PHOENIX (April 8, 2006) Dr. Maria Simbra has won the 2006 National Association of Medical Communicators Award of Excellence.  The National Association of Medical Communicators established the NAMC Award to acknowledge excellence in broadcast health communications. Each year the award goes to the NAMC member who most successfully combines instructional design, production and performance to create a program that positively impacts public health.

	Dr. Maria Simbra Click photo for larger image.

Dr. Simbra was presented with a plaque at the NAMC annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on April 8, 2006.  Her November 30, 2005 news report for KDKA-TV about taking too much Tylenol was played at the award ceremony.

"We received many excellent entries, but Dr. Simbra's work stood out from the rest," says Dr. Paul Little, Immediate Past-Chair of NAMC.  "Dr. Simbra clearly demonstrates by her 'man on the street' interviews that patients did not know the correct dose, and most were taking far more than the recommended dose."  Little points out her clear teaching message -- that even what appears to be a harmless drug like acetaminophen can have devastating consequences when taken in excess.

The mission of the National Association of Medical Communicators is to unite and support medical journalists and communicators as they provide health information to consumers via various media.  Members of NAMC endorse a standard of professionalism exemplified by the best practices of medicine and journalism, and acknowledge the responsibility in practicing the profession to its highest standards. Medical information is the foundation for public health, and NAMC works to enhance the well-being of audiences.

Dr. Maria Simbra is a member of the Pittsburgh Local of AFTRA, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and a medical reporter for KDKA-TV.  She holds a master's degree in journalism and mass communications from Point Park University, and teaches medical journalism at Pittsburgh area universities.  In 2005, she was elected to the Association of Health Care Journalists Board of Directors.  She is also an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.