LAS VEGAS—The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) proudly recognizes outstanding leaders in emergency medicine during ACEP24, the world’s largest emergency medicine conference. The annual awards honor exceptional contributions to emergency medicine in policy, advocacy, research, education, and other categories.

John G. Wiegenstein Leadership Award

This is ACEP’s highest award. It is presented for outstanding contributions to the organization and is named after the late John G. Wiegenstein, MD, a founding member and first president of ACEP.

Debra G. Perina, MD, FACEP, is professor emeritus of emergency medicine at the University of Virginia, where she was prehospital division director and EMS fellowship director for more than 20 years. Dr. Perina was faculty and residency director at Richland Memorial Hospital/Palmetto Health Care and state EMS medical director for South Carolina. In more than 40 years as an ACEP member, she has advanced emergency medicine training and education, served on the ACEP Board of Directors and was ACEP chair of the board from 2017-2018. She is a past president of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD). She served as chair of the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). She led efforts to create the EMS medicine core content and authored the EMS Medicine subspecialty application, which achieved recognition by the American Board of Medical Specialties. She also spearheaded the creation of the first EMS medicine board certification examination. She is a delegate to the AMA, a local medical examiner, medical director for several EMS services and volunteer fire departments and as a volunteer at her local free medical clinic. Dr. Perina completed medical training at West Virginia University School of Medicine and an emergency medicine residency at Richland Memorial Hospital/Palmetto Health Care University of South Carolina School of Medicine.   

James D. Mills Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Medicine Award

This award is for significant contributions to emergency medicine. The award is named after the late James D. Mills Jr., MD, the second president of ACEP.

Earl J. Reisdorff, MD, FACEP, is executive director of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM). Dr. Reisdorff has been a member of ACEP since 1988, previously served on the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians Board of Directors and as the chapter president. He was appointed to serve on the Council on Graduate Medical Education, an advisory group to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Congress on physician workforce and training. Dr. Reisdorff is an author of peer-reviewed articles, 17 chapters in eight different texts, and co-editor of “Emergency Radiology” and “Pediatric Emergency Medicine” textbooks. He has presented more than 300 scientific and didactic presentations in the United States and internationally. Dr. Reisdorff is board certified by ABEM and is meeting the requirements of the ABMS Continuous Certification program for his board. Dr. Reisdorff attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at Michigan State University in Lansing.

John A. Rupke Legacy Award

This award is for outstanding lifetime contributions to ACEP. In recognition of longevity and unwavering dedication to ACEP, the Legacy Award is given in honor of John A. Rupke, MD, one of the initial founding members of ACEP.

W. “Chip” Pettigrew, III, MD, FACEP, is immediate past chair of ACEP’s Emergency Medicine Policy Institute (EMPI) Board of Governors. He was the first residency trained and board-certified emergency physician at Athens Regional Medical Center in Georgia and started an independent, democratic group there which thrives today. The coding and billing company he founded serves clients across specialties and practice types. Dr. Pettigrew is a past president of the Georgia College of Emergency Physicians (GCEP), an ACEP Councilor for 30 years, and served on multiple state and national committees. He is an active member of the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) and the Emergency Department Practice Management Association (EDPMA). Recognized throughout his military service with numerous awards of distinction, Dr. Pettigrew held positions with the 1st Ranger Battalion (Airborne) and subsequent hospital assignments in clinical emergency medicine.

Dr. Pettigrew attended medical school at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine and completed an emergency medicine residency at Madigan Army Medical Center.

Pamela P. Bensen Trailblazer Award

This award is presented to a current ACEP member for groundbreaking contributions to the growth of ACEP and emergency medicine. The award is named after Pamela P. Bensen, MD, a charter member of ACEP and the first woman resident in emergency medicine.

Arjun K. Venkatesh, MD, MBA, MHS, FACEP, is chair and chief of emergency medicine, Yale University School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital. He is principal investigator of ACEP’s Emergency Quality Network (E-QUAL). Dr. Venkatesh has helped develop measures and interventions aimed at improving acute care outcomes and enhancing the value of healthcare services, including the development of the CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings. Dr. Venkatesh has led the development of quality measures for the Clinical Emergency Data Registry, a vital tool in the ongoing effort to standardize and improve emergency care. He has published hundreds of articles and studies about quality and value which continue to influence policy and practice. Dr. Venkatesh completed medical school at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, emergency medicine residency at the Brigham and Women’s Massachusetts General Hospitals and a Master of Health Science at the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at Yale University.

Judith E. Tintinalli Award for Outstanding Contribution in Education

This award recognizes an ACEP member who has made a significant contribution to the educational aspects of emergency medicine.

Susan B. Promes, MD, MBA, FACEP, is a tenured professor at Penn State University Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Promes was the inaugural emergency medicine residency program director and medical school capstone course director at Duke University. She served as vice chair for education, the inaugural emergency medicine residency program director, and director of curricular affairs for graduate medical education at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Promes has edited multiple board review books, served on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine, and currently serves on the board for the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine. She directed the ACEP Teaching Fellowship for more than two decades and was chosen by the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine to be the editor of their new journal, Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training. Dr. Promes earned a medical degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and completed an emergency medicine residency at Alameda County Medical Center - Highland General Hospital.

Award for Outstanding Contribution in Research

The award is presented to an ACEP member who has made a significant contribution to research in emergency medicine.

Robert M. Rodriguez, MD is professor of emergency medicine and vice chair of research, University of California San Francisco Department of Emergency Medicine. He served as an advisor to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and was the only emergency physician on the Biden/Harris COVID-19 Transition Advisory team. He co-authored the book, “Lessons from the Covid War: An Investigative Report.” Dr. Rodriquez has focused his career on mentorship and research on emergency health care access for underserved populations. Dr. Rodriquez received his medical degree at Harvard Medical School and completed a combined emergency medicine/internal medicine residency at the University of California Los Angeles, and a critical care medicine fellowship at Stanford University.

Outstanding Contribution in EMS Award

This award is for outstanding contributions of national significance or application in Emergency Medical Services. The award is not limited to ACEP members.

Sabina A. Braithwaite, MD, MPH, FACEP, FAEMS, is medical director of patient flow at the Veterans Administration Sierra Nevada Healthcare System. Dr. Braithwaite began her career as a volunteer EMT and firefighter in Virginia. She is a past president and board member of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians (VACEP). She was EMS medical director with Albemarle County Fire-Rescue in Virginia, University of Virginia EMS fellowship faculty, and EMS medical director with the Wichita-Sedgwick County, Kansas EMS system.

Dr. Braithwaite has been a leader in state, national, and international EMS organizations, including ACEP, the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), Emergency Medical Service Provider (EMSP), International Trauma Life Support (ITLS), and the Committee on Accreditation for EMS Providers (COAEMSP). Dr. Braithwaite received a medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, completed residency at Eastern Virginia University in Norfolk and earned a Master of Public Health Practice from the University of South Florida.  

Colin C. Rorrie, Jr., PhD Award for Excellence in Health Policy

This award is for significant contributions to ACEP’s health policy objectives, or for demonstrating outstanding skills, talent, and commitment as an administrative or political leader. The award is named after Colin C. Rorrie, Jr., PhD, who served as ACEP’s executive director from 1982 to 2003.

Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, FACEP, is chief executive officer and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, distinguished chair, Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Carr was faculty at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and associate dean of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He served in an advisory role to domestic and international organizations and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. He held a variety of roles with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) focused on improving trauma and emergency care delivery for the nation. Dr. Carr earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine and completed both his residency in emergency medicine and his fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Pennsylvania.

Council Meritorious Service Award

This award is given for contributions to the growth and maturation of the ACEP Council.

Thomas J. Sugarman, MD, FACEP, is an emergency physician currently practicing in Indiana and senior director of government affairs, Vituity. He is a past-president of California ACEP. Dr. Sugarman has served on the ACEP Council since 2006 and he is the current treasurer and past chair of ACEP’s Emergency Medicine Policy Institute (EMPI). He led the ACEP State Legislative and Regulatory Committee. Dr. Sugarman is also a past-president of the Alameda Contra Costa Medical Society and past co-chair of the East Bay Safe Prescribing Coalition. Dr. Sugarman earned a medical degree with honors from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed an emergency medicine residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Policy Pioneer Award

This award recognizes early and mid-career members who have made outstanding contributions to ACEP health policy and advocacy initiatives.

Michelle P. Lin, MD, MPH, MS, FACEP, is associate professor of emergency medicine and director of the Acute Care Policy, Research, and Innovation Collaboratory at Stanford University. Previously, she was a fellow at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). She leads the development of quality measures used in federal payment programs through her leadership roles with ACEP’s Emergency Medicine Data Institute (EMDI). She is the sole emergency physician appointed to the Partnership for Quality Measurement’s All-Cause Admissions and Readmissions Standing Committee, a group that issues recommendations to CMS and other regulatory bodies. Dr. Lin completed her medical education at Northwestern, residency at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, fellowship in health policy research at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and master’s in clinical epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Honorary Membership Award

This award is for outstanding service to ACEP or to the specialty of emergency medicine.

David A. McKenzie, retired in 2024 after nearly 30 years in the ACEP reimbursement department. A nationally known expert on emergency medicine reimbursement and coding, he has given hundreds of hours of lectures at the national and chapter levels. Mr. McKenzie has represented ACEP and its members at American Medical Association (AMA) committees and meetings, including the influential AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC), the group responsible for recommendations to the federal government on resources required to provide medical services. At his final RUC meeting, he was recognized by the RUC chair and received an unprecedented standing ovation. Conservative estimates indicate that his work through the years has secured more than $30 billion dollars for emergency physicians.

Rick Murray, EMT-P, FAEMS, retired in 2023 after serving as ACEP’s director of EMS and disaster preparedness for more than 26 years and nearly 50 years of experience in EMS. He directed the national EMS Week campaign since 1977. As principal investigator or project manager, he led more than 35 federal grant projects and made countless contributions to the specialty. Over a distinguished career, he has earned numerous commendations and achievement awards from ACEP and other emergency medicine and EMS organizations. Previously, he worked for a state EMS regulatory agency with the Texas Department of Health and directed university and hospital-based EMS training programs. Mr. Murray was one of the original Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) site reviewers and worked on the development of the initial CAAS standards. Mr. Murray is a Fellow of the Academy of EMS and serves on the Board of the National EMS Museum.

James H. Slaughter, JD, served as ACEP parliamentarian since 2001 and is president of Law Firm Carolinas. He is a Certified Professional Parliamentarian-Teacher, Professional Registered Parliamentarian, and past president of the American College of Parliamentary Lawyers. He is a published author, leader of civic and charitable organizations and has received awards for legal leadership, pro bono activities, and exceptional commitment and achievement. Mr. Slaughter completed undergraduate education and law school at the University of North Carolina.

Diane K. Bollman Chapter Advocate Award

This award is presented to an ACEP chapter executive or chapter staff member who has made a significant contribution to advancing emergency care and their ACEP chapter. The award is named after Diane K. Bollman, who served as the executive director of the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians for 25 years and was an honorary member of ACEP.

Tara Morrison, CAE, CMP, served as executive director of the Georgia College of Emergency Physicians for more than 23 years. She is currently the president and CEO of Association Management Executives (AME), Inc, representing professional medical associations and serving the needs of small to medium-sized medical associations needing professional staff. Prior to starting AME, Inc, Ms. Morrison worked for the Medical Association of Georgia in their specialty society staffing department and served as the executive director of the South Carolina College of Emergency Physicians. Ms. Morrison holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University and holds both CAE (Certified Association Executive) and CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) designations.