Dr. Virginia Caine was selected as the 2019 recipient of the Gerald L. Bepko IUPUI Community Medallion. The director of the Marion County Health Department, Caine is nationally renowned for excellence as an associate professor of medicine in the Department of Infectious Disease at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She was nominated and selected for her innovative, collaborative work to reduce infectious diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, syphilis, Hepatitis C and H1N1 influenza virus, and to reduce infant mortality as well as childhood obesity.
Caine has made an indelible impact to improve public health delivery system efficiencies, reduce health disparities and promote justice for all. Moreover, her leadership has led to a Marion County public health emergency preparedness partnership, including a mental health component.
For her 30-plus years of exemplary application of infectious disease research to critical public health problems, Caine has received numerous local, state and national honors, including two Sagamore of the Wabash Awards and the BioCrossroads Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year.
The Bepko Medallion was presented to Caine during the Bringle and Hatcher Civic Engagement Showcase Conference on April 9, 2019 at the Campus Center. During the June 6, 2019 annual meeting of the Senior Academy, she was the featured luncheon speaker, discussing her vision for the future of IUPUI community engagement.