Innovation. Transformation. Extraordinary contributions. All these and more were recognized May 8 at the 2024 University of Colorado Department of Medicine Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony.
Honorees were chosen from among more 170 faculty and staff nominations for 98 people from 11 divisions within the department. They were recognized at an evening dinner ceremony at Krugman Conference Hall on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
“This is perhaps the most special night we have in our department, as we’re shining a light on our incredible people,” Vineet Chopra, MD, MSc, Robert W. Schrier Chair of Medicine, told the audience in his opening remarks.
He added: “Just look around at the people in this room. It makes me feel very good about where we are the Department of Medicine.”
Left: CU Department of Medicine Chair Vineet Chopra, MD, Msc with honoree Sunita Sharma, MD, at the department's Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony on May 8, 2024.. Right: Chopra congratulates honoree Tejas Patil, MD. Photos by Justin LeVett for the CU Department of Medicine.
In addition to recognizing more-senior faculty and staff members, the ceremony honored four of its “Rising Stars.” Sunita Sharma, MD, the department’s vice chair for faculty development and mentorship, said the Rising Star Award “recognizes outstanding early career faculty members who exemplify the department’s core values of excellence in patient care, research, education and community outreach, and dedication to service and citizenship.”
In February, the department honored faculty for their work with patients when the inaugural inductees in the department’s Clinical Excellence Society were announced.
Here are the Department of Medicine Faculty and Staff Awards honorees, along with brief biographies:
Rising Stars
Ian Cartwright, PhD – An assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology with interests in understanding how neutrophil-derived mediators influence the inflammatory microenvironment and drive the development and resolution of inflammation in the context of inflammatory bowel disease.
Adrienne Mann, MD – An assistant professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine with interests in the development, application, and study of coaching methodology in sustainable programs to promote resilience and wellbeing by encouraging a growth mindset and creation of individualized definitions of success.
Fan Zhang, PhD – An assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology with an interest in transformative research. Her lab currently develops novel data-driven AI methods for computational omics and systems immunology to study inflammatory disease pathogenesis for translational medicine.
Tejas Patil, MD – An assistant professor in the Division of Medical Oncology with an interest in identifying novel biomarkers in thoracic malignancies and in the development of targeted therapies for lung cancer.
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Advanced Practice Provider Awards for Excellence
James Dillingham, PA-C, MMS – An assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology, he has 15 years of PA experience and says that patient care brings him immense satisfaction. He strives to treat every patient as he would want his own family to be treated. This involves dedicating time to ensure they comprehend their chronic disease state, condition, and treatment plan.
Meghan O’Meara, DNP, FNP-C – An instructor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Prior to nursing, she worked as a fetal development research assistant but knew she wanted to have direct patient care long term in her career. After school, she worked as a nurse in transplant surgery before transitioning to outpatient transplant hepatology.
Award for Excellence for Volunteer Faculty
Jennifer Hendrick, MD – She has been practicing internal medicine since 1999. She has been the primary care provider for many of her patients for over 20 years, and feels strongly that a long term doctor-patient relationship is the cornerstone of outstanding medical care.
Attendees at the CU Department of Medicine's Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony on May 8, 2024. Photo by Justin LeVett for the CU Department of Medicine.
Excellence in Education Awards
Andrea Chisel – She has been with the Division of Geriatric Medicine for 15 years and serves as its education and fellowship administrator and business services program principal. She began coordinating the division’s fellowship training program 10 years ago, where she fell in love with working with trainees and found enjoyment in the challenges that come with keeping a fellowship program running.
Meredith Morcos, MD – An assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology. She works primarily at the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. She works with nearly all of CU’s internal medicine residents as they rotate through the VA outpatient and rapid access clinic blocks.
Benjamin Vipler, MD – An assistant professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. In his primary education role, he serves as the director of the inquiry-focused longitudinal integrated clerkship at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, where he coordinates the educational activities of second-year clerkship students.
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Excellence in Mentorship Awards
Kara Price – The Department of Medicine’s office manager. She has over 15 years of experience supporting and managing the operations of academic and health care organizations. She is passionate about improving the success and operations of education and health care departments.
Hillary Lum, MD, PhD – An associate professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, she is a geriatrician and palliative medicine physician. She is passionate about designing, testing, and implementing pragmatic interventions for older adults with serious illnesses, including mild cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as their family care partners.
Sunita Sharma, MD – An associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine and the Department of Medicine’s vice chair for faculty development and mentorship, she helped to develop the first mentorship program for underrepresented individuals in medicine for the American Thoracic Society through her work on their Health Equity and Diversity Committee. She has also served as a mentor to numerous medical students, residents, and faculty.
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Excellence in Research Awards
Ginger Johnson – A professional research assistant who has worked in research for 42 years. She loves being in the trenches of research, learning new techniques, and helping projects move forward.
Danielle Kline – A senior professional research assistant who has worked in the Division of General Internal Medicine for 12 years on a variety of research studies, grants, and fiscal management which supports her passion for learning and taking on new challenges.
Ellen Burnham, MD – A professor in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine whose research focuses on understanding the relationship between alcohol and substance misuse and the development of pulmonary diseases including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Eric Campbell, PhD – A professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and director of research for the Center for Bioethics and Humanities, he conducts research on health policy and bioethics. He focuses on professionalism in medicine, research policy, patient safety, and the conflicts of interest in medicine and research, among other interests.
Photo at left: Brita Alley, executive assistant to the CU Department of Medicine chair, steps forward to receive the department's Peak Award. Right: Department Chair Vineet Chopra, MD, Msc, delivers opening remarks at the ceremony alongside the awards. Photos by Mark Harden | CU Department of Medicine.
Excellence in Quality and Patient Safety Awards
Eric Grimm – He has worked as a data analyst with the Division of Hospital Medicine for the past four years and is especially interested in extracting and merging data, statistical analysis, dashboard development, and data visualization.
Lorna Allen, FNP – An assistant professor with the Division of Infectious Diseases, she manages the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Program and dedicates her time to ensuring that patients on IV antimicrobials receive safe, quality care as they transition from the acute hospital setting to the outpatient setting.
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Sarah Stella, MD – An associate professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Witnessing the unmet health needs faced by her unhoused patients led her to create partnerships to address those needs. She leads Denver Health’s housing and health initiatives, including partnerships with Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and the Denver Housing Authority.
Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Award
Rita Lee, MD – A professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine with a passion for medical education, leadership development, and advocacy. Her advocacy work has been primarily around lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health equity.
Peak Award
(recognizing outstanding performance by a staff member)
Brita Alley – She has worked as executive assistant to the Department of Medicine chair since 2022. She finds great professional purpose in supporting leaders in academic medicine, mentoring fellow administrative personnel, and connecting with all who come into the department.
Photo at top: Honorees pose with CU Department of Medicine Chair Vineet Chopra, MD, Msc, (left) at the Department's Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony on May 8, 2024, at the Krugman Conference Hall on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Justin LeVett for the CU Department of Medicine.
