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This award honors the life of Lewis Blackman, a vibrant, intelligent young man who died November 6, 2000, when a series of post-operative issues following elective surgery were not recognized by the nurses and residents caring for him. The award recognizes residents and fellows who have worked to implement strategies to improve the understanding of and show demonstrable improvement in patient safety in their Sponsoring Institution or residency/fellowship program.

Now Accepting Nominations for 2027
Now accepting nominations for the 2027 ACGME Awards cycle. Complete the nomination form online and review the award FAQs for details. Deadline: 5:00 p.m. Central, Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Congratulations 2026 Awardees
The ACGME congratulates the 2026 recipients of the ACGME Awards. Read the announcement with the full list of this year's honorees in the ACGME Newsroom.

2024 Award Recipients

Leslie Chang, MD
Leslie Chang, MD

Team Members: Mario Duhon, MD; Ricky Ratliff; Jean Wright, MD
Radiation Oncology
Johns Hopkins University

Elaine Griffeth, MD
Elaine Griffeth, MD

Team Members: Merissa T. Andersen, PharmD, RPh;
Sarah J. Chalmers, MD; Ognjen Gajic, MD; Bhargavi Gali, MD, MHA; Maria Gallup, APRN, CNS, MSN; Katherine Heise, APRN, CNP, MSN; Yu Kawai, MD; Kannan Ramar, MD; Zeeshan Z. Rizwan, PharmD, RPh; Laura Schram, APRN, CNP, MSN; Nicole Schueler; Tammy Schultz, RRT, LRT; Veljko Strajina, MD; Ann N. Tescher, APRN, CNS, PhD; Austin Todd, MS; Diem N. Vu, MD; John M. Zietlow, MD

Surgery
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota