May 9, 2025
The William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service, one of four Excellence Awards given out by the Foundation for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, recognizes significant contributions to building PALTmed’s organizational strength, image, and mission. Based on that description, it makes perfect sense that the 2025 recipient is Victoria Walker, MD, FAAFP, CMD.
An active PALTmed member since 2011, Dr. Walker served as chair of the Public Policy Committee and contributed to several resources and policy advocacy efforts. Currently, she is a member of the Governance Committee and is the co-chair of PALTmed’s new Leadership Program (more on that later).
“It is really special to have been recognized in this way. I am really humbled that people took the time to nominate me and recognize my efforts on behalf of PALTmed over the years,” Dr. Walker says. “It never would have crossed my mind that I would ever be in a position to serve in this way and to be honored in this way. So, it just touches my heart, and I'm really grateful.”
When Dr. Walker looks back on her time as a PALTmed member, she finds that the organization has helped her grow through every stage of her career. As she explains, “When I was very new to this setting, it really helped me understand the clinical skills that I needed to be effective. It helped me learn the leadership and management skills that I needed to be a good medical director. And it's also helped me grow through my leadership journey and learn more about systems thinking, data, analytics, and networking.”
Because PALTmed was so instrumental in her leadership journey, Dr. Walker decided to pay it forward by co-chairing the new Leadership Program, which was created to identify and develop future volunteer leaders of the association and provide participants with an unparalleled opportunity to grow and make an impact.
“I'm really excited about this new program. I think it recognizes a need to build the skills that are necessary to be an effective association leader,” she says. “The things that we learn on our medical journey don't always help us be really effective at leading a committee or helping make decisions at a board level. This program is meant to work with people over a whole year and introduce them to the resources, skills, tools, and mentorship that are needed to be a good future leader of PALTmed.”
Dr. Walker never met Dr. Dodd, the organization’s founder who served as its first president in 1978 and was also known as a talented jazz musician. If she’d had the ability to speak with him, however, she says she’d ask ”how fostering all of the passions in his life gave him the energy to do something as amazing as start this organization… He seemed like a person who had a lot of energy and enthusiasm for many things in life. I'd like to have that conversation over a beverage with him.”
Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 awards, which will be given out at next year’s annual conference in Anaheim, CA. Get more information on nominating a worthy colleague on the Foundation for PALTC Medicine’s website and make a donation here.
Watch this video of Dr. Walker discussing her award.
