A pioneer in establishing best practices for palliative medicine and a specialist in pain management and spiritual care of cancer patients are among the five American physicians honored for improving the care of patients near the end of life. They were named recipients of the third annual Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Awards.

The awards were given by the Cunniff-Dixon Foundation, whose mission is to enrich the doctor-patient relationship near the end of life, in partnership with The Hastings Center, which has done pioneering work on end-of-life decision-making.

The awards were made in three categories: a senior physician category for leadership in end-of-life care, a mid-career physician category for longstanding commitment to serving patients and for leadership in palliative care, and an early-career physician category for serious commitment to the field and contribution through practical research or clinical work. The recipients, drawn from a national group of nominated candidates are, from left to right: Janet Bull, Michael Rabow, Justin N. Baker, Jason Morrow, and Theresa A. Soriano.

“We commend the winners for their exceptional skill in palliative care and their leadership in bringing this care to diverse groups of patients,” said Thomas Murray, president of The Hastings Center. “They are making a difference to these patients and their families.”