The American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) is an honorary society established to recognize those who have made sustained contributions to the field. Its highest award, for lifetime achievement and significant contributions to the discipline of medical informatics, is the Morris F. Collen Award. Dr. Collen's own efforts as a pioneer in the field stand out as the embodiment of creativity, intellectual rigor, perseverance, and personal integrity. Once a year, when appropriate, the College gives its highest recognition to those whose attainments have, throughout their careers, substantially advanced the science and art of medical informatics.

2011 Bill Tierney

The 2011 Morris F. Collen Award recipient will close the Symposium, shared his perspective on the field of Informatics and its future trajectory, citing its many springboards around the world and the potential Informatics holds for bringing greater health equity to populations everywhere. Said Dr. Tierney: “I have a story to tell of the partnership between an academic biomedical informatics research organization – Regenstrief Institute – and its clinical and research partners, and how that partnership has mutually benefited us all—and most especially benefited the vulnerable patients we serve.”

Dr. Tierney’s work has taken him far afield—to Kenya, Africa—to use electronic health records and to gather information from patients, applying the data to critical points in the patient–provider relationship to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care. He led the effort to develop the first ambulatory electronic medical record system in sub-Saharan Africa, which has evolved into a comprehensive, open-source electronic medical record system that has been implemented in more than a dozen developing countries. He also serves as the Director of Research and Informatics for AMPATH, a collaboration of more than a dozen North American universities with Moi University, Kenya, to advance the mission of developing and implementing clinical care, teaching, and establishing research programs in western Kenya. Dr. Tierney teaches health services research methods, and writes and publishes medical literature. He serves as Director for Global Health for the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) and is co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Elected in 1988, Dr. Tierney is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI).

Watch the 2011 Morris Collen Award Video

Highly credentialed, voluminously published, and tremendously accomplished, Dr. Tierney’s keynote inspired and enlightened his audience. 

Watch Dr. Tierney's AMIA 2011 Keynote Speech

2004 Clem McDonald

In 2004, the College was proud to present the Collen Award to Dr. Clement J. McDonald. Dr. McDonald has been an innovative, hands-on, and operationally oriented contributor to the field of informatics. In addition, he has proved himself the traditional academic triple threat of educator, clinical care provider, and researcher.

Watch the 2004 Morris Collen Award Video