Pathways Pioneer Awards

Every day, children worldwide work as hard as Olympians to achieve what many of us take for granted. And achieve they do - with courage, self-discipline, self-esteem and dignity. Like Olympians, they mobilize their inner and outer resources to achieve their goals.

The power of their spirit inspires us all. Thank you.

In 2008, Pathways was pleased to honor Dr. Suzann Campbell for her invaluable contributions to Pathways’ mission and her extensive contributionsto the field of Pediatric Physical Therapy.
Dr. Campbell, who retired from her position as Professor and Head of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was appointed Professor Emerita for her contributions to the department and to the university.

Dr. Campbell received her BS, MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Campbell has taught in three research universities, and conducted research on development of children with cerebral palsy, intervention for infants at risk for movement dysfunction, and measurement of motor development in infants and young children. In addition to her teaching and research commitments, clinical practice has remained a life-long interest for Dr. Campbell.

Dr. Campbell is the Founding Editor of Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics and a past member of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research’s National Advisory Board. She is a member of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, and of the American Physical Therapy Association. She has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Mary McMillan Lecture Award of the APTA, and she is also a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA. She has also received the Gold Pen Award, the Davis Award for Research, the Distinguished Educator Award and the Pediatric Section Research Award.
Dr. Campbell has authored numerous articles and books, and was principal investigator on research grants supported by the Foundation for Physical Therapy and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Particularly notable is her research to develop the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP).

As a founding member of Pathways’ Medical Round Table, Dr. Campbell has been committed to the mission of early detection and early intervention. She was instrumental in the development of our first brochure, Assure the Best for Your Baby’s Physical Development, which has been distributed around the world and has been translated into 12 languages. During her tenure on the Pathways Awareness Medical Round Table, Dr. Campbell was an active participant and contributed to our vision to promote and educate on the topics of early referral and treatment.

Dr. Campbell is an exceptional therapist and teacher, and a tireless advocate on behalf of children everywhere. Pathways is proud to present Dr. Campbell with the 2008 Pathways Pioneer Award.

All of us in the Pathways family are especially pleased to pay tribute to Dr. H. Garry Gardner. As one of the original members of the Pathways Medical Round Table, Dr. Gardner has a prominent and undeniable role in our success story, and it is fitting that we publicly recognize and acknowledge his enormous contributions. Dr. Gardner is considered a pioneer in pediatric medicine. He currently has a private practice in Darien, Illinois, specializing in pediatrics. He is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and is on the medical staff of Hinsdale Hospital and Children’s Memorial Hospital.

In addition to being a valued member of the Pathways Medical Round Table, Garry serves on the Executive Committee of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is the chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention, and a member of the AAP Institutional Review Board. Garry also is co-chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the DuPage Easter Seals Center, is on the Editorial Board of Pediatric News, is on the Board of Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, and is an active participant on the Head Start Health Advisory Committee and the DuPage Interagency Council on Early Prevention.

Gay has been the heart and soul of Pathways Center since its inception in 1985 in Glenview, Illinois. Under Gay’s leadership, Pathways Center has been transformed from a small clinic to a state-of-the-art, best-practices therapy center.

Gay’s interest in therapy came early: “I was thinking of going into teaching or medicine, and then I went to a career fair in high school and saw a presentation by a physical therapist working with children.” A graduate of Marquette University with a bachelor’s in physical therapy, Gay earned her master’s degree in pediatric physical therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A physical therapist for five years in Berne, Switzerland, Gay worked with the esteemed team of physical therapists, Mary Quintan and pediatrician Dr. Elsbeth Köng.

Gay’s credentials and advanced training include certification in Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT), a hands-on, advanced therapeutic approach particularly beneficial to people with central nervous system disorders. She is currently completing her doctorate in motor control and motor learning at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In addition to being a gifted therapist, Gay is an extraordinary leader and teacher. She has shared her expertise with thousands of other therapists and medical professionals, and has led professional development courses both at home and abroad. Over 500 pediatric therapists in the Chicago area have been taught by Gay.

Dr. Elsbeth Köng is internationally recognized as the foremost authority on early detection and early intervention for infants and children with early motor delays. Her work has resulted in the extensive training of medical professionals around the world, as well as the development of therapy centers to meet the needs of these children.

Because of Dr. Köng’s revolutionary vision of beginning therapy at the critical age of three months, which allows for the most optimal development in a child’s movement abilities, Pathways Awareness began educating medical professionals and parents about the power of observation.

A graduate of Zurich University in Pediatric Medicine, Dr. Köng completed her residency at the University Children’s Hospital in Zurich under Professor G. Fanconi.

In 1952, she developed an out-patient clinic for children with cerebral palsy and their parents. Because of the high demand for her expertise, she became a traveling doctor, training physicians and building centers in various parts of the country. In 1963, Dr. Köng became medical director for the Center for Cerebral Motor Disturbances in Berne, Switzerland, during which time she served as head of postgraduate training in cerebral palsy.

Dr. Köng, along with Mary B. Quinton, another well-respected pioneer in the field, helped spread the teachings of Neuro Developmental Treatement (NDT), an advanced therapeutic approach, to therapists around the world. Today, over 5,000 therapists practice the NDT method. Throughout her career, Dr. Köng has lectured to medical professionals, including pediatricians, neurologists, orthopaedic surgeons, rehabilitation officers, and therapists in the United States, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, South Africa, Japan, and South Korea, on early detection and early treatment of cerebral palsy.

Pathways has the pleasure of honoring Dr. Köng with the Pathways Pioneer Award for her extraordinary commitment to assuring the best for every baby's physical development.

Dr. Sarwark is Head of the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, and Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Sarwark earned his Medical Doctorate at Northwestern and is a member of the national honor medical society Alpha Omega Alpha. He completed training as a clinical fellow in pediatric orthopaedics at the Alfred I. duPont Institute in Wilmington, Delaware. He is currently President of the Nathan Smith Davis Club of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. Sarwark serves as Co-chair of the Pathways Awareness Medical Round Table. He also serves as Chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Executive Committee/Section of Orthopaedics. Dr. Sarwark has twice served on the Board of Directors of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. Dr. Sarwark has chaired and contributes to numerous specialty society meetings and courses. He is editor of Caring for the Child with Spina Bifida, co-editor of The 2003 Body Almanac, section editor of Essentials of Musculoskeletal Imaging (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons publishers), contributor to The Care of the Pediatric Athlete (AAOS/AAP joint publishers), and on the Review Board for Musculoskeletal Medicine (AAOS/AAFP/AAP joint publishers). He serves as Associate Editor for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' new online web program, Orthopaedic Knowledge Online. He also publishes scientific papers within his field.