November 3, 2000 - The NYSHCA is proud to present its Distinguished Member Award 2000 to Brian Palmer of the Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Click here to read Brian's acceptance speech.

Brian Palmer shown at a 1997 meeting with
Chris Campon and Fran Maher

Brian has been a patient advocate since 1986, when he established the first patient representative department in Coney Island's emergency room. In 1989 he was made Director of the Patient Representatives department, which now employs eight full-time and two part-time advocates. Three of the patient representatives work exclusively in the ER, and one representative can interpret both Russian and American sign language, an important skill for serving Coney Island's large Russian-speaking community.

In his current position as Assistant Executive Director, he is responsible not only for patient relations, but also for community relations, press relations, and pastoral care at Coney Island, which started as a first-aid station on the beach in 1909. It is now a 425-bed multi-site community medical center serving many ethnic neighborhoods.

Brian has spoken extensively on the subject of patient representation in the emergency room, addressing groups in Atlanta, Phoenix, Denver and Arlington, Virginia. He has also developed various programs in ER patient representation. Brian served twice as president of the NYSHCA, in 1993 and again in 1997, and also edited the Society's newsletter for a number of years. 

Brian attributes his success at Coney Island to a good team and good leadership. He is proud to say that the hospital just earned a 96 from the Joint Commission, one of the highest scores of any facility in the country.

Previous winners of the NYSHCA Distinguished Member Award include Ellen Martin of St. Vincent's Hospital, Ruby Greene of Long Island College Hospital, Sandy Burke of NYU Medical Center, Sister Joan Caldano, FSP, of Calvary Hospital, and Marcia McManus, recently departed from United Health Services Hospitals. Brian himself presented three of these awards, but today stands on the receiving end of the podium. Congratulations, Brian!