Physicians for Peace to Honor Dr. Sanjay Gupta with 2011 Humanitarian Award

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Mark Hill/CNN

NORFOLK, VA (10/04/2011)(readMedia)-- This fall, Dr. Sanjay Gupta received the 2011 Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for Global Health, adding another honor to his already impressive resume. The annual award, Physicians for Peace's highest honor, recognizes an individual who has improved the healthcare of the world's most vulnerable populations.

The award is named in honor of the founder of Physicians for Peace, Dr. Charles E. Horton Sr. It was presented to Gupta earlier this month in Atlanta.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be recognized with the Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award," Gupta said. "Because I have seen firsthand how disparities in healthcare can divide people and devastate communities, I particularly admire Physicians for Peace's focus on education, and its efforts to transform the lives of patients and healthcare professionals in underserved areas through programs that produce meaningful and lasting results."

A practicing neurosurgeon, Gupta is the Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent for CNN's Health, Medical and Wellness unit. He has been on the frontline of some of the world's most dire humanitarian crises and has reported on the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and historic flooding in Pakistan. Gupta also was among the first journalists in Haiti after the country's massive earthquake in January 2010.

"Through his tireless work in countries like Haiti, Japan and Sri Lanka, as well as the U.S., Dr. Gupta embodies the characteristics of a true medical diplomat: compassion, medical expertise and a commitment to service that transcends race, religion, politics and geography," said Brig. Gen. Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.), president and CEO of Physicians for Peace. "Dr. Horton's founding vision for Physicians for Peace was to build peace and international friendships through medicine. No journalist working in the field today has done more to advance that vision than Dr. Gupta."

In receiving the award, Gupta will join an elite group of past winners, including President William Jefferson Clinton (2010), the ONE grassroots advocacy organization (2009), Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD (2008), and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of The Earth Institute at Columbia University (2007).

Physicians for Peace will recognize Gupta on Oct. 15 during its 2011 Gala at the Sheraton Waterside in downtown Norfolk, Va.

For more information about Physicians for Peace and the 2011 Charles E. Horton Award for Humanitarian Service, please contact Mary Westbrook; (757) 625-7568 ext. 331.

ABOUT PHYSICIANS FOR PEACE

Physicians for Peace transforms lives by training, supporting and empowering healthcare professionals working with the world's underserved populations. Through effective, hands-on medical education and training, clinical care and donated medical supplies, Physicians for Peace develops long-term, sustainable, replicable, and evidence-based programs to help partner nations build medical capability and capacity to help themselves. Since 1989 Volunteers for the 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization have conducted medical missions in more than 60 countries. Find us online at www.physiciansforpeace.org and www.facebook.com/physiciansforpeace. Follow us on Twitter, Physician4Peace.