Date: 11/30/2015

To recognize physicians and care teams who provide consistently stellar patient care, the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians has launched an annual awards program, the Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Awards for Physicians and Care Teams. Open to providers who practice in Johns Hopkins Medicine facilities, Johns Hopkins-employed or not, the program recognizes multiple aspects of excellent patient care through six awards:

• Physician of the Year
• Innovations in Clinical Care
• Armstrong Award for Excellence in Quality and Safety
• Excellence in Service and Professionalism
• Clinical Collaboration and Teamwork
• Best Consulting Physician

All Johns Hopkins Medicine hospitals and Johns Hopkins Community Physicians select their six winners after nomination and local committee review. Award winners for 2015 will be honored at an event Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 4:30 p.m. in the Chevy Chase Bank Auditorium at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Short videos featuring each winner are available on the clinical awards website.

“Medicine begins and ends with the patient. That recognition underpins our commitment to deliver the highest quality patient- and family-centered health care. With these awards, we want to honor the physicians and care teams who embody our commitment to the patient,” says Paul Rothman, dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Paul Danielson is one such clinician. Winner of Physician of the Year for All Children’s Hospital, Danielson heads the Division of Pediatric Surgery and is the hospital’s chief of medical staff.  

Physician of the Year is awarded to the physician who consistently achieves high standards in the practice of medicine and is looked upon as a role model by his or her peers.

Danielson is quick to attribute his success to his colleagues: “My ability to be a good physician is only possible because I’m surrounded by people who make it possible, including executive leadership, who gave our team the resources to build what we’ve built at the hospital.”

The Innovations in Clinical Care award is presented to the physician, nurse or team who demonstrates a visionary approach to problem-solving and performance improvement. Sherita Golden and the Inpatient Glucose Management Program team were honored with this award for The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

For Golden, the award is an opportunity to highlight the glucose management best practices she and her team have developed over several years, including the Inpatient Diabetes Management Service for the hospital. She and her team have also trained nearly 100 registered nurses as diabetes educators throughout the hospital, both for staff members and patients. They recently received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to help disseminate some of those best practices to other hospitals in the health system, starting with Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Howard County General Hospital.

The award for Excellence in Service and Professionalism is presented to the physician who best promotes a culture that expects and rewards the delivery of patient- and family-centered care. Hospitalist Mindy Kantsiper won for Howard County General Hospital. Kantsiper says she and the physicians in her practice are able to offer their services 24/7 at patients’ bedsides, unlike many other hospitalist groups, which often consult by phone during the night. “It is more personal, and it benefits patients. If someone is admitted from the emergency department at 3 a.m., we are right there.”

Tina Kumra of Johns Hopkins Community Physicians received an Armstrong Award for Excellence in Quality and Safety, which is presented to physicians who partner with patients, families, colleagues and staff members to optimize patient outcomes and eliminate preventable harm. Kumra, a pediatrician at the Wyman Park location’s pediatrics clinic, developed a process that increased adolescent well-care visit rates by greater than 15 percent compared with previous years. When teenagers were in the office for a sick visit, staff members checked to see if they were overdue for a well-child visit. If so, the sick visit became an opportunity to provide preventive services. “Establishing positive health behaviors during the teenage years is crucial,” says Kumra.

The Clinical Collaboration and Teamwork award is presented to the physician or team who engages colleagues in shared decision-making, fostering cooperation and open communication. Richard Beckerman won for Sibley Memorial Hospital, where Beckerman is director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Beckerman says: “I’m happy that I’m communicating that I like to work on a team and put everyone on the same level. Making sure the patient is cared for and feels cared for requires a multidisciplinary team. Everyone has an impact.”

The sixth award category is Best Consulting Physician, for physicians who provide superior consulting services. Radiation oncologist Stephen Greco won for Suburban Hospital. “I think people can tell when you always have the patient in mind and provide good consultation about that patient’s care. I try to be accessible to the physicians who need advice, and it’s nice to have that recognized.”

Tom Reifsnyder, Physician of the Year for Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, says the awards are a reminder to focus on the patient. “My advice to young physicians is to realize that patients’ time is just as valuable as theirs, so don’t be late. Work hard and stay humble.”