Closing The Gap, the theme of this year’s Gateway Medical Society 2019 Physician of the Year Scholarship Gala at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center on Oct. 26, reflected the dreams of founders Earl B. Smith, MD, Oswald Nickens, MD, Charles Bookert, MD and Edward Hale, MD. The Gateway Medical Society was organized in 1963 and is a component society of the National Medical Association. The mission of the Gateway Medical Society is to enhance the quality of healthcare for minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in Southwestern Pennsylvania by promoting public health and addressing ethnic and racial disparities in health care services.
Each year GMS honors physicians making a difference. This year Dr. Tracey Conti and Dr. Jan Madison were honored as Physicians of the Year. Dr. Conti is an Assistant Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Family Medicine at the University Of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She also serves as the Program Director of the UPMC McKeesport Family Medicine Residency. Dr. Madison is currently a Pulmonary/Critical Care physician who worked the past 27 years with Pittsburgh Pulmonary. She is currently employed by Allegheny Pulmonary of the Allegheny Health Network of Pittsburgh. Also Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, M.Ed., MPH was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her lifetime of service and advocacy to the community.
GMS President, Lisa Issac, MD, said they are pleased to present Rising Star Awards to physicians and health care who are early to mid -point in their careers. This year’s awardees were Jewell Gaulding, MD, an attending physician with AGH Dermatology and Eloho Ufomata, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at UPMC. Each year community champions are recognized as well for their support for GMS.
This year two community nursing organizations were honored with the “Champions of Gateway Medical Society—Making a Difference Award.” The 2019 honorees were the Pittsburgh Black Nurses in Action and Kappa Chapter Inc., Chi Eta Phi Inc. The awards presentations wrapped up with scholarships being presented to Vivian Ifunanya Anyaeche, Amani Davis, Eric Nturibi and Ayanna Garland.
Dr. Issac thanked Presenting and Platinum Sponsors Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and UPMC.
CHAMPIONS OF GMS AWARDEE—Lisa Issac, Dr. Dawndra Jones and Christopher Allen, MD
by Debbie Norrell, Lifestyles Editor
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