Texas First Lady Anita Perry presents Charles R. Bauer, M.D., CPE, professor of surgery, emergency medicine and orthopaedic surgery, with the Governor’s Lonestar Achievement Award.
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Contact: Will Sansom, (210) 567-2579

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 21, 2009) — Charles R. Bauer, M.D., CPE, professor of surgery, emergency medicine and orthopaedic surgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, received the Governor’s Lonestar Achievement Award on Dec. 9 in Dallas. Dr. Bauer, a longtime medical disaster response leader in Bexar County and in the state, received the award from Texas First Lady Anita Perry.

Donald J. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., president-elect of the Bexar County Medical Society and a retired professor of emergency health sciences at the Health Science Center, nominated Dr. Bauer for the honor. “This hard-working and dedicated individual has labored many selfless hours to provide direct disaster support and preparation for disasters in our state,” Dr. Gordon wrote.

Distinguished military career
Dr. Bauer, a Wisconsin native, received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1958. After a medical internship, he served as a flight surgeon, general surgeon, and hospital and medical center commander from 1959 to 1982, when he retired from the U.S. Air Force Medical Service.

He received many commendations during his military career, which included providing surgical care for wounded service members in Vietnam.

Center for Public Health Preparedness and Biomedical Research
Upon his retirement, he joined the UT Health Science Center, where he continues as a practicing physician and faculty member in the School of Medicine. Dr. Bauer is helping to plan the state’s response to H1N1 cases and hurricanes and other disasters. He also directs the university’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Biomedical Research.

Texas Medical Rangers
Dr. Bauer, a colonel in the Texas State Guard, commands the Alamo Group of the Texas State Guard Medical Brigade, known as the “Texas Medical Rangers.” He serves on numerous committees and advisory boards dealing with trauma, disaster preparedness, and chemical, biological, nuclear or high-yield explosive occurrences. Dr. Bauer is a certified physician executive (CPE) of the American College of Physician Executives.

Commanded Operation Lone Star exercise
Dr. Bauer volunteers for the annual Operation Lone Star and this summer served as commander of the large-scale public health response exercise. He directed more than 400 Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Texas State Guard personnel for the exercise held in Laredo and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. More than 13,000 individuals received assistance, including dental care, school physicals, immunizations, screening and counseling for diabetes, hearing and vision testing, and general medical care.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is one of the leading research institutions in Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $753.4 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $16.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $37 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 26,750 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu.