United Hospital Fund periodically recognizes the achievements of organizations or individuals who have had a significant impact on health care in New York City—and who have earned the respect and admiration of UHF and the broader health care community. These Special Tributes are presented annually at UHF's Gala.

Recent Honorees
Denise Núñez, MD
2024 Special Tribute Honoree
Literacy Partners
2023 Special Tribute Honoree
Jennifer Mieres, MD
2022 Special Tribute Honoree
Kenneth Cole
2021 Special Tribute Honoree
Stephen and Constance Lieber
2020 Special Tribute Honoree
Eileen M. Sullivan-Marx, PhD, RN, FAAN
2019 Special Tribute Honoree
J. Barclay Collins II
2019 Special Tribute Honoree
Afya Foundation
2018 Special Tribute Honoree
Priscilla Almodovar
2017 Special Tribute Honoree

Previous Honorees

Herbert Pardes, MD (2016)
for his important contributions to New York’s health care and mental health care communities, and for his long record of effective advocacy and leadership. 

Stephen Berger (2015)
for his willingness to take on challenging issues to advance the goal of better health care access for all, through impassioned, intelligent public service. 

Paul E. Francis (2014)
for his extraordinary service both in New York State government and in the private sector in working to improve health care for all New Yorkers. 

James R. Tallon, Jr. (2013)
on his 20th anniversary as president of UHF. 

Josh N. Kuriloff (2012)
for his outstanding service to New York's health care community and to UHF. 

Richard Ravitch (2011)
for his impressive and long-standing service to New York and its health care community.

Sisters of Charity of New York (2010)
for more than 200 years of service to the people of New York through a comprehensive network of social services, education, advocacy, and health care institutions

Lee H. Perlman (2009)
for his years of service to the hospital community, and his volunteer leadership to improve the health and lives of New Yorkers

The New York Community Trust (2008)
for its philanthropic leadership on pressing health care and social issues, and its special partnership with UHF

Barbara P. Gimbel (2007)
for sixty years of volunteer leadership in the New York health care community, and her inspired contributions as a UHF board member 

Howard Smith (2006)
for more than three decades of volunteer leadership and service to UHF, its beneficiary hospitals, and the people of New York

Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan (2005)
for his more than four decades of service to the New York health care and social services communities

Greater New York Hospital Association (2003)
for its century of efforts to preserve, promote, and strengthen health care services in the metropolitan area

Martha Farish Gerry (2001)
for her more than fifty years of service and for setting a powerful example of social responsibility and wise stewardship

Herbert Singer (1996)
for providing exemplary voluntary leadership to New York City’s health care community for more than forty years

Suzanne Pincus (1995)
for her outstanding contributions as a volunteer leader and her tireless work on behalf of women and children

David Rogers, MD (1994)
for his extraordinary volunteer leadership on behalf of individuals with HIV/AIDS

Bruce C. Vladeck (1993)
for his extremely productive decade-long leadership as president of United Hospital Fund

David Minkin (1991)
for his many dedicated years of service to United Hospital Fund