AMA honoring actress, doctors with pride awards

The American Medical Association awards were given to honor volunteer service.

By Bonnie Booth, AMNews staff. April 1, 2002.

Four of the medical profession's brightest stars and one Hollywood legend were recognized for their commitment to volunteer service by the AMA when it convened its National Leadership Conference in Los Angeles in March.

The annual Pride in the Profession awards are presented in association with the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative and are meant to honor physicians who embody the highest ideals of the medical profession.

Also honored for her advocacy for AIDS patients was film actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Taylor founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991. The foundation has distributed more than $8 million to organizations around the world that provide support services for people with HIV/AIDS, prevention services and AIDS-related education. She is also the founding chair of the American Foundation of AIDS Research.

"Every role she has played has been unforgettable," said AMA President Richard F. Corlin, MD. "But none has been more so than the role she has played in furthering AIDS research. She has been a passionate advocate from the very beginning and her advocacy has had an enormous impact."

The physician recipients of the Pride in the Profession awards also have made enormous impact on the care of people in their communities:

• Ronald P. Bangasser, MD, a family physician from Redlands, Calif., was honored for spearheading a collaborative effort by the San Bernadino County Medical Society, Riverside County Medical Assn. and the San Bernadino County Bar Assn. to increase domestic violence awareness.