Society of Hospital Medicine Honors Robert Zipper, MD, MMM, SFHM with 2021 Award of Excellence: Outstanding Service

Dr. Zipper's Advocacy for Hospital Medicine Helps to Improve Lawmaker Understanding of Issues Affecting the Specialty

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) recently announced the recipients of its 2021 Awards of Excellence, honoring hospitalists who exemplify hospital medicine best practices in areas such as clinical leadership, teaching, teamwork, research, and humanitarian services, among others.

“Hospitalists stepped up in new ways to help their patients and their institutions overcome intense challenges over the past year,” notes Eric E. Howell, MD, MHM, Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Hospital Medicine. “Our Awards of Excellence winners truly embody the innovative spirit and leadership prowess that have become hallmarks of hospitalists, and we are proud to recognize them with this distinguished honor.”

Robert Zipper, MD, MMM, SFHM, is this year’s recipient in the “Outstanding Service” category. Dr. Robert Zipper is currently a Physician Advisor and Senior Policy Advisor for Sound Physicians, with more than 20 years of clinical experience as a hospital medicine leader.

He has a diverse background in quality and patient safety, hospitalist program design, and performance management. He began working as a hospitalist in 1999, in private practice. In 2006, he launched his career at Sound, where he began as a hospitalist but eventually managed Sound’s West Coast programs. In 2017, he was appointed Sound Vice President of Innovation Technology. He later became Sound’s leader for Healthcare Policy, and now serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for Sound, and Physician Advisor within the Advisory Services line.

Dr. Zipper has been a longtime supporter and advocate of SHM and the field of hospital medicine since joining in 2005. He attended his first Leadership Academy in 2006 and went on to serve as facilitator four times. He also has presented at three SHM Annual Conferences alongside notable SHM leaders and has been active in a variety of SHM committees, including the Quality and Safety, Leadership, and Performance Measurement and Reporting Committees.

Currently, he is a member of the Society’s Public Policy Committee; his insight has elevated hospital medicine both in the eyes of peer specialties and in discussions with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Zipper has participated in numerous calls with key Hill and CMS staff to help advocate for issues impacting hospital medicine. His ability to explain issues clearly and eloquently has helped stakeholders better understand the issues and move them forward on lawmakers’ agendas.

Awards of Excellence winners were recognized at SHM’s annual conference, SHM Converge, which was held virtually from May 3-7, 2021. For more information on SHM’s Awards of Excellence, visit hospitalmedicine.org/awards.