Each year, the ATS honors an exemplary community or academic clinician through its Outstanding Clinician Award (OCA). Thoracic Society Chapters (TSC) also may nominate an individual for their chapter OCA award. A recipient of the national and chapter awards will be:
- A pulmonary, critical care or sleep clinician who spends 75 percent or more of his/her time providing direct patient care
- For academic clinicians: A physician who spends more than 25% of his/her time on research (e.g. several R01 grants) or administration (e.g. division head, director of critical care) is not eligible.
- Recognized by patients and families as a caring and dedicated healthcare provider and by his/her peers as having made substantial contributions to the clinical care of patients with respiratory disease. Nominations must reflect excellence in this area above all else.
- A member of the thoracic society chapter (TSC) for which they are being nominated as well as a resident of that state - to be considered for the TSC award.
- A member of the ATS - to be considered for the national level award.
ATS members who wish to nominate an outstanding clinician should get the approval of the prospective nominee and then forward that individual’s name and CV to the administrator of the chapter in the state where the nominee resides. Click here for names of the ATS Thoracic Society Chapters. The ATS cannot accept direct nominations from individuals, and nominees can only be accepted from a state where there is a chapter.
Deadlines: Completed applications for OCA nominees should be submitted by chapters to ATS by Friday, October 23, 2020.
Questions? Contact May Ling Brantman, Senior Manager, Chapter Relations, at chapters@thoracic.org or (212) 315-8633. We look forward to receiving your nominations!
2021 Outstanding Clinician Award
Past ATS OCA awardees are:
| 2020 | Richard Simon, MD | Michigan Thoracic Society |
| 2019 | Octavius D. Polk, MD | Metropolitan DC Thoracic Society |
| 2018 | William W. Walker, MD | South Carolina Thoracic Society |
| 2017 | Jack H. Hasson, MD | Alabama Thoracic Society |
| 2016 | Jay Shames, MD | Louisiana Thoracic Society |
| 2015 | James P. Lamberti, MD | Metropolitan DC Thoracic Society |
| 2014 | Fredric Jackson, MD | Washington State Thoracic Society |
| 2013 | Allen Thomas, MD | Arizona Thoracic Society |
| 2012 | Eric S. Yaeger, MD | Colorado Thoracic Society |
| 2011 | Michelle Sue Harkins, MD | New Mexico Thoracic Society |
| 2010 | Richard A. Helmers, MD | Arizona Thoracic Society |
| 2009 | Walter Donat, MD | Rhode Island Thoracic Society |
| 2008 | Jeffrey S. Wagener, MD | Colorado Thoracic Society |
| 2007 | Louis S. Libby, MD | Oregon Thoracic Society |
| 2006 | Christine S. Fukui, MD | Hawaii Thoracic Society |
| 2005 | Eloise M. Harman, MD | Florida Thoracic Society |
| 2004 | Anthony M. Marinelli, MD | Chicago Thoracic Society |
| 2003 | Paul A. Selecky, MD | California Thoracic Society |
