Scribner Courage in Health Care Award

Presented by

The Scribner Courage in Health Care
Award Program

The Award
The Scribner Courage in Health Care Award, presented by First Choice Health and the WAFP, is bestowed to a health care professional who has made an extraordinary contribution to the health of people in the Pacific Northwest through the exhibition of personal courage, within or outside of traditional “systems.” Emphasis is given to extraordinary service, innovation and professional courage over time that has resulted in meaningful change and improvement in health care. Any living health care professional doing his or her work primarily in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, or Montana is eligible for the award.

2008 Award Winner
Abraham Bergman, MD: Dr, Abraham Bergman was selected as the 2008 Awardee for his enormous contributions to the health and welfare of American children, especially to children in the Northwest. His career stands as a model for child advocacy.

Background
This distinguished award is named in honor of the kidney dialysis pioneer Dr. Belding Scribner. Dr. Scribner’s ground breaking clinical research at the University of Washington in the early 1960’s changed terminal kidney failure into a survivable condition with the invention of the “Scribner Shunt.” This device made long-term dialysis a feasible treatment for kidney failure, and has since saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children the world over.

Past Awardees
Dr. Alvin Thompson, University of Washington Clinical Professor of Medicine and Past President of the Washington State Medical Association, received the first Scribner Courage in Health Care Award in 2004. Dr. Thompson demonstrated great professional courage while enhancing health care for underserved communities in our state. His community service and professional advocacy have provided inspiration and mentorship to the medical community and aspiring health care professionals.

The second Scribner Awardee, named in 2006, was Dr. Robert Wood for his long-term commitment to identifying, advocating and advancing the care for people with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Wood was an early and articulate advocate for the recognition of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s and, astonishing as it seems now, received death threats when he first brought the AIDS epidemic to light in our community.

Today, he serves as Director of the HIV/AIDS Program for Public Health – Seattle & King County and is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

2009
It is anticipated that the next call for nominees will begin in early 2009 for presentation in 2010. Please check back for updated information.

For the Physician

Scribner Courage in Health Care Award

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