Distinguished Clinician Awards
David A. Katzka, MD
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
The first of two Distinguished Clinician Awards honors David A. Katzka, MD, for exemplifying leadership and excellence in the practice of gastroenterology.
Dr. Katzka is head of the Esophageal Interest Group in the Miles and Shirley Fitterman Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic and a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Through his evaluation and care for patients with motility disorders, Dr. Katzka has gained a reputation as the consummate clinician. He has established himself as a premier consultative esophagologist and created an innovative multidisciplinary Center for Swallowing Disorders, which was the first of its type at the University of Pennsylvania. Through this program, Dr. Katzka brought together expert physicians, including surgeons, radiologists, neurologists, internal medicine and sleep therapy experts, to complement his own expertise in esophageal swallowing disorders to best serve his patients. He is renowned for the humanistic patient care that he has been delivering on a daily basis for the past 25 years. He is always available to patients and follows-up on a regular basis – both day and night. His exceptional patient care has profoundly influenced students, residents, fellows and colleagues. Dr. Katzka is the epitome of clinical-educator — he is sensitive to the needs of everyone and to the patient’s well being.
Beginning early in his career, Dr. Katzka has been honored for his acumen in gastroenterology. He has been awarded the Simon B. Komarov prize for excellence in gastroenterology, the Penn Measey Foundation Award, the NIH Clinical Investigator Award, the and the Louis Duhring Award for Excellence in Clinical Specialty Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s highest clinical honor. Dr. Katzka has been named repeatedly to the “Top Doctors” by Philadelphia Magazine, “Best Doctor in America: Northeast Region” and “Best Doctors in America: In the Country.”
Dr. Katzka has served on the AGA Education and Training Committee as well as chair of the CME subcommittee. He currently serves as the secretary of the GI section of the American Board of Internal Medicine, a position for which he has earned tremendous respect from his colleagues. He has served as an editor of Gastroenterology, is on the editorial board for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and serves as a reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Physiology and the American Journal of Gastroenterology. He has published widely on topics primarily focused on esophageal disorders.
Dr. Katzka received his medical degree from Mt. Sinai Medical School in New York, where he served as an intern and resident. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania, where he became a faculty member. Dr. Katzka was recruited to the Graduate Hospital to become head of the division of gastroenterology and the gastroenterology fellowship training program. However, he was subsequently recruited back to the University of Pennsylvania, where he served honorably for another 12 years. He has recently moved to become head of the Esophageal Interest Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
James F. Martin, MD, AGAF
Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael Medical Center, California
Leadership and excellence in the practice of gastroenterology also characterize the second Distinguished Clinician Award honoree, James F. Martin, MD, AGAF.
Dr. Martin is the chief of the department of medicine at Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael Medical Center, where he previously served as chief of gastroenterology. In his clinical practice, he serves as a gastroenterologist, internist, geriatrician and hospitalist. It is largely due to Dr. Martin’s efforts that the San Rafael department of medicine is the highest rated center in the region.
Dr. Martin has been a mentor to many, a teacher to hundreds and a physician of unparalleled knowledge, judgment and stability. He is the consummate private practice clinician who combines wisdom with a breadth of knowledge in the practice of gastroenterology and internal medicine. He personifies the qualities that physicians admire in their colleagues. Dr. Martin effectively bridges dedication and caring with clarity of thought, as can be seen with the top-notch clinical care he delivers and the loyalty which his patients bestow upon him. His work ethic is unmatched by anyone in any profession, let alone the fields of medicine or gastroenterology. He is a top-notch endoscopist, who brings a personality of wit, enthusiasm and humility to his dealings with patients and colleagues that demonstrate a level of respect for the profession rarely found today.
While Dr. Martin’s focus is in the private practice of gastroenterology, he has held a number of faculty appointments at the University of California, San Francisco, initially as an instructor, with later promotion to assistant clinical professor of medicine and then associate clinical professor of medicine. Dr. Martin served during Desert Storm, for which he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for Superior Performance.
Dr. Martin received his bachelor of science in chemistry from Ohio State University, where he also attended medical school and graduated with honors. His academic achievements led him to be elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. Based on his accomplishments during his undergraduate training and in medical school, he was accepted into a competitive house staff training program at Johns Hopkins University, where he completed internship and residency training. Dr. Martin served as a clinical associate in the liver unit at the National Institutes of Health, followed by gastroenterology fellowship training in the division of gastroenterology at the University of California, San Francisco. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, gastroenterology and geriatrics.
