Cottage Health System Honors Four Outstanding Physicians of the Year
November 10, 2006
Four doctors have been named Outstanding Physicians of the Year by Cottage Health System and will be honored at the annual Cottage Medical Staff Dinner on November 16.
Jeffrey Fried, MD, and Cary Conyers, MD were selected at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Christopher Flynn, MD, was named the recipient at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and J. Kevin Beckmen, DO, was the choice at Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital.
All four physicians were nominated for the awards by Cottage staff at the hospitals at which they primarily practice.“This recognition is particularly meaningful as it represents the choices of our employees who work most closely with the doctors,” said Ron Werft, Cottage Health System President and Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Fried serves as medical director of critical care at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He was cited for his positive nurse-physician interdisciplinary collaboration, education of both medical residents and staff, and his many contributions to evidence-based protocols and technologies.A pulmonologist and critical care specialist, Dr. Fried attended USC Medical School where he served his internship, residency, and fellowship training. He worked at the USC Student Center and Doheny Eye Institute before coming to Santa Barbara in 1988.
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Dr. Conyers, a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, was recognized by Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital staff for his ability to remain poised and calm under stressful situations in surgery and his friendly and respectful demeanor to all members of the team.He received his medical degree from the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia where he also completed his first two years of general surgery residency. He came to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to finish his general surgical training before returning to Temple to serve his cardiovascular and thoracic fellowship. He retired from active practice on July 15, 2006.
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Dr. Flynn, an emergency department physician at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, was cited for his superior skills as a doctor and his compassion for his patients and their families.He graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed his internship and residency at Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center. Before coming to Santa Barbara in 1997, he served as an assistant clinical professor at LAC/USC Medical Center and Martin Luther King Jr./Charles R. Drew Medical Center.He also worked part-time at Providence Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank and Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance.
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Dr. Beckmen, who practices Family Medicine in Solvang, was recognized for his volunteer work at the Tribal Clinic and his dedication to his patients including home visits on occasion. He graduated from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine, and conducted his internship and residency at Presbyterian/St. Lukes Hospitals in Denver. He joined the staff of Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital in 2001. |
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The not-for-profit Cottage Health System, the parent organization of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and its associated Cottage Children’s Hospital, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, is guided by a volunteer board of directors from the greater Santa Barbara community.Last year, the hospitals provided inpatient care for 20,000 people, treated 61,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,800 newborns. With a staff of more than 2,400, Cottage is the largest private employer in the County.
