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Now accepting nominations through June 28, 2013!

The Patients of Courage: Triumph Over Adversity program honors reconstructive plastic surgery patients whose lives were restored through reconstructive plastic surgery and whose charitable actions influence the lives around them.

ASPS members nominate patients who carry an optimistic outlook on life and positively affect people around them, despite the difficulties of their reconstructive procedures.  These extraordinary reconstructive plastic surgery patients are honored by ASPS at its annual scientific meeting.

How to nominate patients
ASPS members or their staff are asked to submit a nomination letter, no more than two pages, about each nominee. Patients must have been treated and currently reside in the United States with the exception of U.S. military patients.

New this year, the awards ceremony will take place Saturday morning, October 12 during the President's Panel at Plastic Surgery 2013 in San Diego. During the panel, the three honorees and their nominating doctor will be asked to participate in a short discussion about cultivating the patient/doctor relationship.

Nominations must include the following information for consideration:

  • A letter, in Microsoft Word format, including:
    • Patient name, age and contact information (address, phone, email for internal use only)
    • Short description of treatment (lengthy description of surgical treatment is discouraged)
    • How patient successfully recovered
    • How patient turned his/her journey into a positive life-changing experience
    • How patient gives back to others in the community
    • Details about the unique patient/doctor relationship
    • Confirmation that, should the patient be a 2013 honoree, he or she and his or her ASPS Member Surgeon are willing to arrive in San Diego for Plastic Surgery 2013 no later than Friday, October 11, 2013 and stay through Saturday, October 12, 2013 for the Patients of Courage awards presentation. (Expenses for the patient are covered by Integra.)
    • Confirmation that the ASPS Member Surgeon and their patient are willing to participate in the President's Panel on Saturday, October 12 in San Diego about successful patient/doctor relationships.
    • Confirmation that the nominee allows ASPS to visit his or her hometown to shoot a short video about how the patient overcame adversity.
  • One current .JPG photo of the patient clothed, or one pair of before and after photos. A photo of the patient participating in their charitable work is preferred.
  • Signed patient authorization forms (download HIPAA form & story release) in order to release the patient's information and photos.

An important part of this recognition is acknowledging, encouraging, and fostering the charitable work the patients are involved in as a result of the debilitating circumstances they have experienced. Integra is generously supporting the Patients of Courage program, and, as a tribute to the honorees, will underwrite three $3,000 grants to not-for-profit organizations providing reconstructive plastic surgery services to people in need.

Send nominations to the attention of Marie Grimaldi, ASPS Senior Media Relations Associate, via email at mgrimaldi@plasticsurgery.org. Contact Marie at (847) 981-5416 with any questions relating to the program.