August 29, 2024
Being recognized and honored nationally by your colleagues is a significant moment in the life of any professional. It validates their sacrifices, hard work, and contributions, and it celebrates their accomplishments, dedication, and passion. You have an opportunity to recognize a PALTmed peer and say ‘thank you’ for their professional excellence in the field by nominating them for a Foundation for PALTC Medicine Excellence Award.
Until September 15, the Foundation is accepting nominations for the Medical Director of the Year Award, the William Dodd Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service, the James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education, and the Clinician of the Year Award. “We urge our members to take the time to nominate a colleague for one or more of these awards,” says Susan Levy, MD, CMD, the Foundation’s immediate past chair. “This is a unique opportunity to let someone know that they’ve been a great leader, teacher, mentor, and clinician.”
Dr. Levy offers six reasons to nominate a colleague for an Excellence Award:
- It recognizes an individual for the difference they have made and the patients, colleagues, and others’ lives they have impacted. “We can’t assume that someone knows how much we admire or respect them. It’s important to tell them, and nominating them for an award is a powerful way to do this,” says Dr. Levy.
- The nomination process is easier than you may think. “We have a good nominations process, and we will work with you if you don’t have all the information about someone’s PALTmed activities and involvement,” Dr. Levy notes.
- Every award is unique. Even if someone has received other awards, this doesn’t lessen the significance of receiving one of these honors. “Being honored by your PALTmed family is a special source of pride,” says Dr. Levy. “A few people have received more than one of these awards, and they say each one was as rewarding and humbling as the other.”
- Even if a nominee doesn’t win, the nomination is incredibly flattering. There’s an old cliché—“It’s an honor just to be nominated.” But it’s true, says Dr. Levy: “It tells someone that they inspired you enough to take the time and effort to recognize them. It’s always nice to hear that you made a difference.”
- The list of past recipients speaks to the prestige of these awards. From presidents and board members of the association to team leaders and prolific authors, researchers, speakers, and educators, past honorees are true representatives of the best of our profession and our care sector. At the same time, two of the awards are named after pioneers in the field. Dr. Dodd was the founder of the association and a driving force behind its early growth. Dr. Pattee is known as the father of the Core Curriculum on Medical Direction.
- The award will inspire others. “When students and young practitioners hear about someone who’s received one of these awards, what they’ve accomplished, and what the honor has meant to them, it can inspire others to see post-acute and long-term care as a rewarding, exciting practice setting,” says Dr. Levy.
Start thinking about those clinicians who’ve touched your life and inspired your career. Get more information about the awards and access the nomination forms. Remember that the deadline to submit a nomination is September 15—less than two weeks away.