The College of Urgent Care Medicine
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The College of Urgent Care Medicine’s Cause for Applause is a quarterly program that recognizes the great work our members are doing in the field.
CUCM members may send their nominations to Laurel Stoimenoff, PT, CHC at lstoimenoff@ucaoa.org
Kevin DiBenedetto, MD received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. DiBenedetto has been a driving force in the Urgent Care industry for over two decades. As founder of Premier Health, Dr. DiBenedetto and his partner, Dr. Graham Tujague, opened their first center in 1999, in partnership with a well-known hospital, making Premier Health one of the first Urgent Care operators to specialize in health system partnerships. Today, Premier manages the day-to-day Urgent Care operations of more than 90 health systems and joint venture centers across 13 states.
Dr. DiBenedetto has played key roles in advancing UCA’s initiatives in the areas of Antibiotic Stewardship and opioid prescribing guidelines. He has also been instrumental in ongoing industry lobbying efforts for legislation favorable to patients and the Urgent Care industry, such as the passage of the Mission Act in Congress, giving our veterans access to Urgent Care services for the first time.
Tracey Davidoff, MD, FCUCM, received the Humanitarian Award. In addition to her work as a full-time clinical provider, Dr. Davidoff participates in medical mission trips to underserved populations, most recently to Honduras with co-workers from AdventHealth in association with Hospital Adventista. She landed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras at the beginning of November, with a team giving it all they could. They treated children, adults, and the elderly. On day five they saw 358 patients in a one-room church, and they finished the week seeing over 1,000 patients.
Dr. Davidoff was also the second recipient of the Sean McNeeley, MD, FCUCM Advancing the Specialty Award. Dr. Davidoff has tirelessly volunteered her time and expertise to the College of Urgent Care Medicine in multiple capacities including as a board member, board officer, Clinical Response Committee member, Editor-in-Chief of this publication, chair of the Clinical Consortium, and serial advocate for evidence-based medicine.
Anupama Pani, MD was awarded the Becky Burress Unsung Hero Award. A board-certified family practitioner, Dr. Anupama Pani has 20 years of experience in Urgent Care and family medicine. In February 2020, she opened her own Urgent Care, Immediate Medical Care MD. She has dedicated her practice to the compassionate and thorough care of patients with a focus on families. In 2020, Dr Pani was honored by the Ossining Hispanic Parents Committee of her community and named a “Hero” for helping and saving the lives of all her patients during Covid pandemic. Also in 2020, her Urgent Care center was also named Best Urgent Care in Westchester and Fairfield Counties by the prestigious “Doctors of Distinction.” Most recently, she was named as one of Westchester’s top Women in Business for 2022. Dr. Pani works tirelessly to provide outstanding care to her community.
Joe Toscano, MD, FCUCM, was recognized as a Lifetime Member. Dr. Toscano has served as a board member for the Urgent Care Association (UCA) and College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) as Clinical Content Advisor for many years, developing the clinical curriculum for the annual Urgent Care Conventions. Moreover, Joseph has published articles within JUCM, served as facilitator and faculty for CUCM and UCA Learning Experience webinars, is a leading contributor to the UCA Listserv, and generally contributed in various ways above and beyond the role he officially serves within the Urgent Care Association. Current efforts include leading the work on advancing Urgent Care medicine as a specialty, representing UCA in ongoing conversations with board certification organizations, and volunteering on the CUCM Clinical Task Force.
Additionally, Dr. Toscano was awarded the inaugural and eponymous Joseph Toscano, MD, FCUCM Inspiring Excellence Award at the annual CUCM Member Lunch. Dr. Toscano continues to support education, clinical best practices, and evidence-based medicine with a palpable passion for the Urgent Care industry. This award will recognize future industry contributors who inspire clinical excellence.
Congratulations to these 2023 award recipients! We are all proud to have you as colleagues in advancing Urgent Care medicine and influencing quality healthcare in our communities and beyond.
We would like to recognize a member who has gone above and beyond for years for both The College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) and the Urgent Care Association. Sean McNeeley, MD, FCUCM was one of the founding members of CUCM, the founding editor of Urgent Caring, and a Past President of the Urgent Care Association. Recently, at the 2022 Urgent Care Convention, Dr. McNeeley was recognized for his service by receiving the 2021 Lifetime Membership Award, as well as the first ever namesake award: The Sean M. McNeeley, MD, FCUCM Award for Advancing the Specialty of Urgent Care Medicine. This award will be given annually to a deserving member of CUCM who embodies Dr. McNeeley’s passion for Urgent Care medicine, dedication to improving the quality of Urgent Care, education, and ongoing contributions to CUCM. Congratulations Dr. McNeeley!
