UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences announces 2018 awards

GRAND FORKS, N.D.—The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences presented a number of awards to its graduating medical students and the School’s faculty and other community volunteers during its commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 13, including the Leonard Tow Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award and the Dean’s Special Recognition Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Faculty. Of the roughly 1,700 physicians in North Dakota, nearly 1,200 have voluntary clinical faculty appointments at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH, vice president for health affairs and dean of the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “As a community-based institution, the School could not carry out its educational mission without the dedication and sacrifice of our voluntary faculty members,” Wynne added. “We are fortunate to have many dedicated physicians from across North Dakota who teach. These physicians have gone above and beyond the call of duty in giving our students the benefit of their time, experience, knowledge, and wisdom gained from years of caring for patients.” The winners of the Dean’s Special Recognition Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Faculty were Michael R. Brown, MD, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Altru Health System, Grand Forks, N.D. Steven Hill, MD, Psychiatrist, Northeast Human Service Center, Grand Forks, N.D. Zena Homan, MD, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Essentia Health, Fargo, N.D. Dawn Mattern, MD, Family Medicine/Sports Medicine physician, Trinity Health, Minot, N.D. Dave Molmen, MPH, CEO of Altru Health System, Grand Forks, N.D. Likewise, the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards are presented to a graduating student and faculty member at over 100 of the nation’s medical schools. The Gold Foundation began the award in 1991 at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey began replicating these awards nationwide in 1998, with participation from the Gold Foundation. In 2003, with a generous donation from Leonard Tow, these awards became solely sponsored and administered by the Gold Foundation. This award is given to those who best demonstrate the Foundation’s ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, and clinical excellence. The winners of the Leonard Tow Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award were Peter L. White, MD, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, Bismarck, N.D. Michael F. Gilchrist, Bismarck, N.D. Peter White, MD, clinical associate professor of internal medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and an anesthesiologist/critical care specialist for CHI St. Alexius in Bismarck, N.D., was honored with the prestigious Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award at the School’s commencement on May 13. Michael Gilchrist, MD, received the Tow Award for graduating medical students. Additional awards handed out to graduating medical students and area physicians and researchers include