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3/23/09 news article

Elvira Jaballas, MD, named Wallace B. Taggart award winner

the Taggart award is the highest physician award

The Children's Medical Center of Dayton is pleased to announce Elvira Jaballas, MD, has been awarded the Wallace B. Taggart Award for her outstanding service in the health care of children. Dr. Jaballas was honored by her peers during a ceremony on Friday, March 20, at the Packard Museum in Dayton. 

Dr. Jaballas received her medical degree at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines and completed her pediatric internship and residency at Misericordia Hospital/St. Mary's Hospital, Bronx, New York, St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center in New York, New York and Children's Hospital/The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. 

Personally recruited to join what was then the Barney Children's Medical Center by Wallace B. Taggart, known in Dayton as the 'father of pediatrics,' Dr. Jaballas remembers her conversation with Dr. Taggart, "I was overwhelmed with his vision and the opportunities to be innovative and creative in fulfilling his dreams for health care in Dayton." 

In 1966, she moved to Dayton to become the clinical director of ambulatory services at Dayton Children's in 1969. For 21 years, Dr. Jaballas worked at Dayton Children's. 

"She always had the patients' best interests in mind," says Maria Nanagas, MD, medical director of The Children's Health Clinic at Dayton Children's. "She was genuinely interested in helping each one and was creative in working out solutions." 

Dr. Jaballas has worked as director Wright-Patterson Air Force Base pediatric partnership and is currently associate professor of pediatrics Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and a faculty member of the Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program. 

"Her career has had a consistent and well-focused area of interest that has allowed her to become an expert in the field of community-based medical education and the service learning model," say Arthur Pickoff, MD, chairman of the department of pediatrics and community health, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. 

She has been recognized with numerous professional and personal awards for teaching, leadership and community involvement. These include the Health Promotion Award - Center for Healthy Communities - Wright State University; Professional Excellence in the Practice of Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine; Top Ten Women - Dayton Daily News; and Outstanding Achievement in the Medical Profession and Service to the Community - Philippine-American Society of Greater Dayton. 

"We are honored to give this award to Dr. Jaballas who has worked so hard at not only improving the health and well being of children in our community, but also for her leadership and expertise as an educator," says Bob Myers, DO, chairman of the professional staff at Dayton Children's. 

"I am humbled to realize how fortunate I have been to do so many things I truly enjoyed—opportunities I never thought would be mine as a foreign graduate," Dr. Jaballas says. 

"I've had many fantastic opportunities for contributing to the pediatric education of medical students and residents, and performing community service as a clinical educator." 

Dr. Jaballas and her husband Rodrigo, also a physician, reside in Washington Township and have three children, Roderick, a lawyer, Rosemary a physician and Rodelia, a business administrator, and eight grandchildren. 

About the Taggart Award:
The hospital and the professional staff established the Wallace B. Taggart award for outstanding service in the health care of children in 1981 to recognize professional staff members with a commitment to Dayton Children's, a commitment to quality patient care and a commitment to those in the community. The award is the hospital's highest physician honor and is designed to credit the example of Dr. Taggart and his colleagues who pioneered pediatric care in Dayton. Dr. Wallace B. Taggart was the first chief of staff at Dayton Children's, and he cared for children above all else. He was deeply committed to the mission of children's medical center and to students, to colleagues and to his community.

For more information, contact: 
Marketing Communications Department 
Phone: 937-641-3666 
marketing@childrensdayton.org