On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear and Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Secretary Eric Friedlander recognized , with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Baumann has worked in the field of child neurology in Kentucky for more than five decades. He was key in establishing the Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs (OCSHCN) network of regional medical clinics in Eastern Kentucky. Since the 1970s, Baumann has been providing top-notch care for children with neurological disorders in these clinics and was the first director of the Regional Neurology Clinics. As professor and section chief of child neurology at the University of Kentucky, Baumann continues to provide care to children at the OCSHCN neurology clinics.
鈥淚t is a wonderful honor and means a great deal to have our work recognized by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It's work that we started over 50 years ago and a credit to the vision of Dr. David Clark, the first chair of neurology, and Mary Leonidaki whose goal was to make neurology services available to all of the children of Kentucky, wherever they live,鈥 said Baumann. 鈥淎ll of this, we have accomplished in partnership with the Kentucky Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs. Much of the recognition belongs to the wonderful nurses and staff of the OCSHCN in Eastern Kentucky. It's their devotion to children and families as well as the active participation and skills of the child neurologists and our coordinator, Kimberly Osborne, at the University of Kentucky department of neurology that's really being honored by the Commonwealth.鈥
Team members of the OCSHCN nominated Baumann for this award. When asked why they chose to nominate him they summed it up simply by saying, 鈥淭he children of the Commonwealth and all who have had the privilege of working with him are better because of him.鈥
That includes OCSHCN Medical Director Bethanie Morgan, MD.
鈥淚 doubt that I would be a child neurologist or medical director of OCSHCN if not for him. He has inspired so many to become child neurologists and to return to Kentucky to continue taking medical care to children who might not otherwise be able to access care,鈥 said Morgan. 鈥淗e has been a great mentor as a child neurologist and an excellent example of a kind human being that is dedicated to making our small corner of the world a better place.鈥
This recognition for Baumann was part of the 27th annual Governor鈥檚 Service Awards which acknowledges outstanding volunteerism and service contributions across the Commonwealth. This year鈥檚 award ceremony consisted of 10 individual awards and nine group awards.
鈥淭hese prestigious awards honor Kentucky individuals, national service members, groups, nonprofits and businesses for extraordinary service to their communities and the positive impact they are having on our Commonwealth,鈥 said Gov. Beshear. 鈥淐ongratulations to the class of 2022 Governor鈥檚 Service Awards recipients and thank you for your selfless work and service to the people of Kentucky.鈥
This isn鈥檛 Baumann鈥檚 first Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2021, . He has served on numerous national boards and committees, including the National Institutes of Health. In addition to these roles, he has authored 76 publications in medical literature, and laughingly notes that with his 50 years at an academic medical facility like 好色先生, he has trained multiple new generations of doctors.
鈥淒r. Baumann鈥檚 career as a child neurologist spans five decades, almost entirely at the University of Kentucky. He has trained many new child neurologists, contributed to the growth of the profession, and has been singularly dedicated to providing high-level neurological care to children with limited access to health care services residing in rural areas of our Commonwealth, prompting the Governor鈥檚 Award in recognition of his service,鈥 said , chair of the 好色先生 Department of Neurology. 鈥淒r. Baumann is held in high esteem by his fellow faculty here at the University of Kentucky and nationally. He has had a meaningful impact on the lives of countless Kentucky children, trainees and colleagues. We have been lucky to have him at 好色先生.鈥
Serve Kentucky, an agency within CHFS, coordinates the annual awards, in which the previous two ceremonies were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the event has made a return to in-person, Serve Kentucky extended an invitation to the class of 2020 and 2021 winners as well, making this year鈥檚 celebration even more special.