The American Medical Association Foundation (AMAF) honored Ellen M. Friedman, MD, FACS, FAAP, with the 2021 AMA Foundation Award for Leadership in Medical Ethics and Professionalism. This award recognizes physicians who are dedicated to the principles of medical ethics and highest standards of medical practice, and who have made an outstanding contribution through active service in medical ethics activities.
Dr. Friedman serves as director for the Center for Professionalism in Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). In this role, Dr. Friedman works to elevate professionalism within BCM through many campus-wide activities such as workshops, retreats, and educational programming. “When I arrived at Baylor, I was dedicated to the establishment of a Center for Professionalism, and Dr. Friedman has been an outstanding leader of this initiative,” BCM President, CEO, and Executive Dean Paul Klotman, MD, said. “I believe that Dr. Friedman’s contributions in medical ethics and professionalism at Baylor College of Medicine, as well as on the national and international front, are substantial and most worthy of the AMA recognition.”
Dr. Friedman has contributed modules for BCM’s graduate Ethics, Professionalism, and Policy Program. These modules are assigned to all BCM residents and fellows and cover a variety of ethics issues clinicians will face during their training and eventual practice. She also has instituted a new preclinical elective for medical students in professionalism. “[Dr. Friedman] has shown great leadership in terms of assuring that the next generation of physicians will have a foundation in ethics and professionalism,” said Baylor School of Medicine Senior Dean Jennifer G. Chistner. “[She] demonstrates professionalism and ethical behavior as a teacher and clinician and is the ultimate role model of professionalism at Baylor.”
In 2019, Dr. Friedman was awarded the Gold Humanism Award, further validating and acknowledging her contributions to compassionate and ethical patient care. She currently serves on the clinical Medical Ethics Committee for Texas Children’s Hospital and the Professional Practices & Education Committee for BCM, where steps are taken to improve safety and processes related to medical errors.
The AMA presented the AMA Foundation Award for Leadership in Medical Ethics and Professionalism to Dr. Friedman during the 2022 Texas Medical Association Winter Conference.
