MMA Awards
Award Entry Guidelines
Each year at its Annual Conference, the MMA honors physicians and medical students in the state who have made outstanding contributions to their profession, their practice or the world around them.
To nominate someone for an award, please fill out the nomination form online or print and mail it in.
For background information and criteria for each award, click here.
Awards
Distinguished Service Award
This award is the MMA's highest honor. It is given to a physician who has made outstanding contributions in service to the MMA and on behalf of medicine and the physicians of Minnesota during his or her career.
President's Award
This award is designated for individuals who have made outstanding contributions in service to the goals of the MMA - making Minnesotans the healthiest in the nation; and making M/innesota the best place to practice.
Medical Student Leadership Award
This award honors a member of the MMA Medical Student Section who demonstrates outstanding commitment to the medical profession.
Resident & Fellow Leadership Award (New! 3/30/21)
This award honors a member of the MMA Resident & Fellow Section who demonstrates outstanding commitment to the medical profession.
COPIC/MMA Foundation Humanitarian Award
This award is presented each year to honor a physician for volunteer medical services and contributions to their community, specifically to MMA members who go above and beyond to help address the health care needs of underserved populations in Minnesota. The recipient of the award designates a $10,000 donation from COPIC to be provided to a health care-related 501(c)(3) organization within Minnesota.
Eric C. Dick Memorial Health Policy Partner Award (New! 4/19/21)
This award shall be given to an individual, group of individuals, a project or an organization that demonstrates their commitment to pursuing sound public policy, building coalitions, creating and/or strengthening partnerships with the goal of improving the health of Minnesotans or the practice of medicine in Minnesota. Dick was the MMA's manager of state legislative affairs from 2010 until his untimely death in January 2021.
James H. Sova Memorial Award for Advocacy
James H. Sova was the chief lobbyist for the MMA from 1968 until the time of his death at the AMA meeting in December1981. This award shall be made to a person who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of public policy, medical sciences, medical education, medical care or the socio-economics of medical practice.
Recent MMA Award Recipients
Distinguished Service Award
| Year |
Recipient |
| 2020 |
David C. Thorson, MD |
| 2019 |
Donald Jacobs, MD |
| 2018 |
Cindy Firkins Smith, MD |
| 2017 |
Benjamin Whitten, MD |
| 2016 |
Patricia Lindholm, MD |
| 2015 |
Patrick Zook, MD |
| 2014 |
Paul Matson, MD |
| 2013 |
Macaran A Baird, MD |
| 2012 |
John Van Etta, MD |
| 2011 |
Anthony C Jaspers, MD |
| 2010 |
Douglas L Wood, MD |
| 2009 |
Terence P Cahill, MD |
| 2008 |
G. Richard Geier Jr, MD |
| 2007 |
Blanton Bessinger, MD, MBA |
| 2006 |
Frank J Indihar, MD, MBA |
| 2005 |
Timothy J Crimmins, MD |
| 2004 |
Judith F Shank, MD |
| 2003 |
Lyle Munneke, MD |
| 2002 |
None |
| 2001 |
Raymond G. Christensen, MD |
| 2000 |
Paul S. Sanders, MD |
James H. Sova Memorial Award for Advocacy
| Year |
Recipient |
| 2020 |
Rep. Kelly Morrison, MD |
| 2020 |
Sen. Julie Rosen |
| 2019 |
Jeffrey Schiff, MD |
| 2017 |
Andy Slavitt |
| 2016 |
Sen. Melisa Franzen |
| 2014 |
Rep. Thomas Huntley |
| 2007 |
Rep. Thomas Huntley |
| 2005 |
Jan Malcolm |
| 2004 |
David Durenberger |
Humanitarian Award
| 2020 |
Thomas Schrup, MD |
| 2019 |
John Goeppinger, MD |
| 2018 |
Dann Heilman, MD |
Medical Student Section Award
| Year |
Recipient |
| 2020 |
Derrick Lewis |
| 2020 |
June Zolfaghari |
| 2019 |
Tom Schmidt |
| 2018 |
Abby Solom |
| 2017 |
Alexander Feng |
| 2017 |
Nathan Ratner |
| 2016 |
Courtney Moors |
| 2015 |
Elizabeth Fracica |
| 2013 |
Mark E Bergstrand |
| 2011 |
Shayla M Wilson |
| 2010 |
Elizabeth R Vogel, MD |
| 2009 |
Nicole J Te Poel, MD |
| 2008 |
Andrew P Landstrom |
| 2007 |
Nicholas A Zane, MD |
| 2006 |
Lisa J Maurer, MD |
| 2005 |
Colin M Segovis, MD |
| 2004 |
Aaron L Nelson, MD |
| 2004 |
Stephanie D Stanton, MD |
President's Award
| Year |
Recipient |
| 2020 |
Heather Bell, MD, and Kurt DeVine, MD |
| 2020 |
John Hick, MD |
| 2020 |
Ruth Lynfield, MD |
| 2019 |
Kathryn Duevel, MD |
| 2019 |
George Lohmer |
| 2018 |
Thomas Kottke, MD |
| 2018 |
Charlie Reznikoff, MD |
| 2017 |
Dionne Hart, MD |
| 2017 |
Christopher Reif, MD |
| 2016 |
Sally Trippel, MD |
| 2015 |
George Schoephoerster, MD |
| 2015 |
Steven Meister, MD |
| 2015 |
Jane Willet, DO |
| 2014 |
Beth Baker, MD |
| 2013 |
Fred T Nobrega, MD |
| 2013 |
Erick Reeber, MD |
| 2011 |
Kenneth W Crabb, MD |
| 2010 |
Linda L Van Etta, MD |
| 2010 |
Nicholas F Reuter, MD |
| 2010 |
Frank B Cerra, MD |
| 2009 |
Edward P Ehlinger, MD, MSPH |
| 2009 |
Harriet Hodgson |
| 2008 |
Stephen L Hadley, MD |
| 2008 |
John W Larsen, MD |
| 2008 |
David L Estrin, MD |
| 2007 |
John R Balfanz, MD |
| 2007 |
Patrick J Zook, MD |
| 2007 |
George D Malkasian Jr, MD |
| 2007 |
Roger K Johnson, CAE |
| 2006 |
Jane Abrams |
| 2006 |
Noel R Peterson, MD, MS |
| 2005 |
Charles R Helleloid, MD |
| 2005 |
Bruce A Norback, MD |
| 2004 |
Fred T Nobrega, MD |
| 2004 |
Edward A Spenny, MD |
| 2004 |
Frank J Indihar, MD, MBA |
| 2004 |
John V Thomas, MD |
| 2004 |
Anthony C Jaspers, MD |
| 2004 |
Lee H Beecher, MD |
| 2004 |
Dianne Fenyk |