Bascom Palmer Health Care Hero Earns Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. William Culbertson was recognized for his pioneering work in vision correction surgery and expertise in corneal diseases.
William Culbertson, M.D., a pioneer in vision correction surgery and worldwide expert in corneal disease who has spent the last 47 years at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, received the coveted Equitable Advisors Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th annual Health Care Heroes awards presented by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Culbertson, the Lou Higgins Chair in Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer and professor of ophthalmology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is recognized for transforming the understanding and treatment across the globe of viral retinitis, corneal edema, corneal scarring and cataracts during his time at Bascom Palmer. His groundbreaking work has contributed to the expanded use of lasers in eye care and generated more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.
A Miami native who began his tenure at the health system as an orderly at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Dr. Culbertson was elated to return to his hometown after his training.
“I’ve loved my whole career at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, where I’ve worked among giants who have supported me all these years,” he told the crowd of about 500 people as he accepted his award.
Reflecting on how he reached this milestone, he recalled a motivating force.
“I have to give a special shout-out to my high school guidance counselor, who told my mother that maybe college wasn’t a good idea for me, and I liked physics so maybe I should be a mechanic,” he said. “As I look back, I think of her as an inspiration to do the best I can.”
Always the inspiring leader and teacher, Dr. Culbertson left the audience with wise words of advice.
“Compete, play fair, never give up, always believe in yourself and never let somebody tell you that you can’t do it or your project isn’t going to be good,” he said.
Among those who came to support Dr. Culbertson were his wife, his son and several colleagues, including Aida Grana, director of the corneal service who has been working for him for 35 years, Harry Flynn, M.D., professor of ophthalmology, and Sonia Yoo, M.D., professor of ophthalmology, both from Bascom Palmer.
Health Care, Nursing Awards
Armen Henderson, M.D., M.B.A., assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Miller School and founder of Dade County Street Response, received the Health Care Professionals award for his work delivering health care to the underserved. His street-medicine approach brings health care out of hospital settings and into distressed communities with limited access, addressing their immediate needs while reducing excess costs at emergency rooms and hospital systems. The care model not only involves medical services but integrates case management, legal advocacy and medical education.
“If I have to describe the work we do, we find innovative ways to take care of people who make Miami a place we can all call home,” Dr. Henderson said to thunderous applause. “We specialize in taking care of the working class, the cooks, the nannies, the construction workers, the wait staff, the unseen, the unsheltered, the undocumented. And we do it with dignity, with grace and we do it free of charge. This is a call to action. If you want to take care of the people I just mentioned, let’s work together.”
Gus Castillo, R.N., B.S.N., nurse manager in the neurosciences and epilepsy stepdown unit at UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, was recognized as a finalist in the Nurse award category.
“This is a great honor for me to be here,” Castillo said. “The University of Miami is so innovative, and I couldn’t feel more empowered to do my job in a different hospital. I’ve been with the University of Miami for 10 years, and I love what we do and the population we serve.”
Gaetano Ciancio, M.D., M.B.A., the Brandon and Kyle Simonsen Professor of Surgery and Urology at the Miller School and chief medical officer of the Miami Transplant Institute/Jackson Memorial Hospital, was recognized as a finalist in the Health Care Professional category.
Alfred Sanchez, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, recognized all health care workers in the room as heroes.
“It is really important for us in the community to recognize our heroes, and our health care heroes we should pay particular attention to,” he said. “They are the ones who wear capes, who save our lives, our childrens’ lives, our parents’ lives.”
Tags: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Health Care Heroes, vision impairment, William Culbertson