From left, East Central Health District Director Ketty Gonzalez, M.D.; Roger Vega, M.D., Treating Children with Special Health Care Needs award recipient; Maternal and Child Health Section Director Seema Csukas, M.D., Ph.D.; and Robert Wiskind, M.D., president of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Georgia chapter.

The Treating Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Award recognizes physicians who treat children with chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions.

Roger Vega, M.D., the 2012 award recipient, is professor of pediatrics and chief of the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Section at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta.

He has served patients around the state with a rare sensitivity and genuine compassion for almost 30 years. In recognizing the need for access to specialty care for children in rural areas, he provided sickle cell outreach clinics for patients in Dublin, Athens, Valdosta, Albany and Waycross. His personable, family-centered approach helped patients and families find solace and comfort through times of fear and discomfort.

With a sickle cell pain crisis the importance of a comprehensive approach is imperative. In order to ensure quality care for his patients, he also encouraged collaboration and communication between the GHSU Pediatric Sickle Cell team and the local primary care physicians. His commitment to his patients and their families is one to be recognized and commended.