Honoring excellence in those who care for UT Southwestern’s patients
From one doctor who helped introduce advanced stroke care to a remote village in Ethiopia to another who worked to cut the incidence of excessive bleeding in new moms, UT Southwestern’s newest Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awardees this year represent the best of the Medical Center’s care.
Ten physicians or programs were honored at the annual Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awards ceremony, held Nov. 10 in the Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium and also broadcast online.
At the ceremony attended by family, friends, and colleagues of this year’s award winners, President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D. shared, “Each year, the Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awards ceremony provides a special opportunity to recognize clinical faculty members who exemplify UT Southwestern’s core values of excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion.” Dr. Podolsky added, “These awards are an especially impactful form of recognition at UT Southwestern because the recipients are nominated by their colleagues. Their steadfast commitment to our patients and their families, as well as our institution, serve as an example to each of us and it’s a pleasure to honor them in this manner.”
More than 220 physicians were nominated by the campus community this year for the awards given to clinical faculty. A committee of UTSW faculty then selected the winners.
Excellence in patient care
The top award – the Patricia and William L. Watson Jr., M.D. Award for Excellence in Clinical Medicine – went to blood cancer specialist Robert H. Collins Jr., M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine. The Watson Award recognizes a clinician who exemplifies excellence in patient care and is a leader in advancing clinical innovation.
Dr. Collins joined UT Southwestern in 1998 as Director of Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplantation.
An accomplished scientist and researcher, Dr. Collins said that he entered medicine because of his fascination with science. As the author of more than 130 articles in scientific journals his expertise is evident, but he said his commitment to helping patients was somewhat unexpected. “Something happened. I was befriended by lots of patients and developed these deep relationships and friendships. It softened my heart,” Dr. Collins said.
“My goal is to be an excellent doctor, in every meaning of that word, when you realize that it’s all about service. If somehow your career is about the other person, that really is what makes you happy. What a great job.”
Erin E. Gordon, D.O., Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, received the Patient and Family Recognition Award, designed to honor clinical faculty who provide compassionate and exceptional care, engendering patient trust and satisfaction.
Dr. Gordon once rode home with a family and their baby girl who was born with a heart defect and “unfortunately was not a candidate for heart transplantation,” explained John Warner, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs and Health System CEO.
The family wanted their child to spend her final days at home and Dr. Gordon accompanied them in the ambulance to make sure she got there.
“Dr. Gordon – as she is known to do – found a way,” Dr. Warner said.
Innovative programs to advance care
The President’s Award for Diversity and Humanism in Clinical Care went to Mehari Gebreyohanns, M.D., an Associate Professor of Neurology and specialist in stroke care, telemedicine, and global neurology.
After a visit to his native country of Ethiopia in 2016, he not only launched a program there to improve neurological care, including to diagnose and better treat epilepsy and stroke, he also worked with the Ethiopian community in North Texas to create a phrase in their language to describe stroke (ye-angol tikat) so that patients could communicate more effectively with their caregivers.
These physicians were not the only award winners whose work and innovations changed the lives of patients.
Amit Singal, M.D. M.S., and Adam Yopp, M.D., responded to the fact that Texas has both the highest incidence and prevalence rates for liver cancer in the United States by creating and growing UT Southwestern’s Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Program. They founded the program in 2010, and it now has clinics at both the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and Parkland Health.
For this, Dr. Singal, Medical Director of the Liver Tumor Program and Chief of Hepatology, and Dr. Yopp, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, won a Program Development Award, given for innovation and collaboration foundational to the success of the institution.
A second Program Development Award went to Shivani Patel, M.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Patel, who leads the Obstetrics Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program that was established in 2019 by nurses and physicians, helped introduce protocols that have reduced surgical site infections in new mothers, allowed blood to be delivered faster in cases where massive transfusions are needed, and lowered the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage from 14% in 2019 to 5% by mid-2021, according to Dr. Warner.
Rising stars and longtime service
Two Rising Star Awards were given this year to doctors considered exceptional early-career clinical faculty. One went to James “Brad” Cutrell, M.D., an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and infectious disease specialist who led development of UT Southwestern’s COVID-19 treatment protocols and occupational health protocols for employees during the pandemic.
Another was won by Linda A. Dultz, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director, Parkland Hospital Surgical Intensive Care Unit, who cared for and performed surgery on Parkland’s COVID-19 patients.
Mary Jane Pearson, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, received this year’s Institutional Service Award for a willingness to share her time and expertise through work on committees, task forces, and in other activities that impacted patient care. “Service is very simply figuring out where you can be of help and doing it,” Dr. Pearson said in a video presentation.
Paying it forward
Finally, two Mentoring Awards were given to clinicians who are impacting the future of medicine by their commitment and effectiveness as mentors. David Gerber, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, was referred to as the “mentor-in-chief” by his nominator, said W. P. Andrew Lee, M.D., Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of UT Southwestern Medical School, referring to Dr. Gerber’s willingness to take less experienced physicians under his wing.
Myra H. Wyckoff, M.D., received the other Mentoring Award. Dr. Wyckoff is a newborn intensive care specialist and Director of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program at Parkland Memorial Hospital. She has won three pediatric teaching awards over the years, Dr. Lee said.
“Life is hard, and medicine is hard, and we need people who can show us the way,” said Dr. Wyckoff.
“If I can help others to continue this type of career, not only is it really satisfying but it’s also really important to the field of medicine,” added Dr. Gerber.
Award Winner Videos
See below for special videos that were played for each winner or winning program.
To enlarge any video below, click on the “fullscreen” icon at the far right of the video player.
Patricia and William L. Watson Jr., M.D. Award
Robert H. Collins Jr., M.D.
Professor of Internal Medicine
Patient and Family Recognition Award
Erin E. Gordon, D.O.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
President’s Award for Diversity and Humanism in Clinical Care
Mehari Gebreyohanns, M.D.
Associate Professor of Neurology
Program Development Award
Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Program
Amit Singal, M.D. M.S.
Medical Director of Liver Tumor Program
Chief of Hepatology
Adam Yopp, M.D.
Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
Program Development Award
Obstetrics Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program
Shivani Patel, M.D.
Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Rising Star Award
James “Brad” Cutrell, M.D.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Rising Star Award
Linda A. Dultz, M.D., M.P.H.
Medical Director
Parkland Hospital Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Institutional Service Award
Mary Jane Pearson, M.D.
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Mentoring Award
David Gerber, M.D.
Professor of Internal Medicine
Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health
Mentoring Award
Myra H. Wyckoff, M.D.
Director of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program
Parkland Memorial Hospital