Albany, New York Jan 22, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Melissa Swee, MD, MS, MME, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa, will be presented with the Early Career Physician Award from the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) at the 111th AMWA Annual Meeting in San Francisco in March.
The award recognizes outstanding achievement by an AMWA physician member who is within 16 years of graduating from medical school. Areas of achievement may reflect leadership, academics, clinical care, including but not limited to publishing, teaching, and mentorship; and/or volunteerism.
“Dr. Melissa Swee exemplifies the promise and impact of an early-career physician leader–combining clinical excellence, innovative telehealth solutions, and a deep commitment to equity to improve kidney care for rural Veterans. Her dedication to mentorship, education, and advancing women in academic medicine reflects the values at the heart of AMWA,” says Dr. Susan Hingle, AMWA Immediate Past President and 2026 Awards Chair.
Dr. Melissa Swee is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa and Director of Telenephrology at the Iowa City VA Health Care System. She also serves as Co-Program Director of the VA Quality Scholars Program, where she leads curriculum development in health care improvement. Dr. Swee is a recipient of a federally funded NIH K12 award focused on rural-urban disparities in chronic kidney disease. Using mixed methods, she identifies barriers to timely nephrology access and outcomes to inform data-driven, equitable system redesign. Her work has led to innovative telehealth tools, including a dashboard to enable early identification of kidney disease. She has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications. As an educator, Dr. Swee directs training in health care improvement through the VA Quality Scholars Program. Her mentees have presented at national conferences and published on topics in nephrology, quality improvement, and rural health.
In recognition of her excellence in teaching, she received several teaching awards and the VA Quality Scholars Rising Star Award. Clinically, Dr. Swee provides nephrology and transplant care. She has also served on the VA National Metrics Advisory Board and has contributed to national policy initiatives through the American Society of Transplantation. Across all areas, she is dedicated to improving care delivery and strengthening systems to better serve patients across diverse settings.
Physician Awards will be presented in person during the AMWA Awards Gala, on Saturday, March 28 from 6 to 9 pm PT.
The AMWA Annual Meeting (March 27–29) celebrates the theme: Thriving, Leading, Transforming: Rooted in Purpose, Rising in Power, Committed to Service. Sessions are designed to spark learning, reflection, and bold action, while celebrating the strength, resilience, and vision of those transforming medicine from the inside out.
To attend the Awards Ceremony or register for the full meeting, visit: amwa-doc.org/amwa111.
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The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), founded in 1915, is the oldest multispecialty professional organization of women in medicine. Our mission is to advance women physicians and improve the health of women. www.amwa-doc.org
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