Annual Meeting

THE SOCIETY'S HIGHEST HONOR, the Golden Stethoscope Award, was presented to heart surgeon Dr. Paul B. Kelly, for his devotion to quality, compassionate patient care and praiseworthy pioneering in the delivery of medical care in our community. In 1971, Dr. Kelly joined the rapidly growing cardiovascular program at Sutter Memorial Hospital, and practiced thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. He laid the groundwork for the Sutter Heart Transplant Program, which performed Sacramento's first heart transplant in 1989. As co-director of the Sutter program, he developed the concept for the CellSaver, an autologous blood recovery system now found in most operating rooms, which was invented and tested at Sutter Memorial Hospital. Since his retirement in 1997, he has invented the FallSaver, a device used to reduce falls of nursing home patients.

The Medical Honor Award went to Ann L. Gerhardt, MD, a specialist in internal medicine with a focus on clinical nutrition, for her contribution to the health of our community. In 1993, Dr. Gerhardt, with the help of several patients, formed the non-profit organization, "WINS - We Insist on Natural Shapes." Its mission is to change standards of beauty to not define us by our weight and to not promote eating disorders; educate children and adults to recognize that body shape is determined by genes; and change body images in the media and advertising to those that are natural and attainable with healthy life-styles.

The Medical Community Service Award was presented to CARES - The Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services. Established in 1989 as a partnership of Sacramento County and the area's four major hospital systems, CARES is the area's leading provider of HIV/AIDS services and the largest provider of those services in all of Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area.

A special recognition award was given to Alton G. Wills, MD, a former president of the society, for his 25 years of service as a delegate to the California Medical Association's House of Delegates.
Lisa Smith was selected as the nominee for CMA-Alliance Member of the Year. Catherine Doggett received the Alliance's Dorothy Dozier Helping Hands Award.