SHM's Awards of Excellence

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Impact and relevance of research to hospital medicine
• Peer-reviewed publications, H-index
• Intra- and extramural funding for research
• National presentations in research area

Consideration will be given to nominees who have demonstrated outstanding teaching prowess and who have served as role models and mentors to other hospitalists, residents, medical students, or other healthcare professionals. Individuals from academic and community practice settings are eligible.

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Career dedication to the discipline of teaching
• Focus on excellence in teaching at the bedside
• Leadership in the advancement of innovative educational techniques
• Outstanding contributions in medical instruction or medical education administration
• Established role model or mentor to students
  • Do not submit learner letters of support for the initial submission process. Learner letters will be requested if nominee is advanced to the 2nd round of reviews. 
• Educator and mentor to the healthcare team (Nurses, NPs, PAs etc.)

In addition to the universal eligibility requirements for all categories, please note that for this award:

• Practicing physicians and nurse practitioners/physician assistants are ineligible
• Nominees must have three (3) or more years of direct Hospital Medicine program practice management experience.

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Excellence in hospital operations/management defined as advancing any of the missions of hospital medicine including (but not limited to) clinical care (safety, quality, efficiency, patient experience, costs), supporting education, supporting research and scholarship, promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and justice within the practice and/or in the clinical mission, clinician wellness and engagement.
• Innovations or contributions to their hospital, in their hospitalist group or within the field of hospital medicine

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Leadership in organized hospital medicine, especially within the regional, national, or international community
• Advancing the practice of hospital medicine, especially through the Society of Hospital Medicine.
• Promoting the field of Hospital Medicine, or more specifically SHM, through contributions in public policy and advocacy

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Outstanding contributions to patient care and quality, safety, experience and/or system improvement
• Leadership of clinical care in hospital medicine
• Focused innovation in the field of hospital medicine
• Promotion of clinical knowledge
• May include one or more of the following: excellence in operations, creative collaborations, program development, systems-based improvement, and/or demonstrated outcomes in value-based arrangements
• Must be a practicing physician

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Outstanding contributions to patient care, quality, safety, experience and/or systems improvement
• Leadership of clinical care in hospital medicine
• Promotion of clinical knowledge
• May include one or more of the following: excellence in operations, excellence in creative collaborations and/or excellence in program development
• Innovations in the role of the NP/PA or contributions to their hospital, hospitalist group, system, or region
• Must be a practicing NP or PA

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Service to disadvantaged or vulnerable populations (locally, nationally or internationally)
• May be a single event or over many years
• Must demonstrate efforts outside of, or above and beyond the purview of the normal realm of your job function
• Preference given to improving health systems and/or direct medical care.
• May be voluntary or compensated position, but services provided are not motivated by financial compensation. (Compensation is not commensurate with services.)

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Awards Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

Service to patients: 

• Development of innovative care programs to improve care of under-served, under-represented, and/or vulnerable patient populations

Service to profession:

• Increasing awareness on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Development of innovative programs that broaden participation of diverse groups
• Promotion of best practices for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce
• Creation of policies, procedures, and practices that invite all voices to the decision-making table  
• Engagement in thoughtful advocacy 

• Demonstrated leadership in bridging differences and building inclusive communities
• Demonstrated education and mentoring of patients and communities aimed at achieving diversity, equity and inclusion

• Demonstrated mentoring of Under-represented In Medicine (UIM) students, residents, staff, and faculty
• Creation and deployment of curricula designed to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in the practice of medicine

• Demonstrated scholarship on diversity, equity and inclusion (e.g. publications, speakerships, development of educational/training programs)

Unlike the awards presented to individual recipients, this award is presented in recognition of exemplary quality improvement initiatives in hospital medicine that engage the full patient care team. The award is intended to highlight outstanding team approaches to implementing interventions that improve patient care and safety.

SHM encourages submission of all multidisciplinary team projects but is particularly interested in projects related to the core competencies in hospital medicine and SHM’s quality improvement resource rooms. Preference will be given to those team projects that demonstrate excellence in successfully implementing quality improvement interventions.

Recipients of the Excellence in Teamwork in Quality Improvement Award receive recognition at SHM Converge 2025 and complimentary registration for up to 4 team members.

Submissions may be related to any aspect of quality improvement. Each submission will be judged using the following criteria:

• Broad-Based Participation & Team Approach
  • Projects should demonstrate involvement of members from various healthcare delivery and support disciplines. The team – not an individual – should be the focus of the project.
  • An active SHM member must be involved in the leadership of the team (chair/co-chair/team leader, etc.).
• Scope and Magnitude
  • Projects should address patient safety issues of considerable scope and magnitude, with consideration for the patient population affected and the project’s risk reduction potential (i.e., potential impact on the frequency and/or severity of harm).
• Measurability
  • The impact of the project should be measurable and sustainable. Measures may be leading or lagging, evidence-based or consensus-based indicators of success, including those related to structure and process, with a bias toward those that demonstrate a change in outcomes.
• Transferability & Development of Portable Implementation Guidelines or Tools
  • Projects should lend themselves to being replicated at other institutions, with an emphasis on solutions that are practical, relevant, and cost-effective

Note: List any honors that this project has received already within SHM and outside SHM

Please review all Junior Investigator Award requirements and information here.

While all of the following may not apply to each candidate, the Research Committee will use the following criteria as a basis for evaluation:

• Work presented at SHM
• Engagement at SHM
• Publications
• Grants

The winner will present the Junior Investigator Award commendation talk (30 minutes) during SHM Converge.