Founded in 2015, the Brewer-Heslin Award, named for the late Alabama Governor Albert P. Brewer and for Martin J. Heslin, M.D., recognizes one physician per year at UAB Medicine who demonstrates extraordinary commitment to providing highly skilled and deeply compassionate medical care to their patients. It honors and recognizes professionalism. A monetary gift of $3,000 to be used for professional development is included with the award.
Criteria
- Dedication to providing highly skilled and deeply compassionate medical care to their patients, and actively supporting access to such care for all people;
- Commitment to the highest standards of professionalism, including honesty and integrity in all matters as well as respect for all members of the health care team, including the patient and their family;
- Responsibility for the patient’s right to dignity, privacy, and confidentiality within the bounds of law;
- Commitment to ethical principles related to the optimal provision of clinical care in addition to seeking the talent and counsel of other health professionals when indicated;
- Dedication to lifelong learning through the pursuit of new knowledge and to imparting such knowledge to physicians in training as well as to patients and the public; and
- Participating in and/or leading activities that contribute to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health.
Nomination Packet
- Letter communicating nominee’s demonstration of criteria (2-page max)
- CV of nominee
- Submit together as a single PDF via nomination portal by 5pm on July 2, 2026.
Important Notes
- Each department may nominate up to two faculty members.
- A nominee may not be named from the same department for two consecutive years.
2025 Awardees
Amy Warriner, M.D.
Professor in the UAB Department of Medicine
Past Winners
- 2024: David S. Geldmacher, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology
- 2023: Anna Hurst, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Genetics
- 2022: Theresa M. Caridi, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Radiology, and Daniel Cox, M.D., Associate professor in the Department of Surgery and the trauma medical director in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
- 2021: Sharon A. Spencer, M.D., professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology
- 2020: Erin Synder, M.D., associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, and Mamerhi Okor, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery
- 2019: Sara Mazzoni, M.D., MPH, associate professor in the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- 2018: Catherine Parker, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology in the UAB Department of Surgery
- 2017: Vineeta Kumar, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine
- 2016: Desiree Morgan, M.D., vice chair of education and the residency program director for the UAB Department of Radiology
- 2015: Martin J. Heslin, M.D., the James P. Hayes Endowed Professor of Gastrointestinal Oncology (inaugural year)