March 9, 2023
Earlier today, the Foundation for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine announced the recipients of its prestigious awards at PALTC23 in Tampa, FL. Rani Rao, MD, FACP, CMD, is Medical Director of the Year. Vikas Reddy, MD, is the Clinician of the Year. Arif Nazir, MD, CMD, is recipient of the William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service. Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD, and Philip Sloane, MD, MPH, are joint recipients of the James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education.
Dr. Rao is chief medical officer of the Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center, NYC Health and Hospital in Roosevelt Island, NY. Already an experienced medical director when she arrived at Coler in March 2020, she had to gear up quickly to handle the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic. She immediately implemented a series of measures to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID on Coler’s highly vulnerable resident population. Her actions led to the development and implementation of a COVID-19 Performance Improvement Bundle, geared toward addressing health-care inequities and other key social determinants of health. Dr. Rao also spearheaded a Person-Centered Palliative Care Improvement Initiative at Coler. By the end of the third quarter of 2022, there was a 49% increase over the previous year in the number of Coler residents actively enrolled in the palliative care program.
“Being a medical director in post-acute and long-term care is special to me in that I am part of a community that strives to improve health and quality of life for people with diverse levels of functioning and cognitive abilities,” said Dr. Rao. “I feel that this award is truly a tribute to the Coler team that I am lucky to be part of.”
Dr. Reddy is medical director with Summit Medical Consultants. He is recognized as a strong advocate for his patients and residents and demonstrates compassion and thoughtfulness in his interactions with them and their families. His collaborative approach with other team members has established him as a role model among his peers and associates. Involvement in community medical services is important to him, and he is constantly developing new projects to bring clinical insight and guidance to the vulnerable populations he serves.
“This is an unexpected honor,” Dr. Reddy said. “We are all in the same boat, and we motivate each other to keep going.”
Dr. Nazir is a past president of AMDA, and he is chief medical officer, primary care at BrightSpring Health Services. He also provides leadership for several post-acute care skilled chains. He was one of the drivers behind the AMDA Shark Tank program and one of the founders of the popular AMDA On-The-Go podcast program. He also has served on and chaired several other AMDA committees. Deprescribing has long been a priority for him, and he took this to a national level with the Society’s Drive to Deprescribe program.
“I don’t think there is another award I would be more honored to receive. It is the greatest honor of my life,” said Dr. Nazir.
Dr. Sloane is the Elizabeth and Oscar Goodwin Distinguished Professor of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has written dozens of books and book chapters, as well as hundreds of research papers. He is highly involved in and committed to the education of professionals, paraprofessionals, and consumers, including activities that translate research findings into practice. He and Dr. Zimmerman were co-editors-in-chief of JAMDA from 2018 to 2022.
Dr. Zimmerman is University Kenan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina, with appointments in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health. She also is co-director of the Program on Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and was recently appointed as executive director of the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living. She is an internationally recognized research expert in long-term care services and supports for older adults, including those living with dementia.
“Dr. Pattee was one person who oriented me to geriatrics. He was a great gentleman—humble and always trying to help people, and he was persistent in his education work. This award means something extra having known him,” said Dr. Sloane. Dr. Zimmerman added, “It’s important to keep in mind that research and the studies we publish in JAMDA are synonymous with education. This award reminds us of that.”
Please go to the Foundation website for more information on the Medical Director of the Year Award, the Clinician of the Year, the William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service, and the James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education.
###
About the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is the only medical specialty society representing the community of over 50,000 medical directors, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other practitioners working in the various post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) settings. Dedicated to defining and improving quality, we advance our mission through timely professional development, evidence-based clinical guidance, and tireless advocacy on behalf of members, patients, families, and staff. Visit www.paltc.org for more information.
About the Foundation for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
The Foundation for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is an independent not-for-profit organization. The Foundation's mission is: “The Foundation advances the quality of life for persons in post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) through inspiring, educating and recognizing future and current health care professionals." Visit the Foundation at www.paltcfoundation.org.
