AMA Honors Rep. Upton of Michigan with Nathan Davis Award
WASHINGTON - March 6, 2014 - The American Medical Association (AMA) presented U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (MI-6th) the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service. Rep. Upton was presented with the award at a dinner in Washington, D.C., as part of the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference.
He was selected for the AMA’s top government service award for his efforts to permanently repeal and replace the flawed Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate formula (SGR). Rep. Upton serves as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce which, along with the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committees, introduced a bipartisan bill last month that, if passed, will protect patients, reward quality and incentivize innovative models of care.
“The AMA strongly supports the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014 and commends Representative Upton for his role in advancing it through Congress,” said AMA Chair David O. Barbe, M.D., MHA. “We are proud to celebrate Representative Upton’s leadership and dedication to improving our nation’s health care system throughout his 26 years of service.”
Rep. Upton is one of four honorees chosen this year to receive the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service. The award, named for the founding father of the AMA, recognizes elected and career officials in federal, state or municipal service whose outstanding contributions have promoted the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Dr. Nathan Davis Awards. Since 1989, the AMA has honored 216 men and women with the Nathan Davis Award. Past award recipients have included:
• Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, who raised awareness of HIV/AIDS and the dangers of smoking.
• Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, who sought better health care for our nation’s veterans.
• Sen. Mark Hatfield, who championed research into rare diseases.
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Ricardo Martinez, who worked with the auto industry and consumer groups to maximize automobile safety.
"During the last quarter century of the Nathan Davis Awards, the AMA has sought to recognize government officials who go above and beyond the call of duty to improve public health,” said Dr. Barbe. “Award winners have come from every branch of government service and are a testament to the important role public officials play in creating and implementing health policy that benefits Americans.”
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About the AMA
The American Medical Association is the premier national organization dedicated to empowering the nation’s physicians to continually provide safer, higher quality, and more efficient care to patients and communities. For more than 165 years the AMA has been unwavering in its commitment to using its unique position and knowledge to shape a healthier future for America.