Annual Awards

GERIATRICIAN & GERONTOLOGIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Each year, the Arizona Geriatrics Society recognizes exemplary and outstanding health care professionals who are passionate about caring for older adults and have made significant contributions in the field of geriatric medicine or gerontology. Nominations can only be submitted by members of the Arizona Geriatrics Society; however, membership is not required for the nominee.

The Geriatrician of the Year Award is open to all Arizona licensed prescribers including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists.
Gerontologist of the Year Award is open to all Arizona health care professionals including nurses, social workers, case managers, therapists, psychologists and any other individual who is a non-prescriber.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following criteria are used to evaluate:

Demonstration of exemplary inter-professional geriatric practice or education
Impact in the community and/or place of employment as a result of the nominee’s activities
Scope or length of service

2022 Award Winners

Geriatrician of the Year

Steven Rapcsak, MD

Steven Rapcsak, MD was awarded geriatrician of the year for 2022 for his outstanding work with dementia patients. Dr. Rapcsak is Professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences. His clinical practice is currently at the Tucson Banner Alzheimer Institute, where he is a beloved clinician and educator.

Gerontologist of the Year

Nicole Murdock, PharmD, BCPS

Dr. Nicole Murdock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Midwestern University-Glendale. She is a geriatric pharmacist passionate about the care of older adults, and recognized for her dedication to the collaborative education of pharmacists and clinicians in geriatric pharmacology..

Lifetime Achievement Award

Walter Nieri, MD

AZGS Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dr. Walter Nieri for his decades of work in the field of geriatrics in the state of Arizona. Dr. Nieri has provided superlative, evidence- based primary care to countless geriatric patients over the years. His impact on inter-professional geriatric education in Arizona is immeasurable, in his service as the program director for the Family Medicine Geriatric Fellowship at Banner Health, his state leadership with AZGS, and with his individual mentoring of so many interested in the care of older adults. In recognition of your immense contribution to the development of geriatrics in Arizona, we honor you!

Past Award Recipients

2021 Geriatrician of the Year - Sarah Payne, DO

2021 Gerontologist of the Year - Janko Nikolich-Zugich, MD, PhD

2021 Lifetime Achievement Award - John T (Jack) Boyer, MD

2020 Geriatrician of the Year - Mel Hector, MD

2020 Gerontologist of the Year - Amanda Sokan, PhD, MHA, LL.B

2020 Lifetime Achievement Award - Gary Salzman, MD

2019 Geriatrician of the Year - Nimit Agarwal, MD

2019 Gerontologist of the Year - Rita Anand, CALM

2018 Geriatrician of the Year - Edward Perrin, MD

2018 Gerontologist of the Year - Paige Hector, LMSW

2017 Geriatrician of the Year - Margaret DeVries, NP, MSN

2017 Gerontologist of the Year - Rev. Dr. Dosia Carlson

2016 Geriatrician of the Year - Rosemary S. Browne, MD, FACP

2016 Gerontologist of the Year - Beverly Heasley, RN, FNGNA

2015 Geriatrician of the Year - Jeannie Kim Lee, PharmD, BCPS, CGP, FASHP

2015 Gerontologist of the Year - Lisa O'Neil, MPH

2014 Geriatrician of the Year - Carol McMullin, MD

2014 Gerontologist of the Year - Sandra Brownstein, PharmD

2013 Geriatrician of the Year - Evgenije Savin, MD
2013 Gerontologist of the Year - Jessie Pergrin, RN, PhD

2012 Geriatrician of the Year - Pierre Tariot, MD

2012 Gerontologist of the Year - M. Jane Mohler, RN, MPH, PhD

2011 Geriatrician of the Year - Gerrit Terpstra, MD
2011 Gerontologist of the Year - Kathyrne L. Barnoski, MN, FNP, GNP-BC

2010 Geriatrician of the Year - Robert Tulley, MD

2010 Gerontologist of the Year - Barbara Dionne, APRN, FNP

2009 Geriatrician of the Year - Monica Vandivort, MD

2009 Gerontologist of the Year - Marianne McCarthy, PhD

2008 Geriatrician of the Year - Walter J. Nieri, MD

2008 Gerontologist of the Year - Amy Elsbury, RN

2007 Geriatrician of the Year - John Lingenfelter, MD

2007 Geriatrician of the Year - Georgia Hall, PhD

2006 Geriatrician of the Year - Gary Salzman, MD

2006 Gerontologist of the Year - Carol Long, PhD

2005 Gerontologist of the Year - Linda Phillips, PhD, RN

2004 Geriatrician of the Year - Ivan Govan, MD

2003 Gerontologist of the Year - Jan Dougherty, RN, MS

2002 Geriatrician of the Year - John Pifer, MD

2000 Geriatrician of the Year - Mindy Fain, MD

1999 Geriatrician of the Year - Gillian Hamilton, MD

1999 Gerontologist of the Year - Mary Lynn Kasunic

1998 Gerontologist of the Year - Madeleine Lutz, PhD

1988 Geriatrician of the Year - Jerome Kastrul, MD

1996 Geriatrician of the Year - Marlene Bluestein, MD

1994-95 Geriatrician of the Year - Jack Boyer, MD

1993 Geriatrician of the Year - Paul Rousseau, MD