As medical director of the only Ebola treatment unit in southern Liberia, Kent Brantly, MD, knew he was putting himself at risk—but the need for care was too great.
Dr. Brantly, a medical missions advisor for Samaritan’s Purse in Texas, treated patients in Monrovia, Liberia, from October 2013 to August 2014. When he was diagnosed with Ebola in July, he became the first American evacuated for treatment, which he received at Emory University Hospital. Dr. Brantly donated plasma to help others recover from the disease, including Dallas nurse Nina Pham, a fellow physician with Samaritan’s Purse and a cameraman.
The AMA Foundation will recognize Dr. Brantly, the recipient of the Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine, during the Foundation’s Excellence in Medicine awards program Friday. The award recognizes him for his outstanding international service, and Samaritan’s Purse will receive a $2,500 grant.
The Excellence in Medicine Awards recognize physicians who exemplify medicine’s highest values: leadership, community service and dedication to treating underserved patients. Three other physicians received awards alongside Dr. Brantly:
- New York physician Mark Lachs, MD, received the Dr. Debasish Mridha Spirit of Medicine Award, which recognizes the work of a U.S. physician who has demonstrated altruism, compassion, integrity, leadership and personal sacrifice while providing care to a destitute, distressed or marginalized population. An internationally recognized expert in the field of elder mistreatment and the disenfranchised elderly, Dr. Lachs has published and lectured widely on elder abuse and neglect, adult protective services, measurement of functional status, ethics and health care finance. The award comes with a $2,500 grant to the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, where Dr. Lachs is co-chief of the division of geriatrics and palliative medicine.
- Sean G. Palfrey, MD, a professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston University, received the Jack B. McConnell, MD, Award for Excellence in Volunteerism. Dr. Palfrey has dedicated his life’s work to improving and advocating for children’s health. He wrote and advocated for a state bill to create a public-private trust to fund the purchase, administration and management of all vaccines for the children of Massachusetts, as well as the maintenance of a state vaccine registry. He also has worked with underserved and immigrant populations and children with special health care needs. The award comes with a $2,500 grant to the Judy and Sean Palfrey Advocacy Fund.
- J. Emilio Carrillo, MD, associate professor at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, received the Pride in the Profession Award, which honors physicians who aid underserved populations in the United States. At New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where he is vice president of community, Dr. Carrillo leads a population-based program that addresses the health care needs of a large urban immigrant community. His research and collaborations have laid the foundation for patient-based, cross-cultural health care. Dr. Carrillo also is an original founder of the Latino Medical Student Association, the Journal of Latin Community Health and the Journal of Multicultural Community Health. The award comes with a $2,500 grant to the Weill Cornell Medical College Chapter of the Latino Medical Student Association.
Read more about the winners.
The AMA Foundation also presented 10 medical students, two residents, one fellow and two early-career physicians with its Leadership Awards. These awards recognize strong leadership skills in advocacy, community service, public health or education. The winners are:
- Mitra Daneshvar, second-year medical student at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
- Patrick Davis, fourth-year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine
- Erick A. Eiting, MD, assistant professor of clinical emergency medicine at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and medical director of USC Correctional Health
- Latha Ganti, MD, emergency medicine physician at North Florida South Georgia Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- Kristy Lynn Hawley, fourth-year medical student at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
- Harrison Hayward, second-year medical student at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine
- Nikan H. Khatabi, DO, interventional pain fellow at Loma Linda University Medical Center
- Jay I. Kumar, third-year medical student at Harvard Medical School
- Jillian Wong Millsop, MD, dermatology resident at the University of California Davis Medical Center
- Peter N. Mittwede, seventh-year MD/PhD student at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine
- Vinod E. Nambudiri, MD, internal medicine and dermatology resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Christian A. Pean, third-year medical student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Kushyup Shah, fourth-year medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
- Divya Sharma, third-year medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
- Christos Theophanous, a third-year medical student at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
Read more about the Leadership Awards winners.
