AAD EpiDerm Awards 2021
From the President
Dr. Tomecki served as Academy president from March 2021 to March 2022.
By Kenneth Tomecki, MD, FAAD, January 1, 2022
"Lights, camera, action…" Now is that time for the Academy EpiDerm awards which recognize significant achievement in the specialty during the last year or two or three. Awards follow the pattern of the Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys, but without the need for song or dance. The nominees, for outstanding achievement, ladies first:
Wilma Bergfeld, for her continued in-roads in hair disease;
Mimi Buchness, for longstanding volunteer work with Common Sense for Animals;
Carrie Kovarik, for her ongoing commitment to public education within the AAD;
Jun Lu, for her time and efforts with telemedicine at the York (PA) correctional facility;
Mary Maloney, for her guidance and counsel within the AAD, especially within the Leadership Institute;
Ellen Marmur, for her strides with ‘take a hike;’
Nkanyezi Ferguson, for her work with AAD Diversity Committee and her continued messaging RE: DEI;
Kelley Redbord, for her relentless AAD advocacy efforts for public health reform;
Kathy Schwarzenberger, for setting the medical/derm tone for DermWorld;
Marta Van Beek, for her relentless efforts shepherding DataDerm;
Allison Vidimos, for helping to re-imagine the AAD summer meeting, transforming it to Innovation;
Cyndi Yag-Howard, for her derm advocacy with the AMA.
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And now the gentlemen:
A. Razzaque Ahmed, for his hands-on research in the blistering arena for more than four decades;
Burt Belknap, for his stalwart commitment to Dakota dermatology (40+years);
Bruce Brod, for being the voice of the AADA on the Hill;
Bob Brodell, for expanding specialty derm care in rural Mississippi;
Marc Brown, for his derm/surgical work with transplant patients for the last two decades;
Kevin Cooper, for his work with AAD clinical guidelines and payment delivery;
Frank Dann, for his 13-year stint as primary physician for 80+ leprosy families in Hawaii;
Mark Davis and Misha Rosenbach, for their continued attempts to spread the word about climate change (a real phenomenon);
Brad Glick, for his philanthropic work which helps to increase the AAD coffers;
Ernesto Gonzalez and Howard Koh, for their long-term commitment to the homeless in Boston;
Tom Helm, for his pro-bono dermpath service at LightHouse Clinic;
Steve Helms, for his decades-long commitment to EMR implementation;
Rich Huggins, for his ongoing work with the Global Vitiligo Foundation;
Marc Inglese, for being the "go-to" person in Tallahassee for derm issues;
Jonathan Kantor, for steering JAAD International during its maiden voyages;
Mark Kaufmann, for his attention and input RE: payment policy, thus helping members prepare for every eventuality;
Rick Keller, for his work within the VA system as Mohs surgical/path advisor;
Lincoln Krochmal, for his work in the derm/pharma arena for four decades;
Henry Lim, for his continued commitment to diversity and inclusion;
John Maize Sr., for his understated, but masterly approach to the specialty, especially in dermpath;
Seth Matarasso, for his derm outreach with local high school students in the Bay area;
Alex Miller, for his insights and direction in the derm coding arena;
Keyvan Nouri, incoming AST, for his expertise RE: the business of medicine which he readily shares with members;
Jim Rasmussen, for his pioneering presence during the early days of pediatric dermatology;
Bob Schwartz, for his commitment to global health, especially in the HIV/AIDS arena;
Bob Swerlick, for his long-term commitment to DataDerm™;
Jim Taylor, for being the unofficial point person for quality and patient safety within the specialty;
Andy Weinstein, for his tireless advocacy for patient access to sunscreens in Florida;
Bob Weiss, in recognition of his ground-breaking work in laser medicine;
Kim Yancey, for his hands-on mentoring of young researchers for two decades.
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For achievement in the foreign arena:
Scott Drew, for his long-standing commitment to dermatology services and 20+ outreach trips providing derm care in developing countries;
Jana Hercogova, for her continued attempts to spread the word and bridge the gaps in the derm international educational arena;
DeDee Murrell, for her blistering persistence to expand and foster derm education across the Pacific;
Jorge Ocampo Candiani, for promoting social responsibility in Mexico and South America via PRAMED;
Christine Poblete-Lopez, for establishing a derm surgical curriculum for physicians in underserved areas of the Philippines.
For achievement, ensemble work:
The entire AAD RUC team, for its exemplary service and tireless dedication protecting the specialty;
The AAD staff, Rosemont office, for its time, efforts, and energies, often behind the scenes, for the specialty and AAD members;
The AAD staff, D.C. office, for its commitment to advocacy and working the Hill on behalf of members.
For choreography: Cyndi Del Boccio, latter day Martha Graham, for keeping staff and Board members on track; she provides the glue that keeps the AAD.
For direction: Elizabeth Usher, for her insightful and tight command of the screenplay, the cast, and the entire AAD/A operation.
For production excellence: All past AAD presidents, perhaps especially George Hruza and Bruce Thiers most recently, for their forbearance and steadfastness during corona times. Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumous): Richard L. Dobson, former AAD president and department chair of SUNY Buffalo and MUSC, for his dedication, graciousness, and friendship through the years; he made it all happen. Thanks, Dick.
P.S. RE: above…clearly a partial listing, with no intent to be exclusionary or preferential. Many other AAD members deserve similar recognition and accolades, but space is limited. For all those who work behind the scenes in a quiet, unheralded fashion, my thanks and appreciation for all that you do, ditto the Academy.
