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Norman E. McSwain, Jr., MD |
PHTLS Medical Director Norman E. McSwain, Jr., MD, was one of 10 2006 Impact Award recipients from the American Association of Retired People (AARP). The awards recognize people “who did something extraordinary to make the world a better place.”
“There’s a presumption in this country that people start to lose relevance around age 50,” wrote AARP The Magazine editors in introducing the award winners. “Let’s hope our annual Impact Awards will do something to deep-six the myth.”
McSwain was recognized for his work in the days following Hurricane Katrina when he headed up patient evacuation efforts at Charity Hospital. McSwain evacuated to Nashville after his patients were taken care of, and he is now back home in New Orleans, helping repair the city’s public health system.
“As a trauma surgeon, you never think things are hopeless,” McSwain told AARP. “Maybe other people did. But my thought process was always, ‘How am I going to solve this?’ ”
Other honorees included singers Naomi Judd and Harry Belafonte, actress Jane Kaczmarek and Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Read more about AARP honorees.