Augsburg News

News Archives - 2007

Paul Batalden is honored for his work

March 11 , 2007

Paul Batalden

Dr. Paul Batalden '63, has been honored for his work in medical education and health care improvement.

Last month, Batalden received the John C. Gienapp Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which evaluates and accredits more than 8,000 medical residency programs. His peers who nominated him praised his leadership and bold vision for improving medical education and his generosity in sharing his time and knowledge with colleagues and students.

"He always understands the patients' best interest at heart, and understands that good learning requires good patient care," the council's executive director stated. "He has developed what is arguably the most creative and empowering residency in the country and has brought that spirit to all of us."

Batalden is professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire and director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. His program combines a clinical residency with education in health care leadership and measurement of health care outcomes.

Among his contributions to the council, Batalden chaired an advisory committee that defined the competencies physicians must master before graduating from residency programs, focusing more on outcomes than processes.

In 2004, Batalden was a featured speaker on the profession of health care and vocation at the Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics, the annual seminar at Augsburg established by his family—Abner and Martha Batalden, Stephen and Sandra Batalden, and his wife, LaVonne, and himself.