ACPNJ Awards
Congratulations to the following ACPNJ members for being honored with ACP and chapter awards for 2025. More information about ACP awards and Masterships can be found here.
New Jersey Chapter 2025 Laureate Awards
The Laureate Award honors Fellows and Masters of the College who have demonstrated by their example and conduct an abiding commitment to excellence in medical care, education, or research and in service to their community, their Chapter, and the American College of Physicians.
The recipient of this award shall bear the title Laureate of the New Jersey Chapter. Click to view past ACPNJ Laureate Winners
It is with distinct pleasure that this year’s the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Physicians presents the Laureate Award to Elizabeth Cerceo, MD, FACP and Kathleen Pergament, DO, FACP.
Elizabeth Cerceo, MD, FACP
Elizabeth (Lisa) Cerceo is an associate professor of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and a teaching fellow of their Academy of Master Educators. She is the Director of the Medical Humanities and the Director of Climate Health. She completed her medical degree at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed her residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cerceo is the chair of ACPNJ’s Health & Public Policy Committee where she has been advocating for sustainability efforts for healthcare both in the state an on national and international levels and is engaged in state and national policy discussions.
Kathleen Pergament, DO, FACP
Dr. Pergament received her bachelor's degree in biopsychology from Vassar College before earning her master’s in public health in the epidemiology of infectious diseases from the Yale School of Public Health. She then went on to study medicine at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic where she received her DO degree. She returned to the tri-state area to complete her internal medicine residency at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Dr. Pergament joined the internal medicine core faculty of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark in 2015, where she stayed until May 2021. She is delighted to be part of our team here as an associate program director and our director of ambulatory medical education, as she is passionate about improving primary care medical education and resident mentorship. Her clinical interests include women's health, social justice in health care, and preventive health. Dr. Pergament currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Scientific Meeting Planning Committee.
Past Laureate Award Winners
1985 Denise Farnath, MD
1985 Luann Bruno, DO
1985 John Dalena, MD
1987 Stewart F. Alexander, MD, FACP
1988 Arthur Bernstein, MD, FACP
1993 Francis P. Chinard, MD, FACP
1995 Pedro Gascon, MD, FACP
1996 John R. Middleton, MD, FACP
1997 Francis L. Griffin, MD, FACP
1999 Richard L. Klein, MD, FACP
2000 Richard K. Kasama, MD, FACP
2001 Nayan K. Kothari, MD, FACP
2002 A. Ralph Kristeller, MD, FACP
2003 Edward D. Viner, MD, FACP
2004 Leon G. Smith, MD, MACP
2005 John A. Walker, MD, FACP
2006 James D. Brody, MD, FACP
2007 Laura H. Kahn, MD, FACP
2008 Madhu B. Goyal, MD, FACP
2009 Asif A. Hashmi, MD, FACP
2010 Nafisa Y. Bhoori, MD, FACP
2011 Sara L. Wallach, MD, FACP
2012 Beth R. Nalitt, MD, FACP
2013 Michael A. Renzi, DO, FACP
2014 William E. Farrer, MD, FACP
2015 Vijay Rajput, MD, FACP, SFHM
2016 Ranita Sharma, MD, FACP
2017 Sunil Sapru, MD, FACP
2018 David Kuo, MD, FACP
2019 Steven Peskin, MD, FACP
2020 Tamie Proscia-Lieto, MD, FACP
2021 Louis Friedman, DO, FACP
2021 Mirela Feurdean, MD, FACP
2022 Gina LaCapra, MD, FACP
2023 Saba Hasan, MD, MACP
2024 Jonathan Shammash, MD, MACP
2025 Elizabeth Cerceo, MD, FACP
2025 Kathleen Pergament, DO, FACP
New Jersey Chapter Special Recognition Award
Jane Neuman, MD
Dr. Neuman is an internist in Oakhurst, NJ, with over 35 years of experience. She is affiliated with Monmouth Medical Center and graduated from the University of Graz in 1989.
Dr. Neuman is Co-Chair of the Ambulatory Primary Care Support Committee and advocates for primary care physicians within ACPNJ.
Positive Impact New Jersey Award
Community Food Bank of New Jersey
The Positive Impact New Jersey award is presented to an organization or individual who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the health of the citizens of New Jersey through education, activities, and building trust in public health.
The American College of Physicians New Jersey is pleased to present this award to Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
New Jersey Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award
In Recognition of His Enduring Legacy
Nayan Kothari, MD, MACP, FRCP (Edin)
Presented for a lifetime of service, dedication, and excellence in the field of medicine. Your leadership and commitment to education inspires us all.
American College of Physicians New Jersey Chapter
1993 - 2025
- In 2020, Dr. Kothari was named Governor of the New Jersey Southern Region of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the national organization of internists.
- In 2021, Dr. Kothari was appointed to the Board of the Society of Bedside Medicine (SBM) for a two-year term starting July 1, 2021.
- Saint Peter's Internal Medicine Residency created the Nayan K. Kothari, MD, Simulation Center for Interprofessional Learning, honoring Dr. Kothari’s decades of service and commitment to training medical residents from all over the world.
ACP Masterships
Jeffrey L Carson, MD MACP
Mirela C Feurdean, MD MACP
Bruce D Fisher, MD MACP
Francis L Griffin, MD MACP
Saba A Hasan, MD MACP
Mary T Herald, MD MACP
Nayan K Kothari, MD MACP
David S Kountz, MD MACP
Steven R Peskin, MD MACP
C S Pitchumoni, MD MACP
Tamie Proscia-Lieto, MD MACP
Bernard P Shagan, MD
Jonathan B Shammash, MD MACP
Leon G Smith, MD MACP
Sara L Wallach, MD MACP
Lawrence S Weisberg, MD MACP