Awards
Each year, RISE recognizes two esteemed health care professionals for making a significant impact on the health care industry
The RISE Trailblazer Award
In the spirit of the RISE mission to drive meaningful impact in the health care industry, the RISE Trailblazer Award honors outstanding innovation, leadership, and dedication. This prestigious accolade celebrates an individual who has made a significant difference in the lives of America’s seniors by introducing groundbreaking ideas, driving transformative change in the industry or community, and setting an inspiring example through courage, creativity, and determination. Inspired by the legacy of the late Dr. Martin L. Block, this award pays tribute to his enduring passion for transforming the health care system and his tireless efforts to inspire positive change.
Formerly known as The Dr. Martin L. Block Award for Innovation & Excellence, the RISE Trailblazer Award is presented to an esteemed nominee each year at RISE National.
2025 Award Recipient
Shannon Wilson
VP, Population Health and Health Equity
Priority Health
The 2025 award recipient is Shannon Wilson, VP of population health and health equity at Priority Health. She was chosen for pioneering health equity leadership, transforming care with data-driven solutions, advancing quality improvement across diverse populations, bridging the gap between health and race, and driving impact beyond industry. Her nomination highlights her unwavering passion for enhancing the health and well-being of everyone she serves. Commended for serving as an expert on the intersection between health and race, Wilson has led several initiatives aimed at improving the health care experience for vulnerable populations. In addition to her work at the health plan, Wilson is an active leader in the industry and community.
Past Award Recipients
- 2024: Dr. Amy Boutwell, Founder and President, Collaborative Healthcare Strategies
- 2023: Elizabeth Haynes, Director of Risk Adjustment and Stars for Government Programs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City (BlueKC)
- 2022: Dr. Tiffany C Pankow, Associate Chief Medical Officer, HonorHealth Medical Group
- 2021: Dr. Heather O'Toole, Chief Medical Officer, Innovation Care Partners
- 2020: Frontline Workers Who Died During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 2019: Mark Dambro, M.D., Senior Vice President of Health Informatics, Signify Health
- 2018: Dr. Manjusri Vennamaneni, Chief Medical Director and Chief Quality Director, Access Health Care Physicians, LLC
- 2017: Michelle Lupoli, RN
- 2016: Dr. John Broderick
- 2015: Dr. James M. Taylor
- 2014: Dr. Martin L. Block
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The RISE Health Care Hero Award
RISE is pleased to present the RISE Health Care Hero Award to an esteemed nominee who has made a significant impact on the lives of underserved populations through health care and/or social services interventions, and through superior example of the RISE mission to promote health equity among all patients.
2024 Award Recipient
Dr. Kimberlee Wyche Etheridge
Primary Care Provider and Assistant Professor
Meharry Medical College
Sr. VP Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives
ASTHO
Dr. Kimberlee Wyche Etheridge, Primary Care Provider and Assistant Professor at Meharry Medical College, and Sr. VP Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives at ASTHO, is the 2024 RISE Health Care Hero Award recipient. Dr. Etheridge’s nomination highlighted just how extensive her work to support underserved populations has been over the years: a fatherhood program as a maternal health initiative to address the absence of fathers in the most at-risk households; state-policy work to positively impact health equity; the establishment of a health equity training certificate and lectures across the country; community health events connecting medical students with the community members who may one day be their patients; the establishment of the GIRLS powered by STEAM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Math) program to introduce and keep girls of color interested in math, science, and art in middle school and high school; and the Teens to Queens program, a workshop for girls and their maternal figures to learn to communicate, dream, and understand their health.
Past Award Recipients
- 2023: Rick Whitted, CEO, U.S. Hunger
- 2022: Mariam Merced, MA, Director, RWJUH Community Health Promotions, New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health