AMA lays honors on doctors, society leaders

Physicians and medical society executives received awards at the Interim Meeting.

By Tanya Albert Henry, AMNews staff. Dec. 10, 2007.

Honolulu -- Throughout his career, Portland, Ore., obstetrician-gynecologist Richard Allen, MD, has made advancing medical education a focus. At its Interim Meeting in November, the American Medical Association recognized his work with its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. The AMA also acknowledged several other physicians and medical society executives.

Dr. Allen, assistant dean for graduate medical education at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, has taught obstetrics and gynecology there since 1969. He served on the AMA Council of Medical Education for nine years, chairing the council in 2000. He was an AMA representative to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for six years and is now an AMA appointee to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. Among his other accomplishments, Dr. Allen is believed to be the only physician to serve as president of two state medical societies, the Colorado Medical Society in 2000-01 and the Oregon Medical Assn. in 1988-89.

Encinitas, Calif., pain management specialist Kristin Melissa Bell, MD, received the Dr. William Beaumont Award in Medicine, which was established to recognize and encourage younger physicians' efforts and development. She has practiced at the San Diego VA Medical Center since 2001, where her work has included developing an innovative acupuncture clinic designed to treat veterans with chronic pain.