2021 Honors for GIM Faculty

Several of our doctors have received various honors in the first part of 2021 for excellent clinical practice, leadership, teaching, and more.

At the 2021 Virtual Hindson Winter Conference in January, the Idaho chapter of the American College of Physicians presented Assistant Professor Andrea Christopher with 2021 Advocacy Award. Dr. Christopher said she felt “honored and humbled [by the award] and inspired to stay focused to achieve health equity.” At the same meeting, Associate Professor Melissa (Moe) Hagman was recognized with the Distinguished Teacher Award. Both honors were presented by Idaho ACP Governor, Clinical Associate Professor Lisa Inouye.

 

Late January 2021, brought the announcement of the year’s nominees for the Thorud Leadership Award, the highest leadership honor at the UW. Associate Professor Lisa Chew and Clinical Assistant Professor Laura Quinnan-Hostein were both nominated. (6/14/21 Edit: Dr. Lisa Chew was this year's faculty recipient.)

Additionally, the Northwest Chapter of the Society for General Internal Medicine’s annual conference was held in late January. Assistant Professor Jared Klein received the “Innovations in Medical Education” award for his poster describing implementation of buprenorphine waiver training at UW School of Medicine. His GIM co-authors were Clinical Instructor James Darnton and Associate Professor Judith Tsui.

The final January honors went to Professor Emeritus Matthew Keifer, Chief Resident Natasha Kwendakwema, and Assistant Professor Nicholas Meo, who were awarded the title of “Practitioner Lead in Quality & Safety (PLQS)” by the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System’s Hospital & Specialty Medicine Service Line. The title recognizes their substantial contributions to local healthcare quality and safety.

In February, The Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) announced Professor (and now former Division Head) Stephan Fihn as the recipient of the ACLGIM Division Chief's Recognition Award. He was nominated by multiple people for his excellence in mentorship, faculty development, creating a harmonious Division, and more. According to Dr. Valerie Stone, Chair of the ACLGIM Awards Selection Committee, Dr. Fihn “stood out as having strengthened [his] Division with special attention to growth in all areas, with a strong focus on faculty development and mentoring.” Dr. Fihn formally received the award and gave his acceptance speech during the annual SGIM meeting in April.

 

In March, the American Diabetes Association announced that Professor Ed Boyko is the 2021 recipient of their annual Roger E. Pecoraro Award. “Dr. Boyko is a highly accomplished and internationally recognized physician-investigator” said Dr. Joyce Wipf. “He worked with Dr. Pecoraro at the Seattle VA, prior to Dr. Pecoraro’s untimely death in 1991 at the age of 47, and continues to advance the science of diabetes care, early detection of neuropathy and prevention/management of diabetic foot complications and infection. This work has important outcomes in limb preservation and preventing disability.” Dr. Boyko will receive the honor and give the award lecture during the Virtual 81st Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association held June 25-29, 2021.

March also brought the elections of Associate Professor Susan Merel and Assistant Professor Shobha Stack to the UW Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Finally in March, Clinical Associate Professor Alexandra Molnar was selected by UW School of Medicine students as the 2021 UW nominee for the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Award. This is a national teaching award presented by the AAMC Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) to one clinical faculty member from medical schools across the country who exemplifies positive mentoring, student collaboration, and teaching compassionate, patient-centered care. The recipient will be announced in August.

 

Most recently, the May/June 2021 issue of Seattle Magazine included their annual list of local “Top Doctors.” Physicians are nominated by their colleagues for providing exceptional patient care. GIM practitioners who made the list were Clinical Assistant Professor Sona Bhatti, Clinical Associate Professor Edward Dy, Clinical Associate Professor Hillary Liss, Associate Professor Emeritus Caroline Rhoads, and Professor John Sheffield.

Sources: DOM Week, Twitter