The California Invasive Plant Council recently presented its highest honor to UC Davis’ Joe DiTomaso, the Cooperative Extension specialist who serves as director of the UC Weed Research and Information Center.

DiTomaso helped establish the council in 1992. Over the years, he has provided “extremely valuable resources, tools and books for land managers in California and beyond, and for helping guide Cal-IPC in many endeavors,” the council declared in giving him the Jake Sigg Award for Vision and Dedicated Service.

Cal-IPC, in cooperation with other nonprofit organizations, as well as industry and government agencies, works to protect California’s land and water from invasive plants through science, education and policy.

DiTomaso is a fellow of the Weed Science Society of America and editor-in-chief of the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management.

•••

The UC Davis Children’s Hospital cafeteria scored highest in a study of the healthiness of the food offered to patients, staff and visitors at 12 major pediatrics hospitals in California.

Researchers from UCLA and the RAND Corp. rated the hospital food on a scale of 0, for least healthy, to 37, for healthiest. The results, posted online by the journal Academic Pediatrics, show UC Davis with a 30.

“Hospital food typically has a very negative connotation,” said Marty Gothard, manager of the Department of Food and Nutrition Services for UC Davis. “We really have made an effort to change that image.”

UC Davis Children’s Hospital scored high for offering and clearly labeling a wide variety of healthy options, including foods that are low-fat, high-fiber and heart healthy. The study was conducted before the October 2010 opening of a major addition to the UC Davis Medical Center, which includes a new cafeteria.

•••

Holli DeVon, associate professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, collaborated on the Clinical Article of the Year, as designated by a scientific council of the American Heart Association.

The Council on Cardiovascular Nursing honored DeVon, Karen L. Saban of Loyola University (Chicago) and Donna K. Garrett of Hope College (Holland, Minn.) for “Recognizing and Responding to Symptoms of Acute Coronary Syndromes and Stroke in Women,” published in the June issue of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing.

“I hope this recognition fosters greater understanding of the nuances of gender-specific symptoms of heart attack and stroke, and the vital role that nurses can play in educating women about cardiovascular risk factors and symptoms,” DeVon said.

•••

Jerry Powell, professor of hematology and oncology, and director of the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Treatment Center, has been named the National Hemophilia Foundation’s physician of the year.

The award of excellence recognizes “remarkable and distinguished individuals in the bleeding and clotting disorders community."

Powell, who has been with UC Davis since 1990, has been instrumental in helping develop new treatments in hemophilia, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, inhibitors and von Willebrand disease. He has contributed to more than 60 peer-reviewed articles.

•••

The American Epilepsy Society recently presented its 2011 Service Award to Michael A. Rogawski, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology, honoring him for his contributions to the field of epilepsy and for his long record of service to the epilepsy society and its members.

Over a period of more than 20 years, he has served on the society’s board of directors, as chair of the technology committee and as a member of the long-range planning committee.

He played a key role in founding the society’s journal, Epilepsy Currents, in 2001 — and has been the co-editor ever since. He has co-edited five books, including Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, due out early next year.

•••

For the third year in a row, a leading, independent health care ratings organization has recognized the UC Davis Medical Center as one of the top hospitals in the nation for kidney transplantation.

The medical center’s Kidney Transplant Program was one of only eight of 221 hospitals evaluated in the United States to receive a Kidney Transplant Excellence Award from HealthGrades, a Colorado-based firm that analyzes publicly available data in order to rate hospitals and their programs based solely on clinical outcomes.

Along with low wait-list mortality and higher patient-survival rates, HealthGrades looks at the rate at which wait-listed patients received transplants. The HealthGrades rating also reflects the medical center’s strong one- and three-year graft survival rates, which tracks how long transplanted kidneys are still functioning after transplantation.

The medical center’s Kidney Transplant Program is one of largest in the country, having performed more than 240 kidney transplants already in 2011.

“The award for excellence reflects our continuing goal of providing the very best in kidney transplantation care and services,” said Richard V. Perez, professor of surgery and director of the Kidney Transplant Program. “Our comprehensive team includes surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, nephrologists, donor coordinators, pharmacists, dietitians and social workers.

“Everyone is dedicated to providing the full range of transplant care, both before and long after surgery. And our ability to collaborate with other UC Davis specialists, such as immunologists and cardiologists, helps ensure that every transplant patient receives great care and can enjoy a long life after their transplant.”

•••

Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of faculty and staff awards, for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.