ACGME Announces 2026 Graduate Medical Education Awardees

Chicago, IL, Oct. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is honored to recognize the 2026 recipients of the ACGME Awards! The ACGME Awards recognize notable individuals, programs, and organizations for their outstanding work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME).

Their achievements reflect the dedication, innovation, and excellence that define the GME community. Join us in celebrating them at the 2026 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place February 19-21, 2026, in San Diego, California.

“It is a privilege to recognize the 2026 recipients of the ACGME Awards. These individuals set the bar for excellence and exemplify the leadership and commitment that continue to advance and strengthen the GME community,” said ACGME President and Chief Executive Officer Debra Weinstein, MD.

Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Award 
This award recognizes ACGME-accredited Sponsoring Institutions and programs, specialty organizations, and non-profits working to support a dynamic physician workforce and foster respectuful learning, working, and patient care environments. The 2026 recipient is: 

Wayne State University School of Medicine; Dermatology Program; Detroit, Michigan

David C. Leach Award
This award recognizes residents and fellows who have fostered innovation and improvement in their programs, advanced humanism in medicine, and increased efficiency and emphasis on educational outcomes. The 2026 recipients are:

Katrina L. Heiss, DO; Naval Medical Center Portsmouth; Portsmouth, Virginia; Psychiatry
Team: Christian Boyle, MD; William Hoover, DO; Richard F. Maguire, MD; Joshua Morin, DO; Patrick Murphy, DO
Rachel Moss, MD; Icahn School of Medicine; New York, New York; Pediatrics
Team: Lisa Satlin, MD; Jan Fune, MD; Katherine Guttmann, MD
Brannan E. O'Neill, MD; Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, Oregon; Neurological Surgery
Team: Dominic Siler, MD, PhD; Megan Furnari, MD
Jamie Pfaff, MD; Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Nashville, Tennessee; Cardiovascular Diseases
Team: Kathryn Sunthankar, MD
Kaitlyn Walter, MD; Onvida Health Yuma Regional Medical Center; Yuma, Arizona; Family Medicine
Team: Matthew Bishop, MD; Karen Melara-Hernandez, MD; Rabab Raja, MD

Debra L. Dooley GME Program Coordinator Excellence Award
This award is given to program coordinators in recognition of their in-depth understanding of the accreditation process, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and projects to improve residency and fellowship programs. The 2026 recipients are: 

Jacqueline D. Barrera; University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; San Antonio, Texas; Obstetrics and Gynecology
Stephanie Chairs, MBA, C-TAGME; Sinai Hospital of Baltimore; Baltimore, Maryland; Surgery
Annie Detrick; The University of Chicago; Chicago, Illinois; Orthopaedic Surgery
Chantal Littrean, MPH, C-TAGME; SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University; Brooklyn, New York; Internal Medicine
Fatima Salas, MHA, C-TAGME; Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, Oregon; Obstetrics and Gynecology

GME Institutional Coordinator Excellence Award
This award recognizes institutional coordinators who demonstrate in-depth knowledge of GME and the process for internal review, and skillfully manage the multiple roles of administrator, counselor, enforcer, coordinator, organizer, and scheduler. The 2026 recipients are:

Catherine Klein, MBA; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland
Tery Noseworthy, C-TAGME; Boston Children’s Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts
Carol S. Sundberg, BS; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, Minnesota

Lewis Blackman Patient Safety Award
The award recognizes residents and fellows who have worked to implement strategies to improve the understanding of and show demonstrable improvement in patient safety in their Sponsoring Institution or residency/fellowship program. The 2026 recipient is:

Michael Kochis, MD, EdM; Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts; Surgery
Team: Suzanne Algeri, DNP, RN, MS; Rajshri Gartland, MD, MPH; Lynze Franko, MD; Alison Parmar, JD, MBE; Kathleen Swierzerwski, RN

Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award
This award honors DIOs who have demonstrated strong leadership and astute resource management and encouraged innovation and improvement in programs and their Sponsoring Institutions. The 2026 recipients are:

I. Michael Leitman, MD, FACS; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York, New York
Dotun A. Ogunyemi, MD; Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science; Los Angeles, California
James P. Orlando, EdD, PCC; St. Lukes University Health Network; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award 
This award recognizes program directors who have fostered innovation and improvement in their programs and served as exemplary role models for residents and fellows. The 2026 recipients are:

Megan Aylor, MD; Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, Oregon; Pediatrics
Nikki Binz, MD; University of North Carolina Hospitals; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Emergency Medicine
Suzanne Karan, MD, FASA; University of Rochester; Rochester, New York; Anesthesiology
Salahuddin Kazi, MD; UT Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, Texas; Rheumatology
Lisa R. Merlin, MD; SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University; Brooklyn, New York; Neurology
Nicole P. Scott, MD, FACOG; Indiana University School of Medicine; Indianapolis, Indiana; Obstetrics and Gynecology
Greg Sullivan, MD, DFAPA; University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine Tampa, Florida; Geriatric Psychiatry
Julie A. Venci, MD; University of Colorado School of Medicine; Denver, Colorado; Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Amber Whited-Watson, DO; The MetroHealth System; Cleveland, Ohio; Family Medicine
Aimee K. Zaas, MD, MHS; Duke University Hospital; Durham, North Carolina; Internal Medicine

Thomas J. Nasca Professionalism Award
This award recognizes organizations that exemplify ethical practice, integrity, and a commitment to patient-centered care, values that former ACGME President and CEO Dr. Thomas Nasca championed throughout his distinguished career. This is the inaugural year for this award. The 2026 recipient is:

Baylor College of Medicine Center for Professionalism; Houston, Texas

ACGME Awards honor the best in GME. The ACGME Blog will feature interviews and more information about this year’s exceptional awardees in the months leading up to the Annual Educational Conference.

The nomination period for the 2027 ACGME Awards will open in November 2025. Learn more about the ACGME Awards program on the ACGME website.

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ABOUT THE ACGME

The ACGME is a private, non-profit, professional organization responsible for the accreditation of more than 13,700 residency and fellowship programs and the more than 900 institutions that sponsor these programs in the US. Residency and fellowship programs educate approximately 167,100 resident and fellow physicians in 146 accredited specialties and subspecialties. The Mission of the ACGME is to improve health care and population health by assessing and enhancing the quality of resident and fellow physicians' education through advancements in accreditation and education.

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ACGME Awards

Susan Holub
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
sholub@acgme.org

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