On May 7, sixteen Columbia physicians were recognized for outstanding patient care with their induction into the Academy of Clinical Excellence of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Recognized by their peers, ACE inductees are full-time faculty who have served at Columbia for five or more years and exhibit exemplary patient care marked by evidence-based clinical science and compassionate humanism.
Introductions and Champions Symposium
Katrina Armstrong, MD, dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, welcomed attendees to the event, and Deepa Kumaraiah, executive vice president and chief operating officer of NewYork-Presbyterian, made brief remarks.
The 2026 Bill Campbell Clinical Champions Symposium was featured alongside this year's ACE class induction. Craig Smith, MD, the Johnson and Johnson Distinguished Professor in the Department of Surgery, the Valentine Mott Professor of Surgery, and the former chair of the Department of Surgery, delivered this year's lecture, titled "What Is Clinical Excellence?"
Smith began with his view of the nature of clinical work. "It is patient-centered. It is also precise and objective," he said. "Importantly, for our purposes, it is practical much more than theoretical, and it is practical much more than instructional."
Using the metaphor of a three-story factory, Smith argued that in the context of "a world-leading academic medical center," the clinical enterprise is foundational. "If the clinical first floor is unproductive, the research and education floors above it wither and die."
Smith explained the origins and continuation of the Academy of Clinical Excellence as a mechanism to remedy the recognition gap between physician-scientists, who are granted tenure, and pure clinicians, who are not. And so, he argued, it is critically important for the Academy to define the scope and meaning of 'excellence.'
In terms of identifying the metrics of excellence, Smith listed three possibilities -"revenue, referrals, and reputation"-but noted that each has limitations. Such traits, he noted, are "often considered to be markers for testosterone toxicity and not universally admired in our profession in 2026."
Smith then listed "softer" characteristics-such as teaching roles, leadership in administration, comportment, and advocacy-as possible excellence metrics. "But these markers are hard to quantify, and while they are certainly nice-to-haves, are they must-haves?"
One trait Smith emphatically (and ironically) excluded from his list of defining 'excellence' characteristics was self-care. Over the course of his career, Smith related, he's read innumerable letters of recommendation for faculty recruits, resident candidates, medical students, and college students. "I've never read one like this: 'Dr. Ipsom is exceptionally outstanding in self-care, easily among the top five percent, and diligently avoids stressors and burnout. I recommend them highly and without reservation.'"
Smith concluded his talk with a Dog House Diaries cartoon, which depicted an arduous journey toward My Goal. "That is clinical excellence!" exclaimed Smith. Then, addressing the new ACE Inductees, Smith finished with these words:
"The bar for membership in ACE has moved ever higher since the induction of the first class. So, each of you is greatly deserving, and I commend your achievement. Twenty or 30 years from now, I hope you'll feel comfortable indulging in your own nostalgia about all you've accomplished, as a continuation of the eternal quest for excellence."
ACE Awards and Reception
In 2017, ACE inducted its first class of members to honor clinical faculty members who demonstrated excellence in clinical care and who spent more than half their time caring for patients and training young physicians.
The 2026 ACE Inductees, sixteen in all, were nominated and elected by their peers. The 2026 ACE Inductees are:
- Justin G. Aaron, Department of Medicine
- Ana Berlin, Department of Surgery
- Kaylan Christianer, Department of Medicine
- Daniel Fenster, Department of Emergency Medicine
- Richard O. Francis, Department of Pathology & Cell Biology
- Claire C. Holderness, Department of Psychiatry
- Benjamin A. Miko, Department of Medicine
- Ilana R. Nossel, Department of Psychiatry
- Joseph A. Picoraro, Department of Pediatrics
- Hilary Yegen Robbins, Department of Medicine
- Michael S. Snyder, Department of Pediatrics
- Jessica L. Spellman, Department of Anesthesiology
- Caryn M. St Clair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Sonia N. Tolani, Department of Medicine
- Helen M. Towers, Department of Pediatrics
- Sarah F. Wesley, Department of Neurology
After the ceremony, inductees and their families mingled with colleagues and friends.
Asked what it means to her to be recognized for excellence by her peers, Helen M. Towers responded with this: "It's humbling. There are so many deserving people in this fine institution. To be selected as an individual worthy of this honor is gratifying. I'm internally pleased, and I'm just delighted!"
Sarah F. Wesley had a similar reaction. "I feel humbled. So many of my peers are excellent clinicians, and we all work hard on behalf of our patients. To be recognized in this manner makes me feel good." Wesley added that, "the award inspires me to maintain the standard and live up to this wonderful honor."
And Michael S. Snyder had this to say: "This is a distinct honor, particularly for someone of my vintage. I've been doing this for many years, and to have the recognition from my peers and from people in this institution, who are highly regarded, is nothing less than overwhelming."
