2021 Medicine Awards Ceremony

On May 27, the Department of Medicine held our virtual Department of Medicine Awards Ceremony honoring our outstanding achievements in education, patient care, and research by medicine faculty, trainees, and staff during the past year. I always look forward to this particular event as it is an exciting time to acknowledge well-deserving individuals within our department and to bring visibility to their distinguished work.

On behalf of the department, please accept my congratulations and warmest gratitude to the recipients of this year’s awards. I would also like to extend a special thanks to the members of the Education and Medicine Administration team for their diligent efforts to make this celebration possible.

For a full list of all the awards and recognitions, please view the DOM 2021 Awards Ceremony Program (PDF).

Ben Clyburn, M.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Medicine

2021 DOM Awards:

Department of Medicine faculty, fellows, residents and staff will be recognized for the following awards and honors:

FELLOW AWARDS

Fellow of the Year: Awarded to the Department of Medicine fellow who has demonstrated the most dedication to teaching residents this year. Selected by residents.

Winners:
Isaac Jaben, M.D., First Year Fellow, Gastroenterology
Sam Friedman M.D., First Year Fellow, Pulmonary

DIVISION AWARDS

Division of the Year: Awarded to the Department of Medicine Division that has demonstrated the most dedication to teaching residents this year. Selected by residents.
Winner: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy & Sleep Medicine

FACULTY AWARDS – CLINICAL CARE AND EDUCATION

Michael E. Assey Department of Medicine Attending Teaching Award: Awarded to a member of the Medicine faculty who has excelled in educating residents in the inpatient setting. Selected by residents.
Winner: Thomas Rogers Kyle, M.D., Assistant Professor, Hospital Medicine

Ambulatory Teacher of the Year (Outpatient Attending): Awarded to a member of the Medicine faculty who has excelled in educating residents in an ambulatory care setting. Selected by residents.
Winner: Cara Litvin, M.D., Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine

Consult Teacher of the Year: Awarded to a member of the Department of Medicine faculty who has excelled in educating residents/fellows on a medicine consult service. Selected by residents.
Winner: Natalie Freidin, M.D., Assistant Professor, Nephrology

Excellence in Medical Student Teaching: Awarded to clinical faculty within the Department of Medicine who interact with students as part of the Internal Medicine Clerkship and who exceed expectations in the realms of student education, mentorship, and/or leadership. Selected by medical students.
Faculty Winners:
Leon Walthall, M.D., Assistant Professor, Hospital Medicine
Natalie Freidin, M.D., Assistant Professor, Nephrology

Fellow Winner:
Henry Shiflett, D.O., PGY-5, Infectious Diseases

Resident Winners:
Megan Veglia, M.D., PGY-3, IM Resident
Rayphael Hardy, M.D., PGY- 2, IM Resident

Education Mentoring Award: This award is to acknowledge and value a Department of Medicine clinician educator for the mentoring of junior faculty or trainees. Selected by faculty.
Winner: Gerard Silvestri, M.D., MS, Professor and Senior Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Pulmonary & Critical Care

Outstanding Junior Faculty Clinician Educator of the Year Award: Awarded to a junior faculty member at the Clinical Instructor or Assistant Professor level who exemplifies excellence in patient care, communication, and teaching to students, residents and/or fellows. Selected by faculty.
Winner: Deeksha Jandhyala, M.D., Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases

Outstanding Mid-Career Clinician Educator of the Year Award: Awarded to a mid-career faculty member at the Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level who exemplifies excellence in patient care, communication, and teaching to students, residents and/or fellows. Selected by faculty.
Winner: Scott Curry, M.D., Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases

Outstanding Established Clinician Educator of the Year Award: Awarded to an established faculty member at the Associate Professor (≥ 5year) or Professor who exemplifies excellence in patient care, communication, and teaching to students, residents and/or fellows. Selected by faculty.
Winner: Susan Dorman, M.D., Professor, Infectious Diseases

Excellence in Patient Satisfaction: Awarded to faculty who score above the 95th percentile in patient satisfaction on the CAHPS Clinician and Group Survey for all four quarters of the year.
Winners:
Deanna Baker Frost, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Rheumatology & Immunology
Frank Brescia, M.D., MA, Professor, Hematology & Oncology
Michael Craig, M.D., Assistant Professor, Cardiology
Todd Gourdin, M.D., Assistant Professor, Hematology & Oncology
Betsy Hopkins, MS, MPH, PA-C, APP, Infectious Diseases
Rochelle Judd, MSN, APP, Cardiology
Daniel Judge, M.D., Professor, Cardiology
Aundrea Loftley, M.D., Assistant Professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases
Aiken McNair, PA, APP, Rheumatology & Immunology
Terrence O’Brien, M.D., MS, Professor, Cardiology
Lauren Pearce, FNP, APP, Hematology & Oncology
Andrew Schreiner, M.D., MSCR, Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine
Gerard Silvestri, M.D., MS, Professor and Senior Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Pulmonary & Critical Care

The Doctor’s Doctor Award: Awarded to a Department of Medicine physician who provides outstanding clinical care to his/her patients; exemplifies characteristics that would lead you to send a loved one to him/her. Selected by faculty.
Winner: Elisha Brownfield, M.D., Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine

Professionalism Award: Awarded to a Department of Medicine faculty member who exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism, compassion, and a deep and abiding commitment to humanism in health care, delivering person-centered care. Selected by faculty.
Winner: James Glenn, M.D., Assistant Professor, Cardiology

Hidden Gem Award: Awarded to Department of Medicine faculty member(s) in recognition of their outstanding, but often unnoticed or unrecognized contributions to the division, DOM, or MUSC. Each division nominates a Hidden Gem. Nominated by Division Directors.
Winner: Ruth Adekunle, M.D., Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases

DOM Lifetime Clinician Educator Achievement Award: Intended to recognize lifetime achievement in the service of the academic missions of the DOM. Nominated by Division Directors.
Winner: Alice Boylan, M.D., Professor, Pulmonary & Critical Care, ICCE Chief Acute, Critical & Trauma

FACULTY AWARDS – RESEARCH

Resident Research Award: This award is intended to recognize a resident who has demonstrated excellence in research. Selected by Research Symposium Committee. 
Winner: Jacob Read, M.D., PGY-2, IM Resident

Research Faculty Mentoring Award: Nominated by mentees, this award is intended to recognize a mentor for excellence in mentoring junior faculty researchers. Selected by Research Symposium Committee.
Winner: Ryan Tedford, M.D., Professor, Director, Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program, Peter C. Gazes Endowed Chair, Cardiology

New K Awards: Recognizes all active CY20 K awardees.
Winners: Toros Dincman, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Hematology/ Oncology

Outstanding Scientific Publication Award: Recognizes faculty member(s) with CY20 high impact original science publications.
Winner: Nichole Tanner, M.D., MSCR, Associate Professor, Pulmonary & Critical Care

MilliPub Club Award: The MilliPub Club honors and recognizes current faculty who have published one or more individual papers throughout their careers that have each garnered more than 1000 citations. Such a paper is commonly considered a “citation classic” and represents high impact scholarship.
Winners:
Jan Basile, M.D., Professor, Cardiology
Michael Gold, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Michael E. Assey of Endowed Chair of Cardiology, Cardiology
Charlie Strange, M.D., Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy & Sleep Medicine
Richard Silver, M.D., Distinguished University Professor, Rheumatology & Immunology, and Vice Chair for Development

Best Mentored Paper Award: Recognizes a faculty member who is the senior author on a paper with their mentee. Selected by Research Symposium Committee.
Winners:
Don Rockey, M.D., Professor, Gastroenterology (mentor)
Songling Liu, M.D., Assistant Professor, Gastroenterology (mentee)

Top Ten Publishers Club Award: Recognizes the Top 10 faculty members in the Department of Medicine with the most Original Science Publications in past calendar year (CY20).
Winners:
Michael Zile, M.D., Distinguished University Professor and Charles Ezra Daniel for Cardiology Endowed Chair, Cardiology
Ryan Tedford, M.D., Professor, Director, Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program, Peter C. Gazes Endowed Chair, Cardiology
Don Rockey, M.D., Professor, Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Joseph Elmunzer, M.D., Professor and Peter B. Cotton, M.D. Endowed Chair for Endoscopic Innovation, Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Ph.D., Professor and Kitty Trask Holt S.C. SmartState® Endowed Chair for Fibrosis Research, Rheumatology & Immunology
Diane Kamen, M.D., Associate Professor, Rheumatology & Immunology
Gregory Cote, M.D., Professor, Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gerard Silvestri, M.D., MS, Professor and Senior Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Pulmonary & Critical Care
Jingwen Zhang, MS, Instructor, General Internal Medicine
Nichole Tanner, M.D., MSCR, Associate Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy & Sleep

Outstanding Achievement in Early Career Research Award: Recognizes a faculty member within 8 years of his or her initial faculty appointment that have received major funding within the calendar year (non-K awardees). Selected by Research Symposium Committee.
Winner: W. Ennis James, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pulmonary & Critical Care

Outstanding Research Program: Recognizes a research team, composed of faculty and staff, that expands the Department's research portfolio. Selected by Research Symposium Committee.
Winner: Pulmonary Clinical Trials Team

Outstanding Research Staff Member Award: Recognizes a staff member who betters the department's research but is not a traditional researcher. Selected by Research Symposium Committee.
Winner: Abbey Grady, Clinical Research Coordinator, Pulmonary Clinical Research Program, Pulmonary & Critical Care

RESIDENT AWARDS

General Internal Medicine Ambulatory Resident of the Year: Awarded to a Department of Medicine resident who consistently displays professional excellence, compassionate patient care and teamwork among colleagues in the outpatient setting. Selected by University Internal Medicine faculty.
Winner: Susan Evenhouse, M.D., PGY-4 IM Resident

General Internal Medicine Hospitalist Resident of the Year: Awarded to a Department of Medicine resident who consistently displays professional excellence, compassionate patient care and teamwork among colleagues in the inpatient setting. Selected by Academic Hospitalists.
Winner: Hampton Sasser, M.D., PGY-3, IM Resident

General Internal Medicine Ambulatory Intern of the Year: Awarded to a Department of Medicine intern who consistently displays professional excellence, compassionate patient care, and teamwork among colleagues in the outpatient setting. Selected by University Internal Medicine faculty.
Winner: Oliver Mithoefer, M.D., PGY-1 Intern

General Internal Medicine Hospitalist Intern of the Year: Awarded to a Department of Medicine intern who consistently displays professional excellence, compassionate patient care and teamwork among colleagues in the inpatient setting. Selected by Academic Hospitalists.
Winner: Garrett Cole, M.D., PGY-1 Intern

Teaching and Education Award: Awarded to a DOM resident who demonstrates excellence in teaching and provides leadership and promotes or imparts medical education at MUSC. Nominees consist of residents who received top evaluations from medical students. Selected by Education Planning Committee.
Winner: Meg Scott, M.D., PGY-2 IM Resident

Leadership Award: Awarded to a DOM resident who demonstrates outstanding leadership characteristics, improving the quality of clinical care or organizational operations. Nominated by residents and faculty.
Winner: Hampton Sasser, M.D., PGY-3, IM Resident

Triple Threat Award: Awarded to a DOM resident who best integrates excellence in clinical work, education, and "scholarly activity" into their practice. Selected by Education Planning Committee.
Winner: Nnamdi Azih, M.D., PGY-3, IM Resident

Doctor’s Doctor Award: Awarded to a DOM resident who you would choose to take care of you or your family. Selected by residents.
Winner: Kent Broussard, M.D., PGY-3 IM Resident

Professionalism Award: Awarded to a DOM resident who demonstrates a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities while adhering to ethical principles and maintaining a sensitivity to the diverse patient populations that they serve. Characteristics such as respect, altruism, integrity, honesty, compassion, and empathy should be evident in all interactions, including with peers, supervisors, students, patients, and their families. Nominated by residents and faculty.
Winners:
Nominated by residents: Spenser Staub, M.D., PGY-2 IM Resident
Nominated by faculty: Chelsea Shepherd, D.O., PGY-4, IM Resident

Intern of the Year: Awarded to a Department of Medicine intern in recognition of the individual’s professional excellence displayed in the provision of compassionate patient care and the promotion of teamwork among colleagues. Selected by residents.
Winner: Garrett Cole, M.D., PGY-1 Intern

Resident of the Year: Awarded to a Department of Medicine resident in recognition of the individual’s professional excellence displayed in the provision of compassionate patient care and the promotion of teamwork among colleagues. Selected by residents.
Winner: Dena Blanding, M.D., PGY-2 IM Resident

FACULTY AND TRAINEE AWARDS

Community Service Award: Awarded to a DOM resident, trainee, or faculty member who take action to create change in their communities. Nominated by Division Directors.
Winner: Deeksha Jandhyala, M.D., Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases

EMPLOYEE AWARDS

The Department of Medicine's Employee of the Quarter program showcases employees who have shown exemplary strides in contributing to the Department of Medicine and to the MUSC community. At the end of the year, an Employee of the Year winner and Medicine Excellence Winner (2nd place winner) are selected from the pool of quarterly winners. Selected by the Employee of the Year Review Committee.

Medicine Excellence Award:
Winner: Betsy Hopkins, MS, MPH, PA-C, Physician Assistant, Infectious Diseases

Employee of the Year:
Winner: Megan Slappe, MSN, Nurse Practitioner, Nephrology