Dr. Mark Linskey, Dr. Marianne Cinat honored as Heroes with Heart

UC Irvine neurosurgeon Dr. Mark Linskey will receive the Trauma Intervention Program of Orange County’s 2011 Heroes with Heart award, which the organization has renamed in honor of trauma surgeon Dr. Marianne Cinat, director of UC Irvine Regional Burn Center, who died unexpectedly in June.

The Heroes with Heart awards are bestowed annually on a dozen Orange County healthcare and public safety personnel who demonstrate compassion for victims of trauma and their families above and beyond the call of duty, according to TIP founder and CEO Wayne Fortin.

Cinat was a Heroes with Heart recipient in 2009 and a member of the organization’s board of directors. Fortin said naming the award for her was a natural fit.

“Dr. Cinat was part of our family,” he said. “She felt very deeply about what we do in providing comfort for trauma patients and their families.”

Her colleagues agreed. “We’re delighted that TIP has honored Dr. Cinat’s memory in this way,” said Dr. Michael J. Stamos, chair of UC Irvine’s Department of Surgery. “I know this would mean a lot to Marianne, as her community and her patients were her passion.”

Trauma Intervention Programs Inc. is a national organization of specially trained volunteers who offer emotional and practical support to traumatized individuals in the first few hours after a tragedy. It has 18 regional chapters that serve more than 75 cities, 100 hospitals, 67 police departments and 55 fire departments.

“I am very honored to get this award from members of our Orange County trauma community,” said Linskey, co-director of UC Irvine’s Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program. “Receiving the Heroes with Heart award the first time since it’s been named for my colleague Marianne Cinat is particularly special and poignant.”

An Orange County TIP volunteer impressed by Linskey’s interaction with relatives of a trauma patient nominated him.

“Dr. Linskey took the time to assist the family of someone who was not his patient in a way that addressed their concerns and fears about a loved one’s condition,” Fortin said. “Such small acts of kindness are worth recognizing because they’re meaningful and will stay with a patient’s family for a lifetime.”

UC Irvine emergency department nurse Sherlene Stepp was honored by the Orange County chapter of TIP last year. The 2011 Marianne Cinat, M.D., Heroes with Heart awards will be presented during a dinner ceremony Oct. 21 at the Hilton hotel in Costa Mesa. Those interested in attending can contact Fortin at tipincceo@aol.com.

About UC Irvine Medical Center: Orange County’s only university hospital, UC Irvine Medical Center offers acute- and general-care services at its new, 482,000-square-foot UC Irvine Douglas Hospital and is home to the county’s only Level I trauma center, American College of Surgeons-verified regional burn center and National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. U.S. News & World Report has included UC Irvine for 11 consecutive years on its “America’s Best Hospitals” list, giving special recognition to its programs in gynecology, urology, cancer and kidney disorders.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

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