By Barbara Ficarra

Dr. Sanjay Gupta may have withdrawn his name from consideration as U. S. Surgeon General, but he will accept the first Health Communications Achievement Award.

Dr. Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN, will be cited for his outstanding contributions in health communications by the National Association of Medical Communicators (NAMC). The award will be presented at the 29th Annual American Medical Association’s Medical Communications Conference on April 1, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

The AMA conference is an annual gathering of top medical professionals, journalists and communicators. Among the highlights of the conference:

Keynote Presentations

• Allan J. Hamilton, MD, F.A.C.S.–Grey’s Anatomy Script Consultant
• Frank A. Papay, MD, F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P.–Chairman of the Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute
• Eileen M. Sheil–Executive Director, Office of Media and Public Relations, Cleveland Clinic and Health System
• C. Martin Harris, MD, MBA–Information Officer and Chairman of the Information Technology Division of the Cleveland Clinic

I’ll also be presenting at the conference, so I hope to see you there.

Click here for more information on the Medical Communications Conference (MCC) and the National Association of Medical Communicators (NAMC).

photo courtesy CNN