Gold Star Award: SDS names Overholt winner of Gold Star award

SDS names Overholt winner of Gold Star award

Bergein Frederick Overholt, MD, of Knoxville, TN, has been name a winner of Same-Day Surgery's Gold Star award as part of its 35th anniversary celebration. SDS is awarding Gold Stars to outstanding leaders and innovators in the outpatient surgery field.

Overholt was selected for being a pioneer and leader in the field of outpatient surgery from its early years. Overholt's efforts led to state licensure and certification of the nation's first state licensed and Medicare-certified endoscopy ambulatory surgery center. He received the William Beaumont award from the American Medical Association in1986 for his pioneering work in developing flexible sigmoidoscopy-colonoscopy. In 1975, he received the Schindler Award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy for development of the flexible fibersigmoidoscope.

Overholt is a past president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers. He served as chief of staff at St. Mary's Memorial Hospital in Knoxville for two years. He has published extensively in the medical literature.

Overholt is medical director of the Knoxville-based Laser Center of the Thompson Cancer Survival Center, where he participates in a broad clinical and research program centering on photodynamic therapy (PDT) and other endoscopic therapies for Barrett's esophagus and for reflux disease. Overholt serves as the president of Gastrointestinal Associates and medical director of AmSurg. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the subspecialty board of gastroenterology and is a master of the American College of Gastroenterology.

He has been active in his community, including service on the school board for 16 years and three years as chairman. He and his wife, Lyn, have two children, Scott and Suzanne, and six grandchildren. SDS salutes our Gold Star winner! [Would you like to nominate someone else or yourself for a Gold Star award? Contact Joy Daughtery Dickinson, executive editor, at (229) 551-9195 or [email protected].]