NLM Director Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, was presented the 2018 Morris F. Collen Award of Excellence on November 4 at the AMIA 2018 Annual Symposium in San Francisco.

In honor of Morris F. Collen, a pioneer in the field of medical informatics, this award is considered the highest honor in informatics. It is presented to an individual whose personal commitment and dedication to medical informatics has made a lasting impression on the field. The award is determined by the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI), an elected body of fellows within AMIA, the leading association for informatics professionals.

Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, AMIA’s 2018 Collen Award Honoree

“The Morris F. Collen Award is only awarded to the most distinguished informaticians. ACMI is honored to recognize Dr. Brennan for her significant accomplishments,” said ACMI President Christopher G. Chute, MD, DrPH. “We are grateful for her leadership at the National Library of Medicine and her commitment to AMIA’s mission.” A video highlighting Patti’s career achievements was shown during the award presentation.

In honoring Dr. Brennan with this award, AMIA cited her renowned ability to use technology to improve the safety and effectiveness of health service delivery systems; her profound impact on the development of technologies for in-home management of chronic illness, including heart disease and AIDS; her leadership in ensuring federal requirements that electronic health records systems safely and effectively include patient-generated and patient-sourced data; and her ongoing efforts at NLM to emphasize data science as a key component in informatics.

“Patti is a true pioneer,” said AMIA President and CEO Douglas B. Fridsma, MD, PhD. “Her expertise is known throughout informatics and nursing, but what everyone should remember her for is her core mission to always put patients first. There is truly no one more deserving of this prestigious award.”

Dr. Brennan is the recipient of numerous other honors, including election to the American Academy of Nursing, the American College of Medical Informatics, the National Academy of Medicine, and the New York Academy of Medicine. She has also been honored with the AMIA Leadership Award and the AMIA Virginia K. Saba Informatics Award.

Dr. Brennan joins an illustrious list of Collen Award winners, including former NLM Director Donald A.B. Lindberg, MD, former Acting Director Betsy Humphreys, and NLM’s Chief Health Data Standards Officer, Clem McDonald, MD.

By Jerry Sheehan, Deputy Director, National Library of Medicine