2025 Distinguished Awards - Call for Nominations
After a remarkable return in 2024, the Allegheny County Medical Society (ACMS) Distinguished Awards continue in 2025 to honor outstanding contributions in the field of healthcare. Nominations are now open and will be accepted through July 25, 2025. Honorees will be recognized at the ACMS Annual Meeting and Distinguished Awards Reception on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the PNC Champions 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 ACMS members to nominate deserving colleagues, organizations, and community partners using the online form below
The ACMS Distinguished Awards honor outstanding physicians, individuals, and organizations in our community who exhibit exceptional clinical excellence, leadership, service, contributions, or innovations in healthcare, including efforts to address community health challenges.
We encourage you to nominate deserving candidates who have significantly enriched the field of medicine and have made positive impacts on the lives of their patients, peers, and the community at large.
There are two categories and five awards to nominate a physician, individual, or organization. Community Awards recognize a non-physician individual or organization, with the Physician Awards recognizing a deserving physician.
Nominations are accepted June 3, 2025, through August 1, 2025. Winners to be announced by September.
We will honor and celebrate the outstanding awardees on November 13, 2025, at the ACMS Annual Meeting and Distinguished Awards Program which will be held at the PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium. We look forward to sharing the details of the November event with the membership soon!
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.
Past Awardee Winners
Nathaniel Bedford Primary Care Award
Assistant Professor of Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Medical Director, UPMC Enhanced Care Program
Richard E. Deitrick Humanity in Medicine Award
Professor of Medicine Professor Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Social Medicine Fellows Program; Global Health Track Director
Richard E. Deitrick Humanity in Medicine Award
Professor of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Benjamin Rush Community Award
Stacey Vaccaro, PhD, FACHE President and Chief Operating Officer
Benjamin Rush Individual Award
Foot and Ankle Surgeon, St. Clair Medical Group Orthopedic Surgery
Ralph C. Wilde Leadership Award
Professor of Pathology and Director of the Division of Transfusion Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Medical Director, Vitalant Clinical Services, Northeast Division
ACMS Spirit of Service Award
Questions? Contact:
Contact: Nadine Popovich | Vice President – Membership & Association Services
412-321-5030 x110 | [email protected]
