Western Colorado Pediatrics, a division of Primary Care Partners, is proud to announce Pediatrician Dr. Barbara Zind recently received the prestigious Job Lewis Smith award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The Job Lewis Smith Award is presented annually to a chosen pediatrician recognized by their lifelong outstanding career achievement in community pediatrics. The award, named for Job Lewis Smith, MD, one of the founding fathers of the American Pediatric Society and chief pioneer of American pediatrics, is the highest award bestowed by the Council on Community Pediatrics of the AAP.
“This award and this achievement directly reflect and summarize well Barb’s achievements and commitment to our community,” says Jack Thompson, CEO of Primary Care Partners. “She has long been a leader and significant inspiration providing outstanding quality care for our kids and we are proud that she has received this recognition from her peers.”
Dr. Zind started at Western Colorado Pediatrics in 1996. In her medical career she has had professional “hobbies” and has worked internationally, caring for patients not only in western Colorado but across the globe.
After her pediatric residency at the University of Colorado, she completed 2 years of a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. With this experience and with the support of the pediatric nurses at St Mary’s Hospital, she coordinated the local treatment of children with cancer on the western slope by collaborating with Pediatric Oncology departments in Denver and Salt Lake City. Additionally, Dr. Zind developed We Can!™ Mesa County, an ongoing program open to any interested families in the Grand Valley that is focused on helping children learn healthy habits to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
In addition to her local contributions, Dr. Zind worked in Papua New Guinea for a year and volunteered in Honduras and Guatemala. Since 2010, she has volunteered to help Palestinian children in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. Through generous donors and international medical volunteers, she has helped Palestinian children with chronic diseases access care otherwise unavailable to them. Dr. Zind’s accomplishments also include developing nutritional and activity programs in Papua New Guinea and on the Navajo Reservation in Chinle, Arizona where she worked for 8 years.
The Job Lewis Smith awardees are typically pediatricians who are academic leaders associated with large medical centers. Dr. Zind expressed her honor at receiving the award as a private pediatrician from a rural area stating: “It is a reminder that as pediatricians we can all make a difference in the lives of children, regardless where we live and practice.”
