Awards Program

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Each year, the Alumni Board of Directors honors its own with special award presentations to acknowledge their achievements. All Award winners receive a plague in their honor and are recognized by engraving their names on a permanent plaque which is on display in the Alumni Office. The award categories include Distinguished Alumnus Award, Special Achievement Award and Service Award.

The Process for Selection

The Nominating Committee, chaired by the Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors will decide on the awards in a given year; if qualified individuals are nominated. Current members of the Board of Directors of Cleveland Clinic Foundation Alumni Association and past award recipients are not eligible. Please submit nominations for these awards to alumni@ccf.org or call 216.444.2487.

Awards are announced and presented at the fall Alumni Board of Directors meeting usually in September/October.

Who Can Nominate

Nominations will be accepted from alumni, residents/fellows, Cleveland Clinic professional and allied health staff and nursing.

How to Nominate

If you would like to nominate an individual for any of the awards, please email alumni@ccf.org and be prepared to provide a brief biographical sketch of the candidate including their professional experience, educational training, contact information, a brief explanation of why you are nominating this person and a photo, if available.

Alumni Association Award Recipients

Distinguished Alumnus Award»

Cleveland Clinic's Distinguished Alumnus Award, established in 1977, is to recognize alumni for exceptional enduring achievements and leadership which have brought pride and recognition to Cleveland Clinic Foundation community. Nominees should have demonstrated exceptional achievement in their professions balanced with dedicated contributions of time, energy and resources to the community.

Nominees must be graduates from a recognized training program at a Cleveland Clinic facility with a minimum of one (1) year of formal training and have distinguished her/himself in the following areas: Clinical Practice, Education, Research, Community Leadership and/or Service.

Distinguished Alumnus Award, The Nominating Committee -- Chaired by the Immediate Past-President will convene annually to review the list of eligible individuals. No more than two nominees will be submitted to the Alumni Board for a vote and the winner will be determined by a majority vote of the Board.

Current members of the Board of Directors of Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association and past award recipients are not eligible.

If you would like to nominate an alumnus or alumna for consideration for the annual Distinguished Alumnus Award, please email alumni@ccf.org.

Distinguished Alumnus Award Winners
Year Name Training
*Deceased
1977 E. Perry McCullagh, MD* S'27
1982 Elmer S.A. King, MD* S'33
1985 George Crile Jr., MD* S'37
1987 William L. Proudfit, MD IM'43
1992 Harriet P. Dustan, MD* RES'49
1994 Donald F. Dohn, MD NS'56, NS'58
1995 Thomas F. Meaney, MD* DR'57
1996 Edwin G. Beven, MD S’62, VS’63
1997 Phillip M. Hall, MD Gl-1'66, IM’68, H/N’69, RES’70
1998 John D. Clough, MD GL-1'66, IM’67, IM’71
1999 Jess R. Young, MD IM’59
2000 *** presentation delayed to 2001*** N/A
2001 John A. Bergfeld, MD MDORS’70, S’67, Gl-1'65
2001 Wilma F. Berfgeld, MD DERM’68, Gl-1'65
2002 George C. Hoffman, MD CLPTH’59
2003 Norman R. Hertzer, MD GL-1’68, S’72, VS’75
2004 Albert V.G. Bruschke, MD CARD’72
2005 Victor W. Fazio, MD S’73, CRS’74
2006 Carlos M. Ferrario, MD RES’69
2007 Tirone E. David, MD S’75
2008 William C. Sheldon, MD CD’62
2009 Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. MD MULT'62, S'66
2010 Kenneth E. DeHaven, MD GL-1’66, S’67, ORS,’72
2011 Bruce W. Lytle, MD CTS’78
2012 Floyd F. Loop, MD TS’70

Special Achievement Award»

Cleveland Clinic's Special Achievement Award, established in 1985, is to recognize physicians or scientists for exceptional enduring achievements and leadership which have brought pride and recognition to Cleveland Clinic's community.

Nominees should have demonstrated exceptional achievement in their professions or otherwise demonstrated exceptional achievement consistent with Cleveland Clinic''s mission to provide better care of the sick, further investigation of their problems, and more education of those who serve.

Nominees must be duly qualified physicians or scientists, but need not be graduates of a Cleveland Clinic training program, who have made remarkable accomplishments or special achievements in at least one of the following areas:

  • Clinical Practice
  • Education
  • Research
  • Community Leadership and/or Service

Nominees will be accepted from alumni, residents/fellows, Cleveland Clinic professional and allied health staff and nursing.

Special Achievement Award, The Nominating Committee -- Chaired by the Immediate Past-President will convene annually to review the list of eligible individuals. Current members of the Board of Directors of Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association and past award recipients are not eligible. The Committee may choose not to make an award in a given year if qualified individual(s) are not nominated. If you would like to nominate an alumnus or alumna for consideration for the Special Achievement Award, please email alumni@ccf.org.

The recipient of the Cleveland Clinic Special Achievement Award will receive a plaque in their honor, and their name will be engraved on the permanent plaque which is on display in the Alumni Relations Office.

Special Achievement Award Winners
Year Name Training
*Deceased
1985 F. Mason Sones, Jr., MD*
1987 Rene G. Favaloro, MD* TS'62, V'62, TS'65
1992 Bernadine P. Healy, MD* RES'94
1994 Ray W. Gifford, Jr., MD* H/N'93
1997 Robert E. Hermann, MD S'94
1999 Floyd D. Loop, MD TS’72
1999 Ralph A. Straffon, MD*
2002 Donald G. Vidt, MD H/N'98
2006 William E. Braun, MD

Service Award»

Cleveland Clinic Service Award, established in 1999 in honor of the Dedication of the Alumni Library, is to recognize alumni who have generously dedicated themselves to the growth and advancement of Cleveland Clinic and/or Alumni Association.

Nominees must have demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to Cleveland Clinic for a number of years. Participation in the Alumni Association will be considered but is not required.

Nominees should have completed at least one satisfactory year of a recognized post-graduate medical education program under the auspices of the Graduate Medical Education Department of Cleveland Clinic or be a current or former member of the Professional Staff for a minimum of five years.

Nominations will be accepted from alumni, residents/fellows, faculty and professional staff.

Service Award, The Nominating Committee -- Chaired by the Immediate Past-President will convene annually to review the list of eligible individuals. Current members of the Board of Directors of Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association and past award recipients are not eligible. The Committee may choose not to make an award in a given year if qualified individual(s) are not nominated. If you would like to nominate an alumnus or alumna for consideration for the Service Award, please email alumni@ccf.org.

The recipient of the Cleveland Clinic Award for Service will receive a plaque in their honor, and their name will be engraved on the permanent plaque which is on display in The Alumni Relations Office.

Service Award Winners
Year Name Training
*Deceased
1999 Albert V.G. Bruschke, MD CARD’72
1999 Isabella K. Sharpe, MD GL-1'74, IM’76, PULM/D’78
1999 William M. Michener, MD PED'98
2004 Sandra S. Stranscak Executive Director, Alumni Relations
2006 Daniel J. Wilson, MD IM’76, RES’79, H/N’79

Graduate Level-One Award (GL-1)»

Established in 1987, the Graduate Level-One Award is to recognize an outstanding first year resident, identified by her/his peers, for personal and professional qualities beyond the ordinary.

This award introduces first year residents to Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association and demonstrates the commitment alumni feel toward future generations of Clinic-trained physicians and scientists worldwide.

Criteria
  • Graduate Level 2 (PGY-2) or above and with a minimum of one additional training year in a medical or surgical residency or fellowship program at the Cleveland Clinic.
  • The medical or surgical trainee must also have significant personal contact with patients.
  • Applicants / nominees must submit a statement of intention for utilizing the cash award and how they intend to execute their vision for furthering their leadership and/or humanitarian activities. (Examples…taking an elective leadership course, community volunteerism, global relief, etc).
  • Awardee must be willing to share the results of their award expenditure with the alumni and staff body at large and/or in targeted press-releases to promote the fund, their work and the institution.
  • Prior GL-1 award recipients who enter an additional training program are not eligible for an additional award.

    The recipient of the GL-1 Award will receive a plaque in their honor, and their name will be engraved on the permanent plaque which is on display in The Alumni Relations Office.

    In addition, the recipient:

    • Will be awarded a $500 cash award for proposed project
    • Will receive a personalized certificate award (matted and formatted)
    • Will be recognized at the Fall Alumni Association Board of Directors’ Dinner

    Graduate Level-One Award Winners
    Year Recipient Training
    1987 Carlos M. Isada, MD IM'90, ID'92, CAID'93
    1988 Donald P. Brady, MD N'91
    1989 Robert E. Foster, MD TRS'89, OPH'92
    1990 Ghassan Safadi, MD PD’93, A’96
    1991 Richard W. Grady, MD U’96
    1992 Lori Kmiec Posk, MD IM'94
    1993 Viktor E. Krebs, MD ORS’97
    1994 Christi Ferraro Matteoni, MD IM’96, GE’99
    1995 Russell P. Saneto, D.O. , Ph.D. PD’97, CHN’00
    1996 Victoria L. Fribley-Carrington, MD P’99
    1997 Lynette P. Davenport, MD IM’99
    1998 Christine M. (Noga) Booth, MD ACLPTH’02
    1999 Jennifer Ann Wojtowicz, DO IM’01
    2000 Rita Shi-Ming Lee, MD 2 IMPC’0
    2001 Harmohinder S. Athwal, MD IM/PR’00, P’01
    2002 Todd F. Ritzman, MD ORS’06
    2003 Matthew D. Kroh, MD S’07
    2003 Francisco J. Marrero, MD MD IM’05
    2004 Inder Singh, MD , M.S. IM’06
    2004 Darren A. Guy, D.O. PED’06
    2005 Arti Jayant Choure, MD RES'04, IM’07, CARD'10
    2006 Juan P. Cata, MD AN'10
    2007 Kevin M. El-Hayek, MD S
    2008 Ibrahim Hanouneh, MD IM
    2009 Michael L. Kelly, M.D NS
    2010 Kiranpreet Kaur Khurana, MD PGY1 - Urology
    2011 Keith R. Bachmann, MD ORS'05
    2012 Daniel Joyce, MD General Surgery
    2013 Rayji Sean Tsutsui, MD Internal Medicine

Dr. William and Roxanna Michener Award for the Development of Leadership»

Established in 2006, this award is given to an individual whose peers and teachers identify, in him or her, those attributes that embody true leadership qualities.

The awardee has demonstrated a commitment to learning, superior communication abilities and a mastery of medical skills. The awardee also embodied the courage, integrity and compassion that represent the highest ideals of clinical medicine.

Criteria
  • Graduate Level 2 (PGY-2) or above and with a minimum of one additional training year in a medical or surgical residency or fellowship program at the Cleveland Clinic.
  • The medical or surgical trainee must also have significant personal contact with patients.
  • Applicants / nominees must submit a statement of intention for utilizing the cash award and how they intend to execute their vision for furthering their leadership and/or humanitarian activities. (Examples…taking an elective leadership course, community volunteerism, global relief, etc).
  • Awardee must be willing to share the results of their award expenditure with the alumni and staff body at large and/or in targeted press-releases to promote the fund, their work and the institution.
  • Prior Dr. William and Roxanna Michener award recipients who enter an additional training program are not eligible for an additional award.

The recipient of the Michener Award will receive a plaque in their honor, and their name will be engraved on the permanent plaque which is on display in The Alumni Relations Office.

In addition, the recipient:

  • Will be awarded a $3000 cash award for proposed project
  • Will be highlighted in an upcoming issue of Cleveland Clinic Alumni Connection magazine
  • Recipient will be recognized at the Fall Alumni Association Board of Directors’ Dinner
Michener Award Winners
Year Recipient Training
2006 Alyssa A. Riley, MD PD’07
2007 Joseph M. Austerman, D.O. P’05, CHP’07, P’08
2008 Mia Zaharna, MD P’09
2009 Joyce K. Lee, MD N’09, SLPM
2010 Molly Michelle Wimbiscus, MD PGY4 - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
2011 Kevin M. El-Hayek, MD General Surgery, 12'
2012 James Lui, MD Neuro Surgery, 13'
2013 Vipan Nikore, MD, MBA Internal Medicine, 13'

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