Medical Director of the Year

In 2000, the Air Medical Physician Association instituted a new annual award in addition to the yearly Distinguished Physician Award. In contrast to the Distinguished Physician Award, which is intended to recognize lifetime achievement and service to AMPA and the air medical community, the Medical Director of the Year is intended to recognize that physician who has made outstanding contributions to his or her own program.

For that reason, AMPA asks that nominations for this award of recognition come from individual programs.  We would like to hear from the flight crews, administrators, and/or program staff about the outstanding contributions of their medical director.

The nominee should be an AMPA member and have shown exceptional personal involvement in the program. We are looking for those that are considered an invaluable part of the team’s success and whose contributions to medical direction, education, quality care, outreach, safety, and team morale to be part of the essential fabric of the program…in short, a leader.

The Medical Director of the Year is recognized at the 2024 AMTC meeting and receives free registration to the Medical Director Core Curriculum.  

Nominations should be in the form of a one-page letter, which outlines qualities for which the medical director should be recognized. Nominations should be sent to the AMPA office ([email protected]) by August 1, 2024.

Current AMPA Board members are not eligible for the award.

Past Medical Directors of the Year:

2000 – Jeff Hillesland, MD – Gundersen Lutheran MedLink AIR
2001 – Eric R. Swanson, MD – University of Utah AirMed
2002 – Jack B. Davidoff, MD – Mercy Flight Central
2003 – James G. Leker, MD – Baptist Life Flight
2004  – Mark E. Maertins, MD – AIRLIFE Denver
2005  – Andrew C. Hawk, MD – Care Flight Air & Mobile
2006 – Charles Sheppard, MD – St. John’s Life Line
2007 – David Meurer, MD – Shandscair
2008 – Douglas Floccare, MD – MIEMSS
2009 – Thomas Scaggs, MD – Carle Foundation Life Flight
2010 – Howard Werman, MD – MedFlight of Ohio
2011 – Peter Meyer, MD – Air Link at Regional West
2012 – Norm Dinerman, MD – Life Flight of Maine
2013 – Ira J. Blumen, MD – University of Chicago Aeromedical Network
2014 – Michael Brunko, MD – Flight for Life Colorado
2015 – Suzanne K. Wedel, MD – Boston Med Flight
2016 – Catherine Carrubba, MD – Aeromed – Tampa General Hospital
2017 – R. J. Frascone, MD – Life Link III
2018 – David Thomson, MD – EastCare
2019 – William Hinckley, MD – Air Care & Mobile Care – University of Cincinnati
2020 - David Kugler, MD - SkyHealth/Northwell Health
2021 - Ani Aydin, MD - Yale-New Haven Hospital Ground and Air Critical Care Transport