National Forum

National Forum Awards

2026 National Forum Annual Award Nominations are Now Closed

The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention recognizes individuals and organizations that have helped advance cardiovascular health above and beyond the norm. Awards will be presented at the 24th Annual Meeting of the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, held virtually on October 29, 2026.

Register Here for the 2026 Annual Meeting

2026

Keith C. Ferdinand Hypertension Impact Award

The National Forum is proud to introduce the Keith C. Ferdinand Hypertension Impact Award, a new annual honor recognizing extraordinary leadership and measurable impact in advancing hypertension control. First presented at our Mid Year Convening on May 7, 2026, the award celebrates leaders who exemplify evidence-based care, strong cross-sector partnerships, and a deep commitment to improving outcomes for all communities.

 

Keith C. Ferdinand, MD
Gerald S. Berenson Endowed Chair in Preventative Cardiology
Professor of Medicine,
Tulane University School of Medicine

Past National Forum Award Recipients

National Forum Award Recipients

2009 (Establishment) – 2026

2026

Keith C. Ferdinand Hypertension Impact Award

2025

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Janet Wright MD FACC Director, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Previous Executive Director of Million Hearts

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

  • Walk with a Doc

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

  • Mark Mioduski Co-Founder and Senior Consultant, Cornerstone Government Affairs, Washington, DC 

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

  • The Rippel Foundation, Becky Payne, CEO

National Forum Commitment Award

  • Meg Guerin-Calvert, Founding President, FTI Consulting

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

  • Kate Gawlik, DNP, RN, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN Associate Clinical Professor, Director of Health and Wellness Academic Programming, Co-Director of Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness, Co-Director NSPIRE,Project Manager, Million Hearts

2024

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Laurence S. Sperling, MD, FACC, FACP, FAHA, MASPC, Emory University

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

  • Hearts of Sonoma County

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

  • Mayor Acquanetta Warren, Fontana, CA 

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

  • American College of Cardiology

National Forum Commitment Award

  • Marcus Plescia, MPH, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

  • Letitia Presley-Cantrell, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2023

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Modele O. Ogunniyi, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Master Physician with the Division of Cardiology at Emory University

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

  • The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)

National Forum Public Policy Award

  • Honorable Eric Holcomb, Governor of Indiana
  • Donnette Smith, Board Chair of Heart Valve Voice-US and former Board Chair of Mended Hearts/Mended Little Hearts National.

National Forum Commitment Award

  • Warren A. Jones, MD, FAAFP, Former President of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Founder of the  Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health and Health Disparities, Served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

  • Betsy McKay, Senior Writer for the Wall Street Journal

2022

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Walter Koroshetz, MD, Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

  • Independent Health

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

  • Honorable Kim Norton, Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

  • Healthy West Chicago (Illinois)

National Forum Commitment Award

  • Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH, MPA

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

  • Nebraska City Medical Clinic
  • Honorable Christina Muryn, Mayor of Findlay, Ohio
  • Honorable Rod Craig, Mayor of Village of Hanover Park, Illinois

2021

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Philip Huang, MD, MPH, Director, Dallas County Health and Human Services

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

  • California Right Care Initiative

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

  • James Bobenhouse, MD, Neurology Associates, Lincoln, Nebraska

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

  • Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

National Forum Commitment Award

  • Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, FAHA, FNLA, CLS

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

  • Kimberly Stitzel, MS, RD, Past Chair

2020

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Jennifer Cooper, DNP, RN, APHN-BC, CCP

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

  • Association of Black Cardiologists

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

  • Senator Jerry Hill

National Forum Commitment Award

  • Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

  • Michael A. Cropp, MD, MBA
  • Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, RN, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN

2019

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Norm Linsky, Mended Hearts

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Group

  • The Ohio State University, College of Nursing

Public Policy Award: Individual

  • Barry M. Popkin, PhD, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Public Policy Award: Group

  • American Heart Association, Healthy Kids’ Meal legislation

Commitment Award

  • Miriam Patanian, MPH, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

Chair Recognition Award

  • Benjamin Bluml, RPh, American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation

Board of Directors Service Award

  • Laura Gordon, Institute for Advanced Clinical Trials (I-ACT) for Children

2018

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • The Honorable James Schmitt, Mayor, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Group

  • Hearts Beat Back: The Heart of New Ulm Project, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation

Public Policy Award: Individual

  • Jill Birnbaum, JD, American Heart Association

Public Policy Award: Group

  • The Horizon Foundation, Sugar Free Kids Maryland

Commitment Award

  • Sunita Dodani MBBS (MD), FCPS, MSc, PhD, FAHA, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), &
    EVMS-Sentara Healthcare Analytics and Delivery Science Institute (HADSI)

Chair Recognition Award

  • The Honorable Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Board of Directors Service Award

  • Rod Wooten, AstraZeneca
  • Dave Zook, JD, Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting

2017

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

  • Stephen Sidney, MD, MPH, Director of Research Clinics, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Group

  • The FH Foundation

Public Policy Award: Individual

  • David Hoffman, DPS, CCE,  New York State Department of Health, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

Public Policy Award: Group

  • Center for Value-Based Insurance Design, University of Michigan

Commitment Award

  • Emmeline J. Ochiai, MPH, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Chair Recognition Award

  • Helene D. Clayton-Jeter, OD, Food and Drug Administration
  • Fred (Fortunato) Senatore, MD, PhD, FACC, Food and Drug Administration

Board of Directors Service Award

      • Sharon Moffatt, RN, BSN, MSN, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)

2016

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

      • Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, FACC, FAHA, Tulane University School of Medicine

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization​

      • Minnesota Department of Health

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

      • Crystal Echo Hawk, Fertile Ground

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

      • Public Health Law Center

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Laura Gordon, General Manager, Edelman

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

      • Ursula Bauer, Director of CDC’s Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

 2015

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

      • Sue Koob, CEO, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization​

      • WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

      • Claudia Louis, Government Relations Manager, American Heart Association

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

      • Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Virginia Howard, PhD, Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

      • Janet Wright, MD, FACC, Executive Director, Million Hearts®
      • Paul Underwood, MD, Medical Director, Boston Scientific

 2014

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

      • Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, Past Commissioner of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization​

      • City of Chicago Department of Public Health

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

      • Ashley G. Bell, American Heart Association

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

      • National League of Cities

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Margaret O. Casey, RN, MPH

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

      • Winnie Ballard

2013

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

      • George A. Mensah, MD, FACC

Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization​

      • American Medical Group Association

Public Policy Award: Individual

      • Senator Tom Harkin

Public Policy Award: Organization

      • ChangeLab Solution

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Mark Schoeberl, Executive Vice President of Advocacy for the American Heart Association

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

      • Alexander White, JD, MPH
      • Stephen Sidney, MD, MPH, FAHA

 2012

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

      • Thomas A. Pearson, MD, MPH, PhD

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

      • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

      • Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
      • Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

      • American Public Health Association

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Sharon Moffatt, RN, BSN, MS

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

      • Franz Fanuka

2011

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

      • Darwin R. Labarthe, MD, MPH, PhD

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Organization

      • National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

      • Anne C. Goldberg, MD

National Forum Public Policy Award: Organization

      • Partnership for Prevention

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Jill Birnbaum, JD

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

      • Peg O’Connell, JD
      • Mike Greenwell

2010

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award: Individual

      • Libby Puckett, PT

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award

      • National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

National Forum Public Policy Award: Individual

      • David Goff, MD, PhD, FACP, FAHA
        Wake Forest University School of Medicine

National Forum Public Policy Award: Group

      • Trust for America’s Health

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Jay H. Glasser, PhD, MS, FRIPH, FFPH

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

      • Janelle Peralez Gunn
      • Julie Harvill, MPA, MPH

 2009

National Forum Heart Healthy Stroke Free Award

      • Great Lakes Regional Stroke Free Network
        Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin

National Forum Public Policy Award

      • William Caplan, MD

National Forum Commitment Award

      • Tim Hutchinson, MSW, MPA
        Public Health Agency of Canada

National Forum Chair Recognition Award

    • Phillip Poole-Wilson, MD
      Member, Regional and Global Collaboration Implementation Group

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