Achievement Award in Medicine
Past Honorees
The Achievement Award in Medicine honors a Jefferson physician who has embraced Jefferson’s mission, provided exemplary care to their patients, and has been a recognized leader in their field.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2023 Vijay M. Rao, MD, FACR, FAAWR, FCPP
Dr. Vijay M. Rao is a distinguished leader in radiology worldwide. A leading expert in imaging of the head and neck, she is also widely recognized as a thought leader in health services research in radiology.
In today’s value-driven era of healthcare, Dr. Rao has been a strong advocate of radiology’s role in transforming healthcare delivery through innovative initiatives that embrace the power of emerging technologies to drive excellence in patient care.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2022 Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD, FACS, FCCP
Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD, FACS, FCCP, grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and graduated from Moorestown Friends School in 1994. He then attended Princeton University, receiving his BA in 1998 in molecular biology. He received his MD from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2002.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2021 Frontline Healthcare Workers
The pandemic was a call to action, a summons to do what they were born for: to help, to heal, to put people first and care for our community. They were the lantern in the storm of Covid-19. Our frontline healthcare workers responded with courage, with devotion, and with compassion for those in need.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2020 Ignazio R. Marino, MD, ScD
Ignazio R. Marino, MD, ScD is executive vice president of Jefferson International Innovative Strategic Ventures. He is a trailblazer in transplant medicine who has also held high public office as a senator of the Republic of Italy and mayor of Rome.
Born in Genoa, Italy, Dr. Marino earned a degree in medicine and surgery from the Catholic University of Rome and then trained at the two most prestigious transplant centers in the world: the Transplantation Institute of Cambridge University and the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2019 Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, MBA, FACS, FAHA
Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, MBA, FACS, FAHA, attended Louisiana State University in New Orleans and graduated with a BS from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, in 1975. He received his MD from Louisiana State University in Shreveport in 1979. Dr. Rosenwasser completed a general surgery internship and residency in neurological surgery at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. In 1984, he was a fellow in neurovascular surgery under Dr. Charles Drake and Dr. Sydney J. Peerless at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, and from 1992 to 1993 he completed a fellowship in interventional neuroradiology under Dr. Alex Berenstein at New York University.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2018 Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD, FACP, FCPP
Edith Peterson Mitchell, Brigadier General USAF (Retired), MD, FACP, FCPP, passed away suddenly on January 21, 2024. She was a trailblazer in cancer and gastrointestinal research and treatment, a champion for minority healthcare providers and medically underserved communities, and a revered and respected member of the Jefferson family.
Dr. Mitchell was Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, and served as Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine and Medical Oncology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and Associate Director for Diversity Programs and Director of the Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities for the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2017 Charles J. Yeo, MD, FACS
Dr. Charles J. Yeo is the 8th Samuel D. Gross Professor and chair of the Department of Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Yeo’s major accomplishments have been in the fields of surgical education, clinical care of patients with complex alimentary tract diseases, and molecular research in pancreatic cancer. His authorship of manuscripts in journals, book chapters, and books have been major contributions to the surgical literature. His design and completion of numerous prospective randomized clinical trials have dramatically impacted the field of pancreatic surgery—particularly the most difficult of all pancreatic procedures, the pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2016 Edmund Pribitkin, MD, MBA, FACS
Dr. Pribitkin is a professor at Thomas Jefferson University where he serves as the Academic Vice-Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and directs the Otolaryngology Residency Training Program. He has been certified by two specialty boards and is a fellow of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, the American Rhinologic Society, the Triological Society and the American College of Surgeons.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2015 Leonard G. Gomella, MD
Leonard G. Gomella, MD, is the Bernard W. Godwin, Jr. Professor of Prostate Cancer and Chairman of the Department of Urology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College and Senior Director for Clinical Affairs for the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2013 Roger B. Daniels, MD
Roger B. Daniels, MD, considers his calling as a physician a sacred trust. He knows this sentiment sounds corny, but he doesn’t care — he feels it in his heart. “To be intimately involved in the lives of people, to be trusted and to have the opportunity to influence so many aspects of their lives — I don’t know how a person can ask for more.”
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2012 William M. Keane, MD
Having seen how head and neck cancer can interfere with a patient’s ability to speak and swallow, and how it can disfigure the face and neck, William M. Keane, MD, devoted his career to improving treatments for this disease so that his patients can maintain their quality of life.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2011 Howard H. Weitz, MD
Howard H. Weitz, MD, epitomizes the ideal physician: compassionate clinician, exceptional educator. He has brought distinction to the University since graduating from Jefferson Medical College more than three decades ago.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2010 William Tasman, MD
William Tasman, MD, was a renowned surgeon, clinician, investigator, and administrator who exhibited extraordinary commitment to ophthalmology and Jefferson throughout his 48 years with the Wills Eye Institute.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2009 Herbert E. Cohn, MD
Herbert E. Cohn, MD, FACS, the Anthony E. Narducci Professor of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University, is an accomplished surgeon, teacher and administrative leader. He has been a distinguished member of Jefferson’s Department of Surgery for 47 years.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2008 Kenneth Brownstein, MD
P. Kenneth Brownstein, MD has been a dedicated member of Jefferson’s Department of Urology for 36 years. He was a member of the original kidney transplant team at Jefferson in the 1970’s and remained an active member of the transplant group for the next 25 years. He currently serves as the Harold A. Honickman Physician Director of Jefferson Signature Services.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2007 Anthony J. DiMarino Jr., MD
The son of a prominent physician, Anthony J. DiMarino Jr., MD, was born in Camden, New Jersey. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. DiMarino earned his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College, where he was elected a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2006 James W. Fox IV, MD
James W. Fox, IV, MD, former Professor and Director of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, is a longtime member of the Board of Trustees of both Thomas Jefferson University and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2005 Francis E. Rosato, MD
Francis E. Rosato, MD was the Samuel D. Gross Professor of Surgery and former Chair of the Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2004 Richard H. Rothman, MD, PhD
Richard H. Rothman, MD, PhD, was The James Edwards Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree, 2003 Bernard Segal, MD
Bernard Segal, MD, Director Emeritus of Cardiology, was an exceptional physician, teacher and entrepreneur. Dr. Segal has guided the Jefferson Heart Institute to a world-class, leading edge stature.