Go the Extra Mile for Someone Deserving!

PAMED membership is required for award recipients. Non-profits nominated for the Grant for Healthy Living in Ethnic Communities must have a working relationship with a PAMED member and be nominated by a county medical society. The awards will be presented in October at the annual House of Delegates and Annual Education Conference in Hershey.

Nominations deadline is April 4, 2016.

We look forward to hearing more about the contributions of our members. Every submission is proof positive that physicians and health care organizations in Pennsylvania are dedicated to the communities they serve.

Questions? Please contact Stacy Bolden at sbolden@pamedsoc.org for assistance.

Past Recipients Include Many Eminent Physicians
The Distinguished Service Award is given to members for lifetime achievements in medicine—is PAMED’s highest honor. Jonas E. Salk, MD, was named the award’s first recipient in 1956, for his role in developing the anti-polio vaccine. The 2014 winner was Audrey E. Evans, MD, a pediatric oncologist from Philadelphia who is credited for her part in establishing the first Ronald McDonald House in 1974. In 2015, the award was presented to M. Elaine Eyster, MD. Dr. Eyster, a hematologist at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, received this honor for her work regarding hemophilia patients. She has been performing innovative clinical and research studies, especially on patients with HIV and Hepatitis C related complications.

The Physician Award for International Community Service recognizes physicians who have donated their time and expertise to international locations. Previous winners include Mukul Parikh, MD, of Mechanicsburg and Richard C. Lanning, MD, also of Mechanicsburg. Dr. Parikh participated in more than a dozen surgical missions to the Philippines, India, Thailand, and Ethiopia in prior years before receiving the award. He is the founder and president of Operation Medical-Global Health Care, globally serving medical and surgical needs of underserved people. Dr. Lanning made his first mission trip to Saigon in 1998, and since then has returned about two times per year for a total of 20 trips. He has provided several hundred lens implants for cataract patients.

The Grant for Healthy Living in Ethnic Communities recognizes organizations that address public health issues ranging from childhood obesity to preventive health care. Previous winners include the Peer Counseling, Leadership Development, and Mentorship to Reduce Obesity program located in Lycoming County in 2012, the WeCare Street Outreach program located in Washington County in 2013, and the North Penn YMCA’s H.I.P. Kids program (Health Intervention Program) located in Montgomery County in 2014, and The Wright Center’s Asian Medical Home located in Lackawanna County.