By Kerri Hatt
ATLANTA — Craig A. Manifold, DO, FACEP, FAAEM, FAEMS, has been recognized posthumously with the 2021 Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award for his “lifetime of commitment to excellence, tremendous contributions and outstanding leadership to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in both the civilian and military sectors,” according to an NAEMT release.
The award is NAEMT’s most prestigious, and is generously sponsored by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). The presentation will be made during NAEMT’s annual General Membership Meeting on October 5 in Atlanta.
Dr. Craig Manifold “was a devoted family man, invaluable member of the EMS community, and an especially cherished member of both the National Registry and NAEMT Boards,” the release noted.
A Brigadier General (ret), USAF; Dr. Manifold served in leadership positions for NREMT, NAEMT, ACEP, NAEMSP and the Eagles alliance, as well as the National Registry’s Research and International Committees.
He served the EMS community as medical director for several EMS agencies in the San Antonio area, as assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center, and on several boards in Texas and nationwide.
He passed away in September of 2020, leaving a legacy of advancing medical care and service to others.
NAEMT President Bruce Evans said, “Dr. Manifold leaves a legacy to EMS for which we will always be grateful. In the field, in institutions, and on the battlefield, he educated and served his students, colleagues, and comrades to be their best as practitioners. His service to medicine and efforts to progress patient care was of the highest standard. Dr. Manifold is fondly remembered and carries on with honor through the hearts and lives of so many. EMS has been made better because of him.”
“The National Registry is honored that Dr. Manifold’s wife, Denise, one of his daughters, Della, and her husband Steven Stolle are able to attend the ceremony in person to receive the award on his behalf,” noted Dr. Heather Davis, Board Chair for NREMT. “We know that for every volunteer who gives countless hours of service to our profession in patient care, leadership, teaching and on committees, important family moments get missed. We are grateful to the entire Manifold family.”
Dr. Manifold helped educate members of Congress on the critical service EMS practitioners provide to their patients and communities. “He was a true patriot on and off the battlefield, seeking to unite people and organizations in the interest of providing better medical care,” the release noted.