AMA Honors TTUHSC's Victor Test With Medal of Valor
The American Medical Association (AMA) honored Lubbock, Texas, critical care specialist Victor J. Test, MD, with the AMA Medal of Valor for his work on behalf of patients and his community in the COVID-19 epidemic. The award recognizes physicians who demonstrate courage under extraordinary circumstances in non-wartime situations.
“It is an honor to present Dr. Test with the Medal of Valor for his heroic efforts to serve his community during this pandemic,” said AMA President Gerald E. Harmon, MD. “Resources can be scarce in West Texas, particularly during a pandemic, and Dr. Test set out to help fix that. He personally searched for, found, and purchased personal protective equipment (PPE) to supply the critical care faculty and fellows at the Texas Tech University hospital where he teaches and practices. During an incredibly challenging period for all physicians and across our health care system, Dr. Test stepped up and performed bravely and valiantly, protecting his colleagues and patients.”
In addition, to securing PPE, Dr. Test built plexiglass and PVC chambers for the physicians and nursing staff caring for COVID-19 patients. He set up a COVID-19 unit in the hospital’s medical intensive care unit and developed all protocols for its use, taking on extra duties and shifts so other faculty with families could be home.
Dr. Test also served as a principal investigator in a Mayo Clinic-led study of convalescent serum therapy in COVID-19 patients. And he helped with securing ventilators and other respiratory equipment for the state stockpile. Dr. Test took calls 24/7 for patients not only in the Lubbock area but also for the entire West Texas region. He personally called each hospital patient’s family each evening with updates.
“Physicians, nurses, residents, and patients witnessed his unflagging kindness, ingenuity, generosity, and caring. He belongs in the pantheon of health care heroes of this pandemic,” Dr. Harmon said.
The AMA presented the AMA Medal of Valor to Dr. Test during the 2022 Texas Medical Association Winter Conference.
Related Stories
Free Clinic Offered for Women’s Health Day
TTUHSC School of Medicine students will host a Women’s Health Day free clinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 15 at The Free Clinic
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Hosts TTUHSC’s 35th Student Research Week
Student Research Week provides an opportunity for TTUHSC student investigators to showcase their work and hear presentations from distinguished national speakers related to the year’s specific theme.
TTUHSC Names Executive Director for Telehealth Technology and Innovation
TTUHSC has named John Gachago, DHA, as the executive director for Telehealth Technology and Innovation.
Recent Stories
Researchers Study the Impact of Cancer on Hispanic Patients and Their Caregivers
TTUHSC Cytogenetic Technologist Jasbir Bisht and a team from P. Hemachandra Reddy’s internal medicine laboratory analyzed the impact of cancer in Hispanics in comparison to other ethnic groups.
World Down Syndrome Day
World Down syndrome Day was established to raise awareness about Down syndrome and to promote inclusion and acceptance of people with Down syndrome in all aspects of society.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
As spring approaches, some people’s thoughts turn to gardening. Whether it’s a flower garden they desire or a vegetable garden want to have, they begin planning what they’ll plant and what they need to do to ensure a successful garden.