Cerra Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

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Contact Jonell Rusinko, Academic Health Center, 612.624.5680
             Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, 612.625.2640

U OF M’S FRANK CERRA HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD BY THE SOCIETY OF CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (Jan. 11, 2005) -- The University of Minnesota’s Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Frank B. Cerra, M.D., will be awarded a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) during the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) Convocation/SCCM Awards Presentation on Sunday, Jan. 16, in Phoenix, Ariz. Cerra will be recognized for his numerous scientific and clinical advances in critical care medicine, as well as his extraordinary organizational vision and leadership.

“I am quite humbled that anyone would think that my accomplishments were worthy of this kind of peer recognition,” said Cerra. “Receiving this award is very gratifying and provides a sense of responsibility to set a good example for the next generation.”

Cerra currently leads the University of Minnesota’s Academic Health Center, which includes the six health professional schools, as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Since assuming leadership in 1996, Cerra has guided many changes enabling the University’s AHC to respond more nimbly to the evolving health care marketplace, to advance science and technology, and to translate those advances into new treatments.  Those changes include the creation of the Center for Biomedical Genomics and the Stem Cell Institute and a focus on interdisciplinary research programs.

Joining the University in 1981, Cerra served as director of surgical critical care, focusing his research on the nutrition and metabolism areas of critical care.  During this time, he also assumed the position of president of SCCM in 1991-92.  His agenda focused on establishing SCCM as the respected leader in critical care and propelling critical care into the professional spotlight.  During his presidency, Cerra worked to change SCCM’s orientation to recognize the multi-professional team and to increase awareness of critical care among medical professionals and the general population.

Cerra also strengthened the academic stature of SCCM’s annual congress by emphasizing research, encouraging researchers to attend the meeting and to present academic papers.  The triumph of the program was reflected in the success of the society’s journal Critical Care Medicine. In addition, Cerra helped establish the national database of critical care patient data still in use today.  He also worked with the American Medical Association to develop the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for critical care billing.

Throughout his career at the University and SCCM, Cerra has been highly regarded as a researcher, as well as administrator and clinician. He is co-developer of the bioartificial liver, a device similar to a kidney dialysis machine. Cerra also designed new forms of nutrients that actually improved metabolic function. This led to the concept of immunonutrition, which aims to preserve or enhance the immune response in critically ill patients to improve outcomes and reduce the length of hospital stay. His research played a role in understanding how nutrients improve the immune function and improve the outcomes of critically ill patients. Cerra's research was instrumental in the development of several nutritional support products that are used today.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Dr. Cerra, 61, received his B.A. degree in biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his M.D. degree from Northwestern University School of Medicine.

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