2021 David B. Thorud Leadership Award recipients
Recognizing outstanding leadership since 2006, the Thorud Leadership Award is the highest leadership honor at the University of Washington. In a year of extraordinary challenges, the awards this year recognize the skilled leaders who have helped navigate the uncertainty of 2020.
Lisa Chew, MD, MPH
Dr. Chew is an associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, and Associate Medical Director in Ambulatory Care at Harborview Medical Center. She ensures that Harborview’s most vulnerable patients receive outstanding care.
Her leadership and commitment to equity inspire her colleagues to call her a “visionary” whose innovation and advocacy for at-risk patients are making an impact throughout the community. She is deeply dedicated to equitable health-care access, courageously calling attention to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and working with community groups to expand testing among the populations at greatest risk.
John Lynch, MD, MPH
Dr. Lynch is an associate professor in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Medical Director, Infection Prevention & Control, and Associate Medical Director, Harborview Medical Center.
His outstanding leadership in UW Medicine long predated the COVID-19 crisis, but during the pandemic he has gone above and beyond, leading with extraordinary talent, expertise and wisdom.
His vision and experience enabled Harborview to quickly mobilize in the fight against COVID-19, and he served as an inspiring and careful decision-maker during the months of outbreaks that pushed our health-care system to the limit. His strategic, forward-thinking leadership saved lives and helped keep our critical health-care infrastructure running smoothly.