Our Lady of the Lake Health Announces 2024 Dr. Eugene Berry Award for Surgical Education

July 29, 2024

BATON ROUGE—Our Lady of the Lake Health announced Florina Corpodean, MD, as the 2024 recipient of the Dr. Eugene Berry Award for Surgical Education. This prestigious award is funded by the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation thanks to the generosity of retired heart surgeon Dr. Eugene Berry.

Established in 2023, the Dr. Berry Scholarship is a highly selective monetary award for an outstanding categorical general surgery resident. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional LSU surgical resident leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential and their career goals.

"We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Corpodean as the 2024 recipient of the Dr. Berry Award for Surgical Education,” shared John Lyons, MD, surgical oncologist at Our Lady of the Lake Health and coordinator of the award. “This award represents a commitment to fostering the next generation of surgical leaders and innovators here in our community.”

This award will fund Dr. Corpodean’s participation in the American College of Surgeons’ Residents as Teachers and Leaders course. Upon completion of this course, Dr. Corpodean will share the highlights of her experience with peers in her surgical residency and the surgical faculty.

“Our world-class training is enhanced by opportunities like this, and we are grateful for the generous support of Dr. Berry and the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation in making this award possible,” Dr. Lyons said. “Through their contributions, residents like Dr. Corpodean will have the opportunity to engage in transformative educational experiences that will shape their career for years to come.”

The first annual Berry Award recipient was Matthew Burger, MD, in 2023, who graduated from the LSU surgery residency and is completing a two-year fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Cornell University.