ACGME Presents Six Awards, Including New DeWitt C. Baldwin Jr. Award in Partnership with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation

February 26, 2016

Today the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) presented awards to 23 recipients at its Annual Educational Conference, including the inaugural DeWitt C. Baldwin Jr. Award presented in partnership with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

“This year’s awardees highlight the increasingly high quality work and innovation underway in the graduate medical education community. The many successes achieved by the recipients showcase the important contributions of every member of the community, including institutions, residents, designated institutional officers, program directors, and coordinators,” said Thomas J. Nasca, MD, chief executive officer, ACGME.

The DeWitt C. Baldwin Jr. Award is presented to Sponsoring Institutions by the ACGME and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to recognize institutions with accredited residency/fellowship programs that are exemplary in fostering a respectful, supportive environment for medical education and the delivery of patient care, which leads to the personal and professional development of learners.

“There are few individuals who achieve iconic stature, and Dr. Baldwin is one of these,” said Dr. Richard Levin, President and CEO of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. “This award focuses on the importance of creating environments that completely elevate the concept of humanism in medicine so that all health care professionals are supported.”

The recipients of this year’s DeWitt C. Baldwin Jr. Award are:

Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI

VA Caribbean Healthcare System
San Juan, PR

Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation
LaCrosse, WI

The Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award is for designated institutional officials who have demonstrated strong leadership and astute resource management and have encouraged innovation and improvement in residency programs and their Sponsoring Institutions. The recipients of this year’s Courage to Lead Award are:

Mary C. Ottolini, MD, MPH
Children’s National Medical Center
Washington, DC

Steven H. Rose, MD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN

The Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award is given to program directors who have fostered innovation and improvement in their residency programs and served as exemplary role models for residents. The recipients of this year’s Courage to Teach Award are:

Jeffrey S. Berger, MD, MBA
Anesthesiology
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Washington, DC 

Alexander M. Djuricich, MD
Internal Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN

Michael L. Epter, DO, FAAEM
Emergency Medicine
Maricopa Medical Center
Scottsdale, AZ

Jay B. Hollander, MD
Urology
Beaumont Health
Royal Oak Royal Oak, MI

Jaffar Khan, MD, FAAN
Neurology
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA

Eileen J. Klein, MD, MPH
Pediatric Emergency Medicine University of Washington School of Medicine
Seattle, WA

Michael F. O’Connor, MD, FCCM
Anesthesia and Critical Care University of Chicago
Chicago, IL

Phillip N. Rauk, MD
Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Minnesota Medical School
Minneapolis, MN

Eric J. Warm, MD, FACP
Internal Medicine
University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH

Curtis Whitehair, MD, FAAPMR
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital & Georgetown University Medical Center
Washington, DC

The David C. Leach Award recognizes residents and fellows who have fostered innovation and improvement in their residency programs, advanced humanism in medicine, and increased efficiency and emphasis on educational outcomes. The recipients of this year’s David C. Leach Award are:

Olufunso W. Odunukan, MBBS, MPH -
Cardiovascular Diseases
Team members: William C. Palmer, MD; Chad McCree, MD; Cara C. Prie, MD; Chrysanthe M. Yates
Mayo Clinic in Florida
Jacksonville, FL


Adele Reeder, MD
Pediatrics
Team members: Jaclyn Albin, MD; Jill Roth, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX

The GME Institutional Coordinator Award recognizes an institutional coordinator that demonstrates in-depth knowledge of graduate medical education and the process for internal review. This person skillfully manages the multiple roles of administrator, counselor, enforcer, coordinator, organizer, and scheduler. The recipient of this year’s GME Institutional Coordinator Award is:

Cindi Trinidad-Mitchell UNC Hospitals Chapel Hill, NC

The GME Program Coordinator Excellence Award is given to program coordinators in recognition of their in-depth understanding of the accreditation process, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and projects to improve residency programs. The recipients of this year’s GME Program Coordinator Excellence Award are:

Denise O. Garcia
Obstetrics and Gynecology
UC Irvine Health
Orange County, CA

Anita N. Hagan
General Surgery
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Julia Panzo, C-TAGME
Orthopaedics
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center}
Columbus, OH


Tammy Stallings, C-TAGME
Ophthalmology
Texas A&M / Scott & White Eye Institute
Temple, TX

Claire E.M. Travis, MA, MBA, C-TAGME
General Surgery
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Aurora, CO

The ACGME is proud to honor these 23 exceptional individuals and institutions of the graduate medical community. Through these awards, the ACGME hopes to inspire institutions, designated institutional officials, program directors, residents/fellows, and coordinators to continue their mission to improve health care by advancing the quality of resident physicians’ education.

The ACGME Awards Program is currently accepting nominations for the 2017 awards, through March 18, 2016. The ACGME Board of Directors Awards Committee selects awardees. More information at http://www.acgme.org.