Current and Past Award Recipients

Each year the AAMI Foundation confers four awards.

The Laufman-Greatbatch Award 
The AAMI Foundation & Institute for Technology in Health Care Clinical Solution Award 
The AAMI Foundation & ACCE’s Robert L. Morris Humanitarian Award 
The AAMI Foundation & TRIMEDX John D. Hughes Iconoclast Award

Read more about our award recipients below.

The AAMI Foundation’s Laufman-Greatbatch Award 

2021 Recipient

Dr. Jitendar Sharma, managing Director and CEO, Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ), Executive Director of Kalam Institute of Health Technology (KIHT), adjunct faculty at University of Adelaide, Australia, and program Director for Health Technology Assessment fellowships in India. Dr. Sharma’s dedication to the ideal “health technology for all” pushed him to establish a new medical equipment manufacturing ecosystem in India dedicated to medical technology. Through AMTZ, Dr. Sharma’s CoVID Medtech Manufacturing Development strategy has helped support startups and innovators; fast-track the creation of equipment critical for the COVID-19 pandemic, such as thermal scanners and medical textiles; and draft new safety norms and validation protocols for these essential technologies during an emergency.

“COVID-19’s call to action was to ‘fast track’ and ‘mass produce,’ and both were achieved under the Leadership of Dr JK Sharma, the Medtech Man of India,” said Rama Venugopal, the executive director of Value Added Corporate Services, Ltd. “Organizations like ours have watched from close quarter the round-the-clock efforts put in by AMTZ team in ensuring continuous supplies of affordable, quality, and safe PPEs to market.”

Previous Recipients

2020 - Michael H. Scholla, PhD

2019 – Lawana Bryan, Carol Means, Tim Rausch, Tina Hayes, Penny Robertson, and Christina Van Den Handel, Northeast Georgia Health System 

2018 – Lauren C. Thompson, PhD  

2017 – Victoria Hitchins, PhD  

2016 – Ary L. Goldberger, MD; Roger G. Mark, MD, PhD; and George Moody  

2015 – Masakazu Tsuzuki, MD, PhD

2014 – Matthew B. Weinger, MD  

2013 – Carl Bruch, PhD   2012 – David Bates  

2011 – Timothy Vanderveen, PharmD  

2010 – Neal E. Fearnot, PhD  

2009 – Forrest M. Bird, MD  

2008 – Jack Harrington  

2007 – Willis A. Tacker, Jr., MD, PhD  

2006 – Nathaniel Sims, MD  

2005 – Maynard Ramsey, III, MD, PhD  

2004 – Dr. George J. Magovern, Sr., MD  

2003 – David Hood, Steve Alexander, Matthew Hanson, Todd Kneale, and Terry Domae  

2002 – David E. Flinchbaugh, PhD, PE  

2001 – Huntly D. Millar  

2000 – Thomas Fogarty, MD  

1999 – Adrian Kantrowitz, MD  

1998 – Earl E. Bakken  

1997 – Alan  Berson, PhD  

1996 – John G. Webster, PhD  

1995 – John Watson, PhD  

1994 – Robert Arzbaecher, PhD  

1993 – Craig J. Hartley, PhD  

1992 – Otto Herbert Schmitt, PhD  

1991 – Allen Latham, Jr.  

1989 – Paul C. Lauterbur, PhD  

1988 – Michel Mirowski, MD  

1987 – Leslie A. Geddes, ME, PhD  

1985 – Dwight E. Harken, MD  

1984 – Clarence Dennis  

1983 – Charles A. Mistretta, PhD  

1982 – Wilson Greatbatch, PE  

1981 – Reginald C. Eggleton  

1980 – Martin H. Wilcox  

1979 – Norman J. Holter, DSc  

1978 – Godfrey N. Hounsfield  

1977 – Willem Johan Kolff, MD, PhD  

1976 – Robert F. Rushmer, MD  

1975 – Barouh V. Berkovits  

Dr. Matthew Di Prima, Senior Materials Scientist, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA

This year’s winner, Dr. Matthew Di Prima, was instrumental in the establishment of the NIH/VA/FDA 3D print exchange, which has enabled over 500,000 high-quality essential items, such as personal protective equipment, to be manufactured by anyone with 3D printer during the earliest stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This public health emergency has been incredibly challenging, and I think that entire public health community has really stepped up to meet the demands of this difficult time,” said Di Prima. “It's great to have the work that I, and by extension my team and others in the public health community, have performed be recognized in this way, and I would like to thank AAMI for honoring me with this award.”

The AAMI Foundation & Institute for Technology in Health Care's Clinical Solution Award 

2021 Recipient

Previous Recipients

2020 - Samuel Gurmu

2019 – JoAnne Phillips, DNP, RN, CNS, CPPS 

2018 – Bebbe Healthcare Multidisciplinary Team  

2017 – Regenstrief National Center for Medical Device Informatics (REMEDI) Infusion Pump Collaborative Project Team  

2016 – James Piepenbrink  

2015 – Texas Children’s Hospital Alarm Management Team  

2014 – Robert D. Butterfield  

2013 – Lancaster General Hospital and Hospira  

2013 – Monitor Research Team, Children’s National Medical Center  

2011 – James P. Welch and George T. Blike, MD  

2010 – Elliot B. Sloane, PhD, CCE, FHIMSS  

2009 – Julian M. Goldman, MD  

2006 – Thomas M. Judd, CCE  

2005 – Antonio Hernandez  

The AAMI Foundation & ACCE’s Robert L. Morris Humanitarian Award

2021 Recipient

antonio hernandez 1031521

Antonio Hernandez, consultant, Founding member and Board of Director’s member of the Global Health International Advisors (GHIA), Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas, and former Chair of the International Committee of the ACCE.

Frank Painter, who received the 2020 Robert L. Morris Humanitarian Award, lauded Hernandez for always putting others before himself. “Had Antonio focused on a worldly career, he would have been a wealthy and powerful man by now,” he said. “Instead, he’s spent his time helping others.”

Hernandez personally worked alongside Robert Morris, including in Mexico and Panama – the sites of Morris’ last international mission.

“I learned a lot from Bob and was inspired by his passion and commitment to facilitating access to health technology to underserved populations around the world, a mission that I followed throughout my professional life,” said Hernandez. “This award comes as a very pleasant surprise and I am grateful to my peers for recognizing the work I have been doing for most of my professional life."

Previous Recipients

2020 - Frank Painter

2019 – William Gentles, PhD, CCE 

2018 – Robert M.S. Dickinson  

2017 – Adriana Velazquez Berumen  

2016 – Roy Morris, CBET  

2015 – Robyn W. Frick, CCE  

2014 – Ismael Cordero  

2013 – Edward P. Myers, Jr.  

2012 – Billy Teninty, CBET  

2011 – James Wear, PhD  

2010 – Thomas Judd, MS, CCE  

2010 – Brad Carrott  

2009 – J. Tobey Clark, CCE  

2008 – Yadin David, EdD, CCE, PE, HCSP  

2007 – Louis W. Schonder, CBET  

2006 – Robert Pagett  

2005 – David Harrington  

2004 – Alfred Jakniunas  

2003 – George I. Johnston, CCE  

2002 – Herman R. Weed, PE  

2001 – Robert Morris, CCE, PE    

The AAMI Foundation & TRIMEDX John D. Hughes Iconoclast Award

2021 Recipient 

carol_davis-smith (color photo) (002)031521

Carol Davis-Smith, Carol Davis-Smith & Associates LLC

An “iconoclast” is often described as someone who tears down beliefs and institutions. However, Davis-Smith is not known by her colleagues as a destroyer, but rather a “rebuilder.”
“Carol has always been someone who questions established beliefs as she works to enhance their value by rebuilding their underpinnings,” said HTM thought leader Mathew Baretich, PhD.

Most recently, Davis-Smith teamed up with Baretich to revamp how CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) failure codes are done. Through AAMI, they convinced industry rivals and engineers to come together to standardize how hospital HTM departments utilize the failure code field. Davis-Smith is also well known for her work as a former VP for clinical technology for Kaiser Permanente, restructuring systems to encourage company-wide collaboration and information sharing.

“I am honored and humbled to have even been considered for an award created in honor of my friend and colleague, John Hughes. I imagine John saying something like, ‘Good job, now go do something useful!’” she joked. “I have a spot all picked out on my home office wall for the commemorative plaque so everyone can see it during our Zoom calls!”

Previous Recipients

2020 - George Mills

2019 – Binseng Wang 

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