Dr. Tanya Spirtos Receives 2024 Distinguished Service Award January 16, 2025 Areas of interest(s): Distinguished Service Award, Membership, Spirtos Tanya W. Spirtos, MD was selected as the 2024 recipient of the San Mateo County Medical Association’s Distinguished Service Award for her dedication to advancing organized medicine through leadership, advocacy, and mentorship. Dr. Spirtos was recognized for her achievement at SMCMA’s Annual Meeting of the Members on December 5, 2024. Dr. Spirtos has consistently championed initiatives that enhance the practice of medicine and improve patient care. Her efforts in fostering collaboration between healthcare organizations, policymakers, and medical professionals has driven innovative solutions to critical challenges facing the medical community. The unwavering commitment to organized medicine of Dr. Spirtos is evident by her service on numerous professional boards and committees, where she has advocated for equitable healthcare access, physician well-being, and systemic improvements. Her ability to inspire colleagues has left a lasting imprint, paving the way for future generations of physicians. This award celebrates her extraordinary contributions, which exemplify the values of service, integrity, and excellence that have left an enduring impact on the profession. The Distinguished Service Award is SMCMA’s highest honor and has been awarded since 1997 to recognize local physicians who exemplify the medical profession’s highest values: commitment to service, community involvement, leadership, and dedication to patient care. Past DSA recipients include: 1997 – William L. Schwartz, MD 1998 – Marvin L. A. Auerback, MD 1999 – George H. Koenig, MD 2000 – Philip Bernstein, MD 2001 – Norman Olson, MD 2002 – Walter Gaines, MD 2003 – Nancy Harris, MD 2004 – Henry Mayer, MD 2005 – Leo Bell, MD & Eldon Ellis, MD 2005 Physician of the Century – Harold D. Chope, MD 2006 – Harry J. Buncke, MD 2007 – Thomas Fogerty, MD 2008 – James Hutchinson, MD 2009 – Fred Marcus, MD 2010 – Henry Hamilton, MD 2011 – Josephina Enriquez, MD 2012 – Edward Hinshaw, Esq. 2013 – Marc Jaffe, MD 2014 – Dirk S. Baumann, MD 2015 – James Missett, MD 2016 – David Goldschmid, MD 2017 – Bruce Allen, MD 2018 – Michael Norris, MD 2019 – Congresswoman Jackie Speier 2020 – No award presented 2021 – Afria Ahmed, MD 2022 – Chester Kunnappilly, MD & Maya Altman 2023 – Uli Chettipally, MD 2024 - Tanya Spirtos, MD DSA nominations are accepted year-round and 2025 candidates will be reviewed in September. To nominate a candidate, email smcma@smcma.org with the name of you nominee and a statement of why your nominee should be considered with specific examples and details about the nominee’s achievements. Self-nominations are encouraged.
