W. Mark Armstrong, MD, MACP, chief of the general internal medicine division at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, has received the Ralph O. Claypoole Sr. Memorial Award for Devotion of a Career in Internal Medicine to the Care of Patients from the American College of Physicians (ACP). The ACP selects only one practitioner of internal medicine each year to receive the prestigious award.
"As the ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization, it's humbling to be recognized by leaders in my field with the single award they give each year for patient care," says Dr. Armstrong.
Nominated by peers, patients and former trainees, the Ralph O. Claypoole Sr. Memorial Award is given only to individuals who are proven role models serving as members of a department of medicine clinical faculty who have demonstrated excellence in and devotion to the clinical care of patients.
Dr. Armstrong, who has practiced internal medicine for four decades, also is a professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine program at Baylor Dallas and has been the director of Baylor Dallas' outpatient internal medicine resident continuity clinic for more than 20 years. This commitment to training the next generation of physicians is in addition to his busy internal medicine practice.
As a teacher, Dr. Armstrong seeks to help residents grasp how rewarding it is to take care of patients throughout the continuum of care. He is known for being a strong advocate for patients and reliable partner when they are facing a health, personal or family crisis.
"Almost all of our internal medicine residents ask him to become their personal physician and their family's internist," says Michael Emmett, MD, MACP, chief of internal medicine and director of Baylor Dallas' internal medicine training program, who also trusts Dr. Armstrong as his personal physician. "Many of our trainees decide to pursue a general internal medicine career, and they repeatedly tell us that the example he provides every day is a major factor in their career decision."
Dr. Armstrong accepted the Ralph O. Claypoole Sr. Memorial Award at the ACP national meeting in Boston on April 30. While he is grateful for the honor, he says coming to work every day is a reward in and of itself. "Taking care of patients is truly what I was meant to do and what I enjoy doing, especially taking care of our own – having Baylor Scott & White employees and my own colleagues as patients. When I come to work every day, it's interacting with patients that I find fulfilling."
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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com