2026 Distinguished Awards – Call for Nominations
The Allegheny County Medical Society (ACMS) Distinguished Awards celebrate outstanding contributions to healthcare, leadership, and community service. Mark Goodman, MD, Awards Chair, is pleased to announce nominations are now open and will be accepted through July 24, 2026.
Honorees will be recognized at the ACMS Annual Meeting and Distinguished Awards Program scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2026, in the UPMC Club at Acrisure Stadium.
These awards celebrate excellence in both clinical practice and community impact, recognizing physicians and non-physicians alike who exemplify the highest ideals of service, leadership, and compassion in medicine. We invite you to nominate deserving colleagues, organizations, and community partners using the online ACMS Distinguished Awards Nomination Form.
In addition, the Spirit of Service Award is presented to an ACMS member in recognition of their extraordinary dedication to public service and physician advocacy. The awardee is selected by the leadership of the Allegheny County Medical Society.
The ACMS Distinguished Awards celebrate the very best in medicine — not only excellence in clinical practice, but also leadership, compassion, advocacy, and service to others. We encourage you to reflect on the individuals and organizations in your professional or community circles whose contributions deserve recognition in 2026.
Your nomination is an opportunity to honor those who make a lasting difference in the lives of patients and the health of our communities.
Award Descriptions
Community Awards – Non-Physician Awards
- Benjamin Rush Individual Award – Recognizes an individual who is not a physician and who devotes time, skills, or resources to assisting others and contributes to the advancement of healthcare.
- Benjamin Rush Community Organization Award – This award recognizes a company, institution, organization, or agency that is successfully addressing a community health issue.
Physician Awards – Physicians
- Nathaniel Bedford Primary Care Award – Recognizes a primary care physician for exemplary, compassionate, comprehensive, and dedicated care of patients.
- Ralph C. Wilde Leadership Award – Recognizes a physician who demonstrates exceptional skill in clinical care of patients and dedication to the ideals of the medical profession as a teacher or profession leader. The Award is presented to a physician who exemplifies the personal and professional characteristics – physician, teacher, leader and human being – of the late Ralph C. Wilde.
- Richard E. Deitrick Humanity in Medicine Award – Honors a physician who has improved the lives of patients by caring for them with integrity, honesty, and respect of their human dignity, and serves as a role model for other physicians.
Nominee Qualifications
- Nominees should exemplify the following qualities:
• Clinical Excellence: Demonstrates exceptional skill, knowledge, and proficiency in their medical specialty, providing high-quality care to patients.
• Leadership: Exhibits strong leadership qualities, whether in clinical settings, medical organizations, mentoring, advocacy, or community initiatives.
• Compassion: Displays genuine compassion and empathy towards patients, colleagues, and the community, fostering trust and a positive healthcare experience.
• Service and Advocacy: Actively engages in service-oriented activities and advocacy efforts to improve healthcare access, equity, and quality for all individuals, especially underserved populations.
• Professionalism and Ethics: Upholds the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct in all aspects of their medical practice and interactions with patients and colleagues.
• Education and Mentorship: Demonstrates a commitment to medical education and mentorship, sharing knowledge and expertise with medical students, residents, and fellow healthcare professionals.
• Community Engagement: Actively participates in community outreach programs, health education initiatives, and volunteer activities, contributing to the overall well-being of the community.
2025 Award Recipients
Nathaniel Bedford Primary Care
Medical Director, Forbes Family Medicine Associate Program Director, Forbes Family Medicine Residency Program Clinical Associate Professor, LECOM Department of Family Medicine
Richard E. Deitrick Humanity in Medicine Award
Division of General Internal Medicine physician at UPMC and Medical Director of Second Avenue Commons Health Center.
Ralph Wilde Leadership Award
Retired infectious disease specialist certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. Serves as Chair of the ACMS Board of Directors and is involved in ACMS leadership roles.
Benjamin Rush Individual Award
Serves as the Medical Advocacy Coordinator at the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.
Benjamin Rush Community Award
This award is presented collectively to the medical leadership team of the Children's Home of Pittsburgh.
ACMS Spirit of Service Award
A Family Medicine physician at UPMC. He is a longstanding member of the ACMS and has served the Society and the Pennsylvania Medical Society in various capacities
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