A reception celebrating the 2017 UW Health Physician Excellence Awards was held on June 19, 2017. First row, L to R: Dr. Alan Kaplan, CEO, UW Health; Dr. Gregory Hollman, Department of Pediatrics; Dr. Christina Broadwell, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Dr. Charles Heise, Department of Surgery; Dr. John Ralphe, Department of Pediatrics; Dr. Peter Newcomber, Department of Medicine and Senior Vice President, UW Health; Dr. Robert Golden, Dean, UW School of Medicine and Public Health; Dr. Nizar Jarjour, Department of Medicine and Senior Vice President, UW Health. Second row, L to R: Dr. Richard Welnick, Department of Medicine and Medical Director, UW Health; Dr. Daniel Jarzemsky, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Dr. Evie Carchman, Department of Surgery; Dr. Roland Vega, Department of Surgery; Dr. John Rice, Department of Medicine; and Dr. Mary Klink, Department of Medicine.

On June 19, 2017, a reception was held to present the UW Health Physician Excellence Awards to nine awardees. All were nominated by their peers, who documented how each physician exemplified exceptional performance and a commitment to the mission, vision, and values of UW Health. The Physician Excellence Awards are intended to recognize “skilled and dedicated physicians who demonstrate exceptional performance in clinical practice, education, or leadership,” according to UW Health.

Department of Medicine awardees were:
Mary Klink, MD, professor emeritus, General Internal Medicine. Dr. Klink received the Clinical Practice Excellence Award. Dr. Klink earned her medical degree and completed her residency at Medical College of Wisconsin, followed by fellowship training at the University of Arizona Medical Center. A specialist in sleep-related breathing disorders, Dr. Klink served as director of the Meriter Sleep Center and Wisconsin Sleep and practiced in the field of sleep medicine for over 20 years. One of her award nominators, Kellie S. Mack, NP, wrote, “At the end of the day, she has transformed lives in beautiful and meaningful ways. She deserves this award recognizing her excellence as a healer and teacher! The world is a much better place with people like Dr. Mary E. Klink in it!"

John Rice, MD, assistant professor (CHS), Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Rice received the Regional Services Excellence Award. He serves as the medical director of the Liver and Pancreas Center at the UW Health Digestive Health Center and section chief of Hepatology in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. One of his award nominators, Michael Lucey, MD, professor and head, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, wrote, “(Our) outreach success could not have been achieved without Dr. Rice’s commitment to the vision of UW Health as a regional referral center; to his personal endeavor in establishing and staffing distant outreach clinics and in encouraging and supporting the rest of the Hepatology and Liver Transplant team members who make the outreach clinics possible.”

Also recognized was Richard Welnick, MD, clinical professor, General Internal Medicine and UW Health Medical Director of Ambulatory Clinics Operations, who received a Governor’s Proclamation for his many years of service to UW Health. Dr. Welnick provides strategic leadership for ambulatory clinic operations, working closely with primary care clinical leaders in efforts that focus on the redesign of the primary care delivery system. His role has included medical oversight of urgent care, the Welcome Center and Welcome Center Clinic as well as UW Health regional primary care practices. Dr. Welnick plans to retire in summer, 2017.

Additionally, six Department of Medicine faculty members were nominated for awards, in itself a tremendous honor. They include:

• Micah Chan, MD, MPH, associate professor (CHS), Nephrology
• Deepak Gopal, MD, professor (CHS), Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Kelly Herold, MD, clinical assistant professor, General Internal Medicine
• James Runo, MD, associate professor (CHS), Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Jeannina Smith, MD, clinical associate professor, Infectious Disease
• Anurag Soni, MD, clinical associate professor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Honorees from other department in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health included:

Rising Star Clinical Excellence Award

• Christina Broadwell, MD, assistant professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Evie Carchman, MD, assistant professor, Department of Surgery

Clinical Practice Excellence Award

• Gregory Hollman, MD, professor (CHS), Department of Pediatrics
• Daniel Jarzemsky, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health

Clinical Leadership Excellence Award

• Charles Heise, MD, professor, Department of Surgery
• Roland Vega, MD, clinical professor, Department of Surgery

Regional Services Excellence Award

• John Carter Ralphe, MD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics

Resources:

• "Nine UW Health Physicians Celebrated, Presented With Physician Excellence Awards," UW Health U-Connect (intranet), June 29, 2017