal Volunteers.

Since 2005, LT Pinheiro successfully served as the primary Regional Emergency Coordinator for the majority of Region II where his area of responsibility included New York City, New York State, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Furthermore, he promptly assumed the responsibility of providing guidance and support to three of the five NDMS Response Teams residing in the region; New York 2 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (NY-2 DMAT), Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team II (DMORT II) and a development team, Puerto Rico 1 DMAT (PR-1 DMAT).

Acknowledging that the Caribbean poses a unique challenge for public health preparedness and response, primarily due to its remoteness, LT Pinheiro assumed the responsibility of developing a health and medical response capacity for the that region. He quickly identified barriers that prevented the development and growth of the PR-1 DMAT, which had a nonfunctional roster of 13 members for nearly six years (a DMAT requires a minimum of 105 members). Understanding and working through political, cultural, professional and language impediments, LT Pinheiro increased the team’s roster five-fold in four months. With the team still experiencing difficulties internally and externally, he agreed to take on the additional role of Acting-Team Commander for PR-1 DMAT, a nontraditional REC responsibility. To date, LT Pinheiro continues to work the issue and remains optimistic that a viable health and medical capability for the Caribbean will be in place in the near future.

Intimate with the Federal shortfalls during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, LT Pinheiro took the initiative to ensure that the issue of urgent air transportation of health and medical personnel, equipment, and supplies into disaster zones does not fall off the Federal radar screen, especially for areas like the Caribbean. His efforts to address this issue contributed to FEMA establishing contracts with two civilian air service companies in 2006. Likewise, LT Pinheiro is working with the Department of Defense to develop a similar capability which can be routinely exercised by established HHS/NDMS teams.

LT Pinheiro has had a number of similar accomplishments in his 8½ years in the US Public Health Service. Here are some of his career highlights:

  • Deployed to “Ground Zero” in a clinical capacity as a Physician Assistant with CCRF’s augmentation of the NDMS after the September 11th World Trade Center terrorist attacks. LT Pinheiro provided medical care to emergency personnel and volunteers in five field medical stations established on the perimeter of the rubble, in addition to being the sole provider who offered daily ‘sick call’ services to mortuary personnel located offsite. LT Pinheiro was recognized for his contributions with a PHS Achievement Medal in 2001.
  • Deployed by DHS/FEMA/NDMS to Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma for an accumulative of 81 days to five separate states in his REC capacity in 2005 where he served in numerous roles. He assisted in identifying health/medical missions for both HHS and NDMS on helicopter-borne FEMA Rapid Needs Assessment Teams and on State/Federal Medical Needs Assessment Teams. He also served in Liaison roles at State Health Departments, State Emergency Operation Centers, FEMA Regional Response Coordination Centers, and FEMA Joint Field Offices. LT Pinheiro’s skills were quickly recognized and he was assigned a leadership role on his third deployment that year.
  • While assigned to INS Medical Facility, Jamaica, NY, LT Pinheiro assisted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the deportation of numerous terrorists and criminals by providing vital medical oversight and care on numerous domestic and international flights to countries in Asia, Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. His professional and interpersonal skills ensured patient, federal agent, flight crew, and passenger safety during all mission phases. LT Pinheiro’s performance was recognized with the PHS Achievement Medal in 2004.

LT Pinheiro had a key role in identifying and evaluating candidates for a new renal transplant program in the BOP while assigned to FMC Devens. This new program saw its first successful renal transplant in January 2005. He also had an integral role in the establishment of a new outpatient clinic, nephrology clinic, and a hemodialysis unit. LT Pinheiro’s accomplishments were recognized by being awarded the PHS Commendation Medal in 2002.

To expand further on LT Pinheiro’s commitment to PHS and his profession, the following is a list of some of his overall contributions to the Corps:

  • Served on the NY Chapter of the COA, the PAPAG Compensation Subcommittee, and the PHS Academy of Physician Assistants.
  • Due to his military experience and early BOTC training, LT Pinheiro served as an unofficial mentor to numerous officers, both junior and senior alike, which included taking personnel time in escorting officers to purchase their initial uniforms.
  • Represented the US Public Health Service (PHS) and DIHS in first class of PHS officers to attend and successfully complete the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Medicine Course in 2004.
  • Drafted criteria and aggressively advocated for a Chief Physician Assistant Billet (O-6) with the support of the DIHS Medical Director. LT Pinheiro attempted to provide a voice for DIHS Physician Assistants, as well as providing a career advancement opportunity for experienced Physician Assistants.
  • As a PHS Officer and PA, LT Pinheiro participated in providing the groundwork for the Australian Health and Emergency Management Agency to form its first DMAT in 2006.

In summary, it is without reservation that I nominate LT Ronald Pinheiro for the 2007 PAPAG Physician Assistant of the Year Award. LT Pinheiro has demonstrated outstanding and unquestionable leadership in the Public Health Service, both clinically and administratively, in administrative, clinic, and austere emergency environments. He has proven and documented clinical excellence. LT Pinheiro’s work with the Caribbean region readily displays his passion to improve public health delivery systems. Since his call to duty in 1998, LT Pinheiro has made significant professional contributions to the programs, agencies, states, regions, and nations for which he has had the pleasure to serve.