Ayesha Mallick Imam, MD, Named Physician of the Year at Mercy Health Springfield Regional Medical Center

Earning an award to acknowledge one’s quality of work and career accomplishments is a feat many assume takes time and tenure to achieve, but for Ayesha Mallick Imam, MD, she was pleasantly surprised to learn she was named Physician of the Year at Mercy Health Springfield Regional Medical Center just shortly after completing her training in June of 2022. Dr. Imam is an intensivist physician at Springfield Regional Medical Center and began her career with US Acute Care Solutions (USACS) in July of 2022. Having only been out of training for a few months, Dr. Imam knew right away what an honor it was to be the recipient of this award so early in her career at the medical center.

 

“When I received the message stating I had been selected as the award recipient, I thought there must have been an error in the language and they meant to say nominated,” said Dr. Imam. “I actually nominated my husband for the award, who also works at Springfield Regional Medical Center, and wondered if maybe they simply got us confused! It truly was such a surprise to hear the news, but I am so honored to be the recipient of this award.”

 

Dr. Imam comes from a family immersed in the field of medicine as both her parents were physicians in her home country of Pakistan. As the first born in her family and having exposure to the field for as long as she could remember, medicine was the natural choice for her to pursue when the opportunity presented itself.

 

“In Pakistan, physicians are highly regarded so whether you’re at a party, or a dinner, or even at someone’s home, people always come to you with their ailments regardless of the setting,” remarked Dr. Imam. “As I grew up, I watched my parents continually help others and witnessed the respect they received for their work. Medicine seemed to be a natural choice for me, and it has proven to be a great fit so far.”

 

After graduating from Aga Khan Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan, Dr. Imam followed suit with most graduates from the college and ventured to the United States for further training. With an initial interest in the specialty of surgical critical care, Dr. Imam landed on becoming an intensivist. Though her time with USACS has been brief, Austin Al-Kazaz, MD, Regional Medical Director, North Division, acknowledged the commitment Dr. Imam has shown to integrating the USACS mission into her daily practice and was not surprised to learn her colleagues had nominated her to win the award.

 

“Dr. Imam has always made it a top priority to provide excellent care for her patients,” said Dr. Al-Kazaz. “The quality care she provides day in and day out is what USACS prides itself on and her rapport with the medical staff is exquisite.”

 

As Dr. Imam looks forward, she plans to embrace any leadership opportunities that come her way and aspires to continue providing quality patient care to the patients who find themselves in her unit. Now with the Physician of the Year award under her belt, she hopes to continue to foster the positive relationships she’s already created with her team.

 

“It means so much to me that my colleagues nominated me for this award,” said Dr. Imam. “Being new to the medical center and the unit, the whole team has welcomed me with open arms, and I really enjoy working with each of my colleagues. I am grateful for the mutual appreciation we have for one another and can’t thank them enough for bestowing me with this honorable award.”