Medical Society of Virginia honors three School of Medicine faculty
The Salute to Service Awards recognized Melissa Bradner, M.D., Stephanie Crewe, M.D. and José Muñoz, M.D. for their outstanding service to their patients and community.
The 21st annual Salute to Service Awards, sponsored by the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) Foundation, honored six physicians across the Commonwealth for their commitment to serving their patients, institutions and communities. Of those six, three are VCU School of Medicine faculty members.
“This year’s recognition by the MSV Foundation speaks volumes about our school’s dedication to selfless service,” said Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicine. “These awards are a testament to each faculty member’s impact as physicians, educators and ambassadors in their fields, and we are grateful for their leadership at VCU and beyond.”
For the past year, the MSV has been under the leadership of Alice Coombs, M.D., chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. She was the first Black female president — and only the fourth female president — of the professional society, which was founded in 1821. Coombs had the rare distinction of leading two state medical societies throughout her career, having served as president of the Massachusetts Medical Society in 2010. She noted that getting involved with a medical society “allows you to not be on the sidelines with a simple vote — it allows you to have a scalable impact.”
2024 Salute to Service Awards
Service by a Distinguished Medical School Faculty Member
Melissa Bradner, M.D., MSHA, Department of Family Medicine
M3 Emily Bassett commended Melissa Bradner, M.D., for recognizing that medical students have lives and interests outside of school, and "getting to know the student as a whole person, not just the student in the classroom.” And according to Denee Moore, M.D., director of the M3 clerkship in the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, that mentality extends to teaching patient care. “I really like that when she teaches students clinical skills, she always emphasizes the importance of whole-person care.” Scott Strayer, M.D., the Harris-Mayo Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, tied it all together by noting that Bradner “takes care of her students in the same way that she takes care of her patients, with that same level of dedication.”
Bradner, who’s been at VCU since 2005, reflected on her relationships with students and how influential they are in her life.
“For me, working with students is a way to glimpse the future, because they are the future,” Bradner said. “There are a lot of things going on in the world right now that seem very concerning, but when I work with students it’s very hopeful.”
Service to the Uninsured and Underserved
Stephanie Crewe, M.D., MHS, Department of Pediatrics
Robin Foster, M.D., a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, described Stephanie Crewe, M.D., chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine, as humble, warm and hardworking. She commended Crewe for spending “significant time in the community, volunteering her services but on a very low-key, off-the-radar basis.” David Lanning, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, noted that Crewe supports patients and families that are dealing with challenges ranging from socioeconomic to medical to mental health. “She is all in,” he said, and noted that her patients and colleagues love her for that.
Crewe grew up in the southside of Richmond, trained outside of Virginia and returned to the area in 2010, eager to serve the community that raised her.
“I was raised in an environment that says you always have to give back to those that are less fortunate,” For me, it is important to be able to pour into people that don’t have the same abilities that you and me have. That’s always been a critical part of who I am as a physician and who I am as a human being.”
Service for Advancing Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
José Muñoz, M.D., Department of Pediatrics
Matthew Scheftt, D.O., an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics and a mentee of José Muñoz, M.D., described Muñoz as “the most pivotal figure in our patient safety journey at Children’s Hospital of Richmond of anyone that's worked here over the decades that I’ve been here.” Other colleagues described him as a great listener who doesn’t hesitate to challenge the status quo, and somebody with integrity who is honest, straightforward and trustworthy.
The constant theme throughout his career, Muñoz said, “was always to improve patient outcomes,” and to improve the education of students and residents.