Racism, Structural Barriers to Quality Health Care Among Themes of Articles Honored by National Health Foundation

Four articles rose to the top this year to be honored by the ABIM Foundation as the winners of its 14th annual John A. Benson Jr., MD Professionalism Article Prize.

"The work of these authors contributes meaningfully to our understanding of what it means to be a medical professional in today's environment," said Jessica Perlo, MPH, Executive Vice President of the ABIM Foundation. "In exploring the barriers and inequities that affect health care delivery, professional identity, and patient outcomes, these authors demonstrate the critical role of integrity, equity, and trust in medicine. Their work will hopefully inspire all of us to reflect on our commitment to these values as we strive for a more just and compassionate health care system."

The winning articles include:

Abortion Care is Essential Medical Care, Rachel Jensen, MD. Health Affairs (February 2023).

How Hospitals Are Addressing The Effects Of Racism: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Hospital Equity Officers, Joel S. Weissman, PhD; Rachel R. Adler, ScD, RD; Joseph Betancourt, MD, MPH; Aswita Tan-McGrory, MBA, MSPH; Joy A. Lewis, MSW, MPH; Catherine M. DesRoches, DrPH, MSc; Alysa Pomer, PhD, MS; Elaine Singh; Andrea Liebig; Saba Ilkhani, MD, MPH; Saathvika Siviti. Health Affairs (October 2023).

Recruiting Indigenous Patients Into Clinical Trials: A Circle of Trust, Arch G. Mainous, III, PhD; Allison Kelliher, MD; Donald Warne, MD, MPH. Annals of Family Medicine (January-February 2023).

Reluctant Heroes: New Doctors Negotiating their Identities Dialogically on Social Media, Tim Dornan, MB, PhD; Dakota Armour, MB, BSc; Deirdre Bennett, MB, PhD; Hannah Gillespie, MB, PhD; Helen Reid, MB, PhD. ASME-Medical Ethics (May 2023).

"The authors of these articles courageously wrote about controversial subjects, shining a bright light to help guide the profession forward at a time when we all need that light. They are to be congratulated for daring to be honest and bold, and to help us see new possibilities," said Lorna Lynn, MD, Vice President of Medical Education Research at the American Board of Internal Medicine and chair of the selection committee.

About the Award
Created in 2011 to celebrate and encourage outstanding contributions to the literature on medical professionalism, in 2015 the ABIM Foundation named the article prize in honor of American Board of Internal Medicine and ABIM Foundation President Emeritus John A. Benson Jr., MD. For more than two decades, Dr. Benson taught medical students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he also worked to foster inter-professional education, and at Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, where he served at the Center for Ethics in Health Care. He has received several honors for his work in medical education and clinical medicine and has written extensively about professionalism.

Articles published in English language, peer-reviewed journals between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023 (online or in print), were eligible for the prize. A committee of health care leaders selected winners based on clarity of writing, thoroughness, methodology and contributions to the field and society.

Members of the selection committee included:

Lorna Lynn, MD, Vice President, Medical Education Research, American Board of Internal Medicine (Selection Committee Chair)

Mercy Adetoye, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Michigan Health

John A. Benson Jr., MD, President Emeritus, American Board of Internal Medicine and ABIM Foundation

Randl Dent, PhD, Research Scientist, George Washington University

Hayley Goldbach, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Clinician Educator, Brown Dermatology

Cynda H. Rushton, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, Anne and George L. Bunting Professor of Clinical Ethics at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the School of Nursing

David Scales, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine

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About the ABIM Foundation
The ABIM Foundation's mission is to advance medical professionalism to improve the health care system by collaborating with physicians and physician leaders, medical trainees, health care delivery systems, payers, policymakers, consumer organizations and patients to foster a shared understanding of professionalism and how they can adopt the tenets of professionalism in practice. To learn more about the ABIM Foundation, visit www.abimfoundation.org and connect on LinkedIn.