Dr. Woodward receives the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine’s Jim Seidel Distinguished Service Award.
The award, originally established in 1988 and renamed in 2004, recognizes a physician who has made outstanding contributions to Pediatric Emergency Medicine. As a lifetime achievement award, it is the highest award presented by the AAP Section on Emergency Medicine. It is given to an individual who has demonstrated contributions to the field of PEM over a long and distinguished career.
The award celebrates the career achievements of James (Jim) S. Seidel MD, PhD, FAAP, an early pioneer, leader, mentor, and teacher to many in PEM. Dr. Seidel led the Division of Academic General Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, and was Director of the PEM Fellowship Program. He promoted the highest standards in pediatric resuscitation education, was on the original national faculty for the AHA PALS course, and was an original member of the Task Force to develop APLS. He co-edited the AAP “Bluebook” on Childhood Emergencies in the Office, Hospital, and Community and authored countless sentinel publications.
Dr. Seidel’s tireless advocacy for improving the emergency care of children at every level and his collaborations with Dr. Cal Sia and Senator Dan Inouye helped authorize and fund the federal Emergency Medical Services for Children grant program. This program has benefited the emergency care of children in all 50 states and internationally. Jim was truly a remarkable person of boundless energy, tireless dedication, and fearless advocacy whose work was foundational to our subspecialty.