Turvey, Others Honored at Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Meeting
At the recent Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (SSOMS) meeting in Bermuda, current Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Chair Dr. Tim Turvey was honored with the SSOMS Distinguished Educators Award.
The SSOMS Distinguished Educators Award was established in 2005 and is given annually to one recipient. The winner must be a current or former member of the society and a distinguished educator in the southeast for more than 15 years. As chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Turvey dedicates much of his time to educating his department residents with his major area of interest, craniomaxillofacial surgery. He has been a member of the school’s faculty since 1976. The award was presented to Turvey by society President Dr. David Frost, an alumnus of the UNC oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program.
“This award is very special to me,” said Turvey. “It’s a humbling experience to be recognized at such a high level by my peers, and I’m honored and grateful that they regard me so highly.”
Also honored at the SSOMS meeting were Dr. Myron Tucker, former director of the residency program at UNC, and the late Dr. Bill Terry, Professor Emeritus. The meeting was dedicated to Terry, who passed away earlier this year. Terry was the consummate “surgeon’s surgeon” whose innovations include the introduction to the United States of repair of facial fractures with bone plates and screws. Today these methods facilitate restoration of facial structures after trauma among other important usages. Tucker received the society’s Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to academic oral and maxillofacial surgery and his leadership in establishing parameters for ambulatory surgery.
The scientific program at the meeting was given entirely by alumni of the UNC oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program: Drs. Bryan Bell, Ramon Ruiz and Paul Tiwana. Tiwana, associate professor and residency program director at the Univertsity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, spoke on complex maxillofacial trauma management. Bell, clinical professor at Oregon Health and Sciences University, introduced newer concepts in management of head and neck cancer care, particularly those associated with the HPV virus. Ruiz, pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgeon and director of the Craniofacial Disorders Progam at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children summarized current challenges in coordinating cleft lip and palate repair from birth to adult stages of life in today’s health care environment.
