The 2026 Leaders in Clinical Excellence honorees see gaps others might miss – and envision possibilities: a way to preserve a patient’s mobility, a cancer trial that needs to be closer to home, nutrition care that should continue after discharge, or a trainee who needs encouragement as much as instruction. Then they close the gaps.

Their stories show that clinical excellence can be both deeply personal and far-reaching. It lives in the care of a single patient or family, as well as in the programs, discoveries, and mentorship that improve care for countless more.

Established in 2018, the Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awards recognize clinical faculty across UT Southwestern’s many sites of service for their exceptional contributions to patient care, the education and training of the next generation of healthcare professionals, and the advancement of UT Southwestern overall.

The entire UTSW community is invited to celebrate this year’s honorees Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 4:30 p.m. in the Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium on South Campus, with a reception to follow on McDermott Plaza.

The ninth annual ceremony will be hosted by UT Southwestern President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D.; Jonathan Efron, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs; and W. P. Andrew Lee, M.D., Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of UT Southwestern Medical School, and will include remarks from the award recipients.

To ensure there is enough food and drink for all attendees, UT Southwestern faculty, staff, and learners are asked to register. You can find registration and event details online, where you’ll also see an option to view the celebration via a livestream. Until then, you can click through the links below to learn more about the people and programs behind this year’s honors.

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