06/18/2015

Award Recipients Recognized at the House of Delegates

During the Saturday evening banquet in Cooperstown May 30, The Awards Committee recognized the following for their contributions to the profession:

Podiatrist of the Year: Lawrence Jacowitz, DPM

Dr. Jacowitz served as the President of the Mid-Hudson Division for eight years and stayed on as Secretary of the Division to provide advice in the transition of the new President and continue to help his division.
This award recipient has devoted himself to the podiatric profession. He trains internal medicine residents at a family health center and continuously reaches out to primary care doctors to emphasize the value of podiatric medicine to their patients. In doing this he has helped forge a team approach to patient care.

A fellow division member recently spoke about this DPM and described him as having “ceaseless, selfless devotion, taking time away from his practice and leisure activity to represent fellow podiatrists and ensure their established place in the medical community.”

Excellence in Action: Vito Rizzo, DPM

Dr. Rizzo served as NYSPMA President from 2011-2012, and although he is a few years removed from the board he still continues to work with the Board on several levels. He serves a NYSPMA delegate to the APMA HOD and recently co-authored a successful resolution encouraging the APMA to work towards the development of a HEDIS measurement.

He worked to build relationships with the Vascular Society, MSSNY, and the Arthritis Society. He works tirelessly on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and is a board member and past honoree for their Pitch for a Cure Event.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Trepal, DPM

Dr Trepal serves as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine where he has served as a teacher and mentor to thousands of students for over 30 years. He graduated from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine Summa Cum Laude in 1981 and completed a two year surgical residency in 1983. He is a Diplomate of the ABPS and a Fellow of ACFAS. He has worked closely with the NYSPMA Board to promote the importance of NYSPMA membership to new DPMs graduating from school, and he has worked closely with the Foundation to create a program to educate and guide students in their pursuit of residency education.

Jill R. Weiner Award for Distinguished Contributions to Podiatry: Robert Rampino, DPM

The purpose of the award is to memorialize the contributions of Dr. Jill R. Weiner by honoring on an annual basis at the NYSPMA House of Delegates, an individual NYSPMA member or non-member who has made distinguished contributions to podiatry.

This year’s recipient is Robert Rampino, DPM. Dr Rampino is a past NYSPMA president and former member of the Foundation Board of Trustees.