ASHRM Distinguished Service Award
ASHRM’s highest individual honor, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes a single outstanding achievement or a lifetime of contributions to the field.
Eligibility
- The nominee must be an ASHRM member for a minimum of 5 years.
- Current ASHRM board members and officers are ineligible, but committee members and task force chairpersons who are not board members may be nominated.
- Nomination: An applicant may be nominated by any ASHRM member, but may not nominate him/herself. The nominator must complete the form providing sufficient information to demonstrate the nominee’s eligibility.
Criteria
The following criteria represent the qualities felt by the board to be most demonstrative of the applicant's dedication and commitment to the profession of health care risk management.
- An applicant need not fulfill all criteria to be considered for the award.
- Active participation in local or regional risk management organizations, or affiliated chapters if available to the candidate.
- Active participation in ASHRM, i.e., service on the Board of Directors, committees, task forces and such focused activities as presenter, author, faculty, etc.
- Responsible for major contributions to the advancement of the profession of healthcare risk management through authorship, teaching, research in risk management, etc.
What Do the Recipients Get?
- Engraved prestigious crystal award.
- One complimentary registration to ASHRM's annual conference.
- Will be honored during the ASHRM in-person annual conference.
Nominate Now
Congratulations to the 2025 Distinguished Service Award Recipient!

Michael Midgley, JD, RN, MPH, CPHRM, DFASHRM
Head of Loss Control
Munich Re Specialty – North America
Past Recipients
2024: Monica Cooke, BSN, MA, RN, PMH-BC, CPHQ, CPHRM, DFASHRM
2023: Georgene Saliba, RN, BSN, MBA, FASHRM
2022: Susan Boisvert, BSN, MHSA, CPPS, CPHRM, DFASHRM
2021: Sheila Hagg-Rickert, JD, MHA, MBA, CPCU, DFASHRM
2020: Ann Gaffey, RN, MSN, CPHRM, DFASHRM
2018: Kathleen Shostek, RN, ARM, MBA, DFASHRM, CPHRM, CPPS
2016: Mary Anne Hilliard, Esq., BSN, CPHRM
2015: Andrew Oppenberg, MPH, CPHRM, DFASHRM
2014: Leilani Kicklighter, CPHRM, DFASHRM
2013: Michelle Hoppes, RN, MS, DFASHRM
2011: Sylvia M Brown, RN, JD
2010: Monica Berry, BSN, JD, LLM
2008: Peggy Nakamura, RN, MBA, JD, CPHRM
2007: Pamela L. Popp, MA, JD, DFASHRM
2005: Joyce Benton, RN, MSA, ARM
2004: Geri Amori, PhD, CPHRM, DFASHRM
2003: Robert F. Bunting Jr., PhD, MSA, CPHRM, CPHQ, MT(ASCP), DFASHRM
2001: John C. West, JD, MHA, DFASHRM, CPHRM
2000: Harlan Hammond, MBA, BA, CPHRM, DFASHRM, ARM, HRM
1998: Fay A Rozovsky, JD, MPH, DFASHRM
1997: Roberta Carroll, RN, ARM, MBA, CPCU, CPHQ, LHRM, CPHRM, DFASHRM, HEM
1996: Audrey Vanagunas, MPH, ARM, DFASHRM
1994: Jane J. McCaffrey, MHA, DFASHRM
1993: Ellen L. Barton, JD, CPCU, DFASHRM
1992: Steven L. Salman, MBA, JD, DFASHRM
1991: R. Stephen Trosty, JD, MHA