Hospital recognizes two physicians

Local pulmonologist and critical care specialist Dr. Kenneth Hurwitz was named Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s “2009 Physician of the Year” at its annual medical staff meeting Oct. 27.

Hurwitz was nominated by 750 practicing physicians and a committee of physician leaders at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, who recognized him for promoting new, life-saving protocols and advanced techniques in the Intensive Care Unit.

Hurwitz, board-certified in pulmonology, critical care and internal medicine, joined the medical staff in 2000 and currently serves as chairman of the hospital’s special care committee and critical care intensivist. He manages complex cases of patients in the Intensive Care Unit in addition to patients who seek care for lung conditions at his physician group practice, Lung Associates of Sarasota. Hurwitz serves on the faculty of the Florida State University College of Medicine, where he was a recipient of the college’s “outstanding community faculty educator — Sarasota regional campus” for 2008-09.

Medical staff members also bestowed a lifetime achievement award to Dr. Bernard Feinberg for providing outstanding leadership to the hospital and community during his medical career of 30 years.

Feinberg was recognized for the pivotal role he played in developing First Physicians Group — the hospital’s network of primary care physicians — to help address a shortage of primary care physicians in Sarasota. In addition to caring for patients at Associates in Internal Medicine and serving as a volunteer physician at the hospital’s Community Medical Clinic, Feinberg also served several years as the hospital’s chief of medicine and chief of staff.

Feinberg closed his First Physicians Group practice in September but will continue practicing medicine on a part-time basis.