CAFP Awards

Nomination Information

The deadline to nominate your peers for the 2023 CAFP Family Medicine Awards has been extended to February 6, 2023. These awards are limited to physicians, residents, and practices in Family Medicine.

Information about each award can be found below. Honorees will be celebrated at the awards ceremony held during the CAFP Foundation Annual Summit May 4-7, 2023.

Family Physician of the Year

The Family Physician of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding family physician who provides exceptional care, enhances their community, is a role model professionally and personally, and is an exemplary representative of the AAFP, CAFP, and family medicine profession.

If you would like to nominate a physician, please fill out this form and send to Ryan Biehle (Ryan@coloradoafp.org), or complete this online form.

Family Medicine Teacher of the Year 

The Family Medicine Teacher of the Year Award recognizes an exceptional family medicine educator, teaching part-time, full-time, or volunteer. Nominees should demonstrate dedication to preparing the next generation of family physicians to provide excellent, patient-centered care.

If you would like to nominate a teacher, please use this form and send to Ryan Biehle (Ryan@coloradoafp.org), or complete this online form.

Family Medicine Resident of the Year

The Family Medicine Resident of the Year Award recognizes a first, second or third-year resident who demonstrates clinical, academic or teaching excellence and a dedication to patients, colleagues, and the community.

If you would like to nominate a resident, please use this form and send to Ryan Biehle (Ryan@coloradoafp.org), or complete this online form.

Practice Award for Health Equity and Community Engagement

The Practice Award for Health Equity and Community Engagement is intended to highlight and celebrate practices in family medicine that are making progress in reducing racial and other health disparities. The practice receiving the award will receive $1,000 from the CAFP Foundation.

If you would like to nominate a clinic or practice, please use this form and send to Ryan Biehle (Ryan@coloradoafp.org), or complete this online form.

For questions about the CAFP Awards, please contact Ryan Biehle at ryan@coloradoafp.org or 303-696-6655 x 1.

Past Winners

Colorado Academy of Family Physicians Awards

Year Physician of the Year Resident of the Year Teacher of the Year
1981 Thomas A. Richards, MD
S. Colorado
1982 Paul Salmen, MD
St. Joseph
R. Neil Chisolm, MD
1983 Joseph M. Murphy, MD
Mercy
Edward Bender, MD
1984 Stanley J. Malner, MD
AF Williams
David Williams, MD
1985 Richard Wheeler, MD
Mercy
Aris Sophocles, Jr, MD
1986 Erica Elliott, MD
Mercy
Edward Bender, MD
1987 Mary Ruth Salazar-Tier, MD
St. Joseph
Richard Nicholas, MD
1988 Mark Alping, MD
Parke Davis Teacher Development Award
Scott Corliss, MD
&
Carl Frickman, MD
Jim Ley, MD
1989 John Simon, MD Sally C. Berger, MD
St. Joseph
John Tarr, MD
1990 Andre Huffmire, MD
Mead Johnson Award for Graduate Medical Education in Family Medicine
Mary Fairbanks, MD
CHSC Family Center
&
Patrick Sankovitz, MD
Mercy
David Nowles, MD
1991 David West, MD Patricia Ammon, MD
Grand Junction
David Price, MD
1992 Robert N. Williams, MD David D. Candelaria, MD
St. Joseph
Christopher Shearer, MD
1993 Phillip J. Mohler, MD Sherry Whisenant, MD Penelope Thron-Weber, MD
1994 Mark Olson, MD Daniel Smith, DO
St. Joseph
Richard Patt, MD
1995 Kent Petrie, MD Warren Thompson, MD
St. Joseph
Sherman Straw, MD
Grand Junction
1996 Michael Victoroff, MD Frederick Grover, MD
UCHSC
Wilson Pace, MD
University
1997 Dean Branson, DO Elizabeth Winfield, MD
Swedish
Frank Reed, MD
1998 50 Superheros Elliot Bruhl, MD
St. Joseph
50 Superheros
1999 M. Lee Schmucker, MD Todd Wampler, MD
Ft. Collins
Mark Deutchman, MD
University
2000 Mark Sindler, MD Robert Reeg, MD
St Anthony
John Hill, DO
Rose
2001 John Ford, MD Eliz Albritton, MD
Ft. Collins
Richard Drexelius, MD
Swedish
2002 Thomas Kail, MD Jon Zonca, MD
Rose
Mark Cucuzella, MD
University
2003 Jerome Smith, MD Darcy Scheeler, MD
AF Williams
Andre Huffmire, MD
Craig
2004 Scott Rollins, MD Graham Chelius, MD
N. Colorado
William Wignall, MD
 
2005 Marnie Eulberg, MD Reed Sather, MD
Grand Junction
Martha Illige, MD
University
2006 Martin Pirnat, MD Laura Makaroff, DO
UCHSC
Kajsa Harris, DO
Pueblo
2007 Mike Pramenko, MD Reeves Bowler, MD
St. Mary’s
Marc Grushan, MD
Rose
2008 Robert McCurry, DO Kim Bentrott, MD
St. Anthony
Laura Stein, MD
Pueblo
2009 Caroline Reilly, MD Sameerah al-Bata’a-de-Montero, MD
University of Colorado Hospital
Barbara Kelly, MD
AF Williams
2010 Kent Voorhees, MD, Zach Wachtl, MD
RFMR
Dan Fahrenholtz, MD, MBA
Greeley
2011 Scott Hammond, MD
Westminster
Toby Long, MD
St. Mary’s Grand Junction
Brian Bacak, MD
Rose
2012 Kern Low, MD
Pueblo
Sarah DeMoor, MD, Greeley, and
Lisa Young, DO, Greeley
Katherine Miller, MD
University
2013 Paul Fonken, MD
Estes Park
Patrick Smith, MD
Swedish
Candace Murbach, DO
Pueblo
2014 John Bender, MD
Ft. Collins
Gina Martin, MD
Grand Junction
Corey Lyon, MD
Denver
2015 Elias Hernandez, MD
Ft. Morgan
Kari Mader, MD
University of Colorado
Leah Cooper, MD
Swedish
2016 Mary Fairbanks, MD
Denver
Michael Matergia, MD
St. Joseph
Kurt Dallow, MD
Greeley
2017 Steve Lavengood, MD
Durango
Brenda Campos-Spitze, MD
Greeley
Jeff Cook, MD
Greeley
2018 Gary Knaus, MD
Carbondale
Cleveland Piggott, MD
University of Colorado, Denver
John Miller, MD
St. Anthony North, Denver
2019 Glenn Kotz, MD
Basalt
Claire Bovet, MD
St. Joseph
Katherine Boyd-Trull, MD
University
2020 Alan-Michael Vargas, MD
Glenwood Springs
Daniel Dyer, MD
Greeley
Keith Dickerson, MD
Grand Junction
2021 Sharry Veres, MD Franklin Niblock, MD
Denver
Jennifer Caragol, MD
Lafayette
2022 Aimee English, MD
Denver
Shawnecca Burke, MD
Denver
Kent Voorheen, MD
Centennial

CAFP Foundation Patient-Centered Innovation Awards 

Year Practice
2010 Westminster Family Medicine
2011 Miramont Family Medicine
2012 Primary Care Partners
2013 New West Physicians
2014 AF Williams Family Medicine
2015 University of Family Medicine of Westminster/Boulder
2016 University of Colorado Primary Care Clinic at Lone Tree
2017 Rocky Kohsla – Concussion Consultants at Centura
2018 Roaring Fork Family Practice