Award Recipients from the California Chapter of the ACC 2022
Award Recipients from the California Chapter of the ACC 2021
CEO Lianna Collinge & Noelle Bairey-Merz toast California ACC
ACC Past President Bruce Fye and John Harold with current ACC President Dipti Itchhaporia
CVT of the Year Colleen Balius (L) (husband Kirk) with Trustee Nassir Azimi (Mar Azimi)
L-R: VP Anthony Hilliard, Treasurer Janet Wei, ACC past president Bruce Fye, CEO Lianna Collinge, ACC President Dipti Itchhaporia, President Jamal S. Rana, ACC/CA ACC past resident John Harold
Drs. Itchhaporia & Bairey-Merz making California proud!
Educator of the year Kalyanam Shivkumar, John Harold, Noel Boyle
Pooja Swamy, Future Leader Awardee Aditya Bharadwaj, Communications Catalyst Purvi Parwani, Tammy & Anthony Hilliard
Esteemed Governors Anthony Hilliard (Northern) Jamal S. Rana (Southern)
Simona Campa, Benita Tjoe, Joanne Gomez, Janet Wei, Noelle Bairey-Mertz, Ashley Manchanda
Distinguished Awardee Greg Thomas (wife Mary), Sally Frankl, Richard Wright, Bruce Fye
Kalyanam Shivkumar, Preethi Srikanthan, CA ACC Presidents Pranav Patel, Dipti Itchhaporia
President Jamal S. Rana & CEO Lianna Collinge leading together
CEO Lianna Collinge & President Jamal S. Rana toast our members and awardees
Dipti & Lianna- 16th Annual meeting together
Pranav Patel, Kathy, Garwood Gee, Ashok Krishnaswami, Fellows
Connor O’Brien looks on as Greg Thomas accepts his Distinguished Service Award from President Rana
FIT of the Year Megan Pelter with Jamal & Anthony
Elliot Rapaport Cardiologist of the Year ACC President/California ACC past President Dr. Dipti Itchhaporia
Dipti and John present LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to the venerable Nora Goldschlager virtually
Jamal and Anthony with George L. Smith Advocate of the Year Awardee Teresa Daniele
CVT awardee Colleen Balius with Governors Jamal and Anthony
Future Leader Aditya, Jamal and Anthony
Future Leader (& Treasurer) Janet Wei with President Jamal & VP Anthony
Triad VP/(So. Gov.) Anthony Hilliard, CEO Lianna Collinge, Pres. (No.Gov.) Jamal S. Rana
Incredible Jon Stetson amazes Educator of the Year Kalyanam Shivkumar
Mind-bending Jon Stetson sharing Ambreen Mohamed’s past while Dr. Bairey-Merz (L) looks on
Mary Thomas, Master Mentalist Jon Stetson, & Anthony Hilliard blowing Abhay Parikh’s mind
Award Recipients from the California Chapter of the ACC 2019
Above: Elliot Rapaport Cardiologist of the Year 2019 receipient Yzhar Charuzi, MD, FACC with Governors Pranav Patel, Ramin Manshadi, and ACC Vice President-elect Dipti Itchhaporia.
Above: Outstanding Achievement of the Year for 2019 recipient Irving Loh, MD, FACC with Governors Pranav Patel, Ramin Manshadi
Above: Educator of the Year for 2019 recipient Ramdas G. Pai MD, FACC with Governors Pranav Patel, Ramin Manshadi
Above: George L. Smith Advocate of the Year for 2019 recipient John Baker, MD, FACC with Governors Pranav Patel, Ramin Manshadi
Above: Elliot Rapaport Cardiologist of the Year for 2018 recipient Robert A. Harrington, MD, MACC with CA ACC President Ramin Manshadi, MD, FACC
Above: Eliott Rapaport Cardiologist of the Year 2010 recipient Dr. Prakash Deedwania with President Dipti Itchhaporia
CA ACC encourages all members to participate in our awards process. Awards are given at our Annual Awards Celebration Dinner each year in the Fall. Nominations are open to the entire CA ACC membership. You can nominate a fellow member or yourself! Winners must be CA ACC Members in good standing and not have been recognized in that category previously. Activity nationally will be considered in each category. CA ACC Chapter Awards are:
Cardiovascular Team Member of the Year
The CV Team member (APP, Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Pharmacist, Echo Tech, Sonographer, et.) that has substantially contributed to the profession (teaching/supporting, promoting, etc.)
- 2021 Colleen Balius, RN
- 2018 Julia Itsiksen, CNS
- 2017 Mary Schoenbaum, NP, AACC
- 2015 Tracy Finegan
- 2014 Evelyn Taverna AACC
- 2013 Maria “Fe” White
- 2012 Kelly Matsuda PhD
- 2011 Char Hagaman
- 2010 Jen Ballard Hernandez
- 2009 Eileen Pummer RN, MSN, CPHQ
- 2008 Frances Saldivar NP
- 2007 Margo Minissian NP
Eliott Rapaport Cardiologist of the Year
The Cardiologist that made the greatest impact on our profession in California this year, or made contributions to the field of Cardiology worthy or recognition.
- 2022 Rita Ng, MD FACC
- 2021 Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC
- 2019 Yzhar Charuzi, MD, FACC
- 2018 Robert A. Harrington, MD, MACC
- 2017 Karol Watson, MD, FACC
- 2016 Myrvin Ellestad, MD, FACC
- 2015 Paul Teirstein, MD, FACC
- 2014 PK Shah & Robert Siegel, MD, FACC
- 2013 Pravin Shah, MD, FACC
- 2012 Daniel Berman, MD FACC
- 2011 Ralph Brindis, MD, MACC
- 2010 P. Deedwania, MD, FACC
- 2009 Willian J. French, MD, FACC
- 2008 Lawrence J. Laslett, MD, FACC
- 2007 Joseph M. Ruggio, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI
- 2005 John Harold, MD FACC
George L Smith Advocate of the Year
The member who most successfully engages with legislators and regulators to represent and protect cardiovascular interests and patients.
- 2022 Jacqueline Shreibati, MD, FACC
- 2021 Teresa Daniele, MD, FACC
- 2019 John Baker, MD, FACC
- 2018 Nassir Azimi, MD, FACC
- 2017 Ramin Manshadi, MD, FACC
- 2016 Norman Lepor, MD, FACC
- 2015 William Shatner
- 2014 Tim Madden, Legislative Analyst
- 2013 Norman Lepor
- 2012 Sheila Kar
- 2011 Raymond Yen
- 2010 William Lewis
Distinguished Service
A physician, scientist or layperson who, by individual effort, has made profound contributions to medicine and/or the delivery of health care. Former College presidents are not eligible for this award.
- 2021 Greg Thomas, MD, FACC
- 2019 William Bommer, MD, FACC
- 2018 Richard F. Wright, MD, FACC
- 2016 Myrvin Ellestad, MD, FACC
- 2015 Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC
- 2014 Anthony Demaria, MD, MACC
- 2013 William Ricks MD FACC
- 2012 Charles Mckay MD FACC
- 2010 James C. MacMillan
- 2009 John G. Harold MD, FACC
- 2008 Robert M. Davidson MD, FACC.
Future Leader
The member that actively suggests strategies to ensure Chapter relevance, quality patient care, and value to our membership on a regular basis.
- 2022 Celina Yong, MD, FACC & Connor O’Brien, MD, FACC
- 2021 Aditya Bharadwaj, MD, FACC & Janet Wei, MD, FACC
- 2018 Sonia Samtani, MD
- 2017 Jamal Rana, MD, FACC
- 2016 Daniel Jurewitz, MD FACC
- 2015 Anthony Hilliard, MD, FACC
- 2013 Christopher Oh MD FACC
- 2012 Raymond Yen
- 2011 Brad Angeja MD, FACC
- 2008 Ramin Manshadi MD, FACC
- 2007 Benjamin Cohen MD FACC
Ambassador of the Year
The member or public figure that promotes the brand of the FACC and of the CA ACC to the general public most effectively.
- 2018 Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC
- 2016 Matt Iseman, MD
- 2009 Richard Wright MD, FACC.
Educator of the Year
The member who is most prolific and accomplished at providing education to our membership or the general public.
- 2022 Morton Kern, MD FACC
- 2021 Kalyanam Shivkumar, MD, FACC
- 2019 Ramdas G. Pai MD, FACC
- 2018 David Rubenson MD, FACC
- 2015 Nathan Wong PhD, FACC
Lifetime Achievement
An individual who has had a lifetime of outstanding achievements in the field of cardiovascular disease and has served as a role model through service, basic or clinical research and teaching. Former College presidents are not eligible for this award.
- 2022 John G. Harold, MD, MACC
- 2021 Nora Goldschlager, MD, FACC
- 2019 Sami Nazzal MD, FACC
- 2014 Anthony Demaria, MD, MACC
Outstanding Achievement of the Year
- 2019 Irving Loh, MD, FACC
Excellence in Cardiology Fellowship Award Winners
- Natalie Tapaskar, MD
- Megan Pelter, MD
- Richard Cheng, MD | Winner of the William E.Shell, MD Excellence in Fellowship Award
- Jonathan Gordin, MD, UCLA
- Rigved Tadwalker, MD, Harbor-UCLA
- Travis E. Harrell, MD, Naval Medical Center – San Diego
- Gaurav Sharma, MD, UC Davis
- Howard Lan, DO, Loma Linda University
- Mohammad Usman Qazi, MD, UC Irvine
- Christopher A. Groh, MD, UCSF
- Erika Jones, MD, USC
- Micah J. Roberts, DO, UCSF – Fresno
- June-Wha-Wha Rhee, MD, Stanford
- Brandon Kai, MD, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles
- Michael John Wilkinson, MD, UC San Diego
- Carolyn Enders, MD, California Pacific Medical Center Divison of Cardiology, San Francisco