The Division of Hospital Medicine proudly announces that Division Chief and Professor of Medicine, Dr. Mark Thoelke, was presented with the 2019 Neville Grant Award for Clinical Excellence by the Medical Staff Association. The award is bestowed on a clinician who through his or her daily actions serves as a role model for fellow caregivers at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. It is named for the late Neville Grant, MD, a revered physician who practiced medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and taught at Washington University School of Medicine. In 1999, after 39 years of service, Dr. Grant retired, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital created the award to honor outstanding clinicians like Dr. Grant. On November 14th, Dr. Thoelke and fellow awardee, Dr. Dan Picus, were celebrated at the association’s semi-annual general staff meeting at the Eric P. Newman Education Center. Dr. Picus and Dr. Thoelke were cited for their exceptional compassion toward patients and their outstanding clinical skills.
Dr. Thoelke is one of the founders of Washington University School of Medicine’s Division of Hospital Medicine. After completing residency in internal medicine, he became director of the Gold Service at Barnes Hospital and the Private Medicine Service at the Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. During his time as director, he began to offer hospitalist coverage for primary care physicians. Dr. Thoelke, along with fellow colleagues, organized and officially established the Division of Hospital Medicine, making it one of the first in the nation. In 2009, he became chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Thoelke is noted for his efforts in making Hospital Medicine at WUSM one of the largest divisions in the Department of Medicine.
He is considered by his peers as a “a superb clinician and leader”. Dr. Thoelke has received the Teacher of the Year Award by the Washington University Department of Medicine, which is voted by the house staff. He has been the recipient of the Friend of Nursing Award by Barnes-Jewish Hospital. In 2010, Dr. Thoelke was inaugurated as a Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine by the Society of Hospital Medicine. In 2016, out of approximately 15,000 members, he received the National Award for Clinical Excellence in Hospital Medicine from the Society of Hospital Medicine.
* Dr. Thoelke is also featured in BJC Today January 2020/ Volume 23, No. 1