Awards Program
As part of our mission the Foundation recognizes the outstanding contributions of our members to post-acute and long-term care medicine with the following annual awards:
- Clinician of the Year Award
- Medical Director of the Year Award
- William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service
- James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education
Each award has its own nomination and selection criteria and procedures. Please visit each individual award for more information.
Accepting applications for 2025 Awards Now – September 15.
2025 Award Winners will be announced at PALTC25 – PALTmed’s Annual Conference , Spring 2025.
2025 Nominations are open now and run until September 15, 2024.
Clinician of the Year Award
2024 Clinician of the Year Award
Dr. Lisa Lind, PhD, ABPP
The Clinician of the Year Award is the newest of the Society honors, designed to recognize interdisciplinary team members in PALTC settings. It specifically honors a licensed healthcare practitioner who is directly involved in treating and caring for people in this care setting and embodies care excellence.
The recipient of this year’s award, Lisa Lind, Ph.D., ABPP, is a board-certified gereopsychologist and chief clinical officer at Deer Oaks – The Behavioral Health Solution.
An active Society member, Dr. Lind is currently chair of the Society’s Behavioral & Mental Health Advisory Council and a member of the Clinical Practice Steering Committee. She is also a regular contributor to Caring for the Ages.
Dr. Lind shared that it especially meaningful to be recognized this way and to be the first psychologist to receive this award. She sees how far we’ve come in this field and how much progress we’ve made and is undaunted by the needs that remain. From what we’ve heard, she read the award notification over and over, and couldn’t believe someone took the time to nominate her but her steady hand inspired them to do just that.
PAST WINNERS
Recipients of the Clinician of the Year Award
2023 Vikas Reddy, MD
2022 Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, CGP, BCPP
AWARD ELIGIBILITY
- PALTmed member in good standing
- Licensed practitioners providing direct care in PALTC settings including physicians, advanced practice providers, mental health practitioners, social workers, physical or occupational therapists (ie. Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, PharmD).
- Settings of practice including skilled nursing facility, private practice/practice management group, assisted living, or Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
HOW TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION
You may nominate an individual for the 2025 Clinician of the Year award by completing the information requested below. Nominations for the Clinician of the Year award are due September 15, 2024.
Nomination letters should be submitted in a Word document, double-spaced using Arial font size 11, not to exceed 3 pages. Once complete, you may upload this with the nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae (CV) on the nomination site at paltcfoundation.org.
To aid you in the preparation for your nomination, it is recommended that you contact the nominee to inquire into the specific activities or examples as required in clinical skills, collaboration, advocacy, and leadership, and to obtain their
current CV.
- Narrative & Nominee Professional Information (Required): Please list address the categories listed below with specific examples thathighlight why this person should be selected.
- Clinical skills– competence through continuing education, including ethical and social issues, exemplary
interaction with patients/residents and families - Collaboration with other members of the team
- Advocacy
- Leadership
- Please include quotes or information from others in support of your nomination.
CLINICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD APPLICATION
*Required: You may nominate an individual for the 2025 Clinician of the Year Award in Education by completing the information requested below.
Clinician of the Year 2025 Nomination Form
Medical Director of the Year Award
2024 Medical Director of the Year Award
Dr. Dallas Nelson, MD, FACP, CMD
The Medical Director of the Year Award recognizes those individuals whose vision, passion, leadership, knowledge, and commitment succeed in taking patient care to exceptional levels of quality, excellence, and innovation.
Dr. Dallas Nelson is the recipient of the 2024 Medical Director of the Year Award. Dr. Nelson is an active medical director, professor of medicine at the University of Rochester (UR), director of the UR Medicine Geriatrics Group, chair of the UR Medicine Home Care Board of Directors, immediate past president of the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, immediate past president of the New York Medical Directors Association, and chair of the Public Policy Telemedicine Workgroup at AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
Dr. Nelson is incredibly passionate about advocating for nursing homes and has shared that medical direction isn’t taught in formal medical education and that pursuing CMD certification, through the Core Curriculum accelerated her learning and expertise in the profession.
Dr. Nelson is passionately addressing challenges facing long-term care and is committed to driving for financial resources and regulation clarity in long-term care. She brings real-world expertise in making facilities places where great medicine enables great care.
2024 AWARD WINNER VIDEO
2024 Medical Director of the Year Award Winner: Dallas Nelson, MD, FACP, CMD
PAST WINNERS
Recipients of the Medical Director of the Year Award
2023 Rani Rao, MD, FMCP, CMD
2022 Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD
2021 Leslie Beth Eber, MD, CMD
2020 Fred Feinsod, MD, CMD
2019 Charles Crecelius MD, PhD, CMD
2018 Eric Hasemeier, DO, MBA, CMD
2017 Joshua Schor, MD, CMD
2016 David A. LeVine, MD, CMD
2015 Patricia A. Chace, MD, CMD
2014 Sandra Liliana Oakes, MD CMD
2013 Rocco Vivenzio, MD, CMD
2012 Noel DeBacker, MD, CMD
2011 Sabine von Preyss-Friedman, MD, CMD
2010 Robert Schreiber, MD, CMD
2009 Rebecca L. Ferrini MD, MPH, CMD
2008 J. Kenneth Brubaker, MD, CMD
2007 Timothy Malloy, MD, CMD
AWARD ELIGIBILITY
- A physician in good standing with the community and profession
- A PALTmed member
- A Certified Medical Director (CMD)
- An experienced medical director (3 or more years)
- An experienced attending physician in a nursing facility(ies)
- A proven team leader
- A proven clinical leader
- Involved in community activities
- An effective educator
HOW TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION
You may nominate an individual for the 2025 Medical Director of the Year award by completing the information requested below. Nominations for the Medical Director of the Year award are due September 15, 2024.
The nomination letter should be submitted in a Word document, double-spaced using Arial font size 11, using this form as a guide to complete and not exceed three pages. Once complete, you may upload this with the nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Narrative:
- Experience in Years
- Service History – Facilities served and dates of service as medical director.
- Include quotes or information from other facility leaders (e.g., Administrator and DON) in
support of your nomination application. - Incorporated psych-emotional components (e.g., How he/she makes staff, colleagues, and
patients feel)
Describe in detail activities and examples of success with measured outcomes when available in each of the categories.
- Medical Director Activities –: team leader, clinical leader, staff education, and community involvement
- Team leadership – e.g. established a wound care team
- Clinical leadership – e.g. implemented practice guidelines on falls prevention
- Education of facility staff – e.g. in-service topics, state or national presentations
- Community involvement – e.g. represents and supports the facility in the broader medical community, holds monthly advance directives clinics at the local senior center
To aid you in the preparation for your nomination it is recommended that you contact the nominee to inquire into the specific activities or examples as required in clinical skills, collaboration, advocacy, and leadership, and to obtain their CV.
Before you get started, consider the following:
- Review PALTmed’s Role and Responsibilities of the Medical Director and compile examples of how your medical director fulfills these.
- Cite examples of how your medical director collaborates with the interdisciplinary team.
- Gather examples of the everyday contributions he/she makes as well as extraordinary and exceptional contributions.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD APPLICATION
*Required Fields
You may nominate an individual for the 2025 Medical Director of the Year Award by completing the information requested below.
Medical Director of the Year 2025 Nomination Form
William Dodd Founder’s Award
2024 William Dodd Founder’s Award
Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, FAAN
The William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service recognizes significant contributions to building the Society’s organizational strength, image, and mission by promoting the development of competent, compassionate, and committed health care practitioners. It is named for the Society’s founder, William Dodd, MD, CMD, who also served as the organization’s first president in 1978.
Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, FAAN, the recipient of the 2024 William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service and embodies Dr. Dodd’s spirit of innovation. Dr. Bonner is Senior Advisor for Aging at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and Adjunct Faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She is Chair of the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition.
A geriatric nurse practitioner who has cared for nursing home residents and their families for over 35 years, Dr. Bonner is passionate about efforts to support and empower older adults to be able to age in their communities. She works to help create and improve age-friendly health systems, and she promotes dementia-friendly communities, support for caregivers of individuals living with dementia, and efforts to enhance the quality of life and dignity for older adults. A long-time Society member, Dr. Bonner has volunteered in many capacities including as an elected board member. She has published in both JAMDA and Caring for the Ages, and she has been a popular speaker at the Annual Conference.
2024 AWARD WINNER VIDEO
2024 William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service Winner: Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, FAAN
PAST WINNERS
Recipients of the William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service
2023 Arif Nazir, MD, CMD
2022 Michael Wasserman, MD, CMD
2021 Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP
2020 Keith Rapp, MD, CMD
2019 David Smith, MD, CMD
2018 Paul Katz, MD, CMD
2017 Jonathan Musher, MD, CMD
2016 Karyn Leible, MD, CMD
2015 J. Kenneth Brubaker, MD, CMD
2014 Jeffrey Burl, MD, CMD
2013 Paul Drinka, MD, CMD
2012 Steven Levenson, MD, CMD
2011 William D. Smucker, MD, CMD
2010 Charles Crecelius, MD, PhD, FACP, CMD
2009 Daniel Haimowitz, MD, FACP, CMD
2008 Charles A. Cefalu, MD, MS
2007 Daniel Osterweil, MD, MscEd, CMD
2006 Leonard Gelman, MD, CMD
2005 James E. Lett II, MD, CMD
2004 Randall Huss, MD, CMD
2003 Dennis Stone, MD, MBA, CMD
2002 Keith Krein, MD, CMD
2001 Cheryl Phillips, MD, CMD
2000 Eric Tangalos, MD, CMD
1999 Monte J. Levinson, MD, CMD
1998 Nicholas Owen, MD, CMD
1997 William Dodd, MD, CMD
AWARD ELIGIBILITY
- A physician, physician assistant, or advanced nurse practitioner in good standing with the community and profession.
- Active in the field of post-acute & long-term care.
- PALTmed member in good standing.
- Not a current officer on the PALTmed, ABPLM or Foundation boards.
HOW TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION
You may nominate an individual for the 2024 William Dodd Founder’s Award by completing the nomination form. The 2024 Dodd award will be presented at PALTC24 – AMDA’s annual conference.
Nominations for the William Dodd Founder’s Award are due September 15, 2024.
Nomination letters should be submitted in a Word document, double-spaced using Arial font size 11, using this form as a guide to complete and not to exceed 2 pages. Once complete, you may upload this with the nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Narrative: Provide specific contributions and examples that the nominee has made to build the organizational strength, image, and mission of AMDA, and advance the Society’s goals to improve care delivered to patients throughout the long-term care continuum. Include quotes or information provided by others in support of your nomination as appropriate.
To aid you in the preparation for your nomination it is recommended that you contact the nominee to inquire into the specific activities or examples as required in this nomination and leadership, and to obtain their CV.
WILLIAM DODD AWARD APPLICATION
*Required Fields*
You may nominate an individual for the 2025 William Dodd Founder’s Award by completing the information requested below.
William Dodd Founders Award 2025 Form
James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education
2024 James Pattee Award
Dr. Charles Crecelius, MD, PhD, FACP, CMD
The James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education recognizes significant contributions to enhance AMDA-The Society’s educational structure and framework, to advance education specific to PALTC practice, and to promote AMDA leadership via educational endeavors within the LTC continuum. It was established to honor James Pattee, MD, CMD, the father of the AMDA Certification Program and the Core Curriculum program.
Dr. Charles Crecelius, MD, PhD, FACP, CMD is the recipient of the James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education. Not only is he a past president of the Society and the Missouri state chapter; he is a frequent and much-in-demand speaker on legislative, regulatory, and other issues at the Society’s Annual Conference and other national and regional meetings. He is well known for making his educational programs informative, timely, and enjoyable.
Dr. Crecelius recently retired as the medical director of post-acute care for BJC Medical Group, a 12 hospital, 600 provider group in St Louis, MO. He continues to work part-time as a medical director at Delmar Gardens in St. Louis, where he worked for over 20 years, and as an associate professor of medicine and geriatrics at Washington University School of Medicine. He continues to be active with the Society and PALTC and many Society members and others have benefited from the teachings and insights of Chuck Crecelius.
2024 AWARD WINNER VIDEO
2024 James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education – Charles Crecelius, MD, PhD, FACP, CMD
PAST WINNERS
2023 Philip Sloane, MD, MPH and Sheryl Zimmerman, Phd
2022 Peter Jaggard, MD, CMD, FACP
2021 Michele F. Bellantoni, MD, CMD
2020 Robert Kaplan, MD, CMD
2019 Naushira Pandya, MD, CMD
2018 Jeffrey B. Burl, MD, CMD
2017 Matthew S. Wayne, MD, CMD
2016 Verna Reynolds Sellers, MD, CMD
2015 Jonathan Evans, MD, MPH, CMD
2014 Heidi White, MD, MHS, MEd, CMD
2013 Leslie S. Libow, MD, CMD
2012 Paul Katz, MD, CMD
2011 John E. Morley, MB, BCH
2010 Cari Levy, MD, PhD, CMD
2009 Cheryl L. Phillips MD, CMD, AGSF
2008 Leonard Gelman, MD, CMD
2007 Daniel L. Swagerty, MD, MPH, CMD
2006 Catherine Kiley, DO, CMD
2005 David Brechtelsbauer, MD, CMD
2004 Janice Knebl, DO, CMD
2003 Michael Maddens, MD, CMD
2002 Jonathan Musher, MD, CMD
2001 Alva Baker III, MD, CMD
2000 David A. Smith, MD, FAAFP, CMD
1999 Larry Lawhorne, MD, CMD
1998 Steven A. Levenson, MD, CMD
1997 James Pattee, MD, CMD
AWARD ELIGIBILITY
- A physician, physician assistant or advanced nurse practitioner in good standing with the community and profession.
- Active in the field of post-acute & long-term care.
- PALTmed member in good standing.
- Not a current officer on the PALTmed, ABPLM or Foundation boards.
HOW TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION
You may nominate an individual for the 2024 James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education by completing the nomination form. The 2024 Pattee award will be presented at PALTC24 – PALTmed’s Annual Conference.
Nominations for the James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education are due on September 15, 2024.
Nomination letters should be submitted in a Word document, double-spaced using Arial font size 11, using this form as a guide to complete and do not exceed 2 pages. Once complete, you may upload this with the nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Narrative: Provide specific contributions and examples that the nominee has made to advance the educational goals of PALTmed, and as a leader in PALTC education across the PALTC continuum. Include quotes or information provided by others in support of your nomination as appropriate.
To aid you in the preparation for your nomination it is recommended that you contact the nominee to inquire into the specific activities or examples as required in this nomination and leadership, and to obtain their CV.
JAMES PATTEE AWARD APPLICATION
*Required Fields
You may nominate an individual for the 2025 James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education by completing the information requested below.