The Paul W. Burleson Award is presented to a physician member of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama in recognition of a medical career that encompasses not only high ethical and professional standards in patient care, but also includes extraordinary service to physician organizations at the county, state, and national levels.

Named in recognition of Paul W. Burleson, M.D., renowned Alabama physician and benefactor, the award has been given annually by the Medical Association since 2000. The 2024 recipient of the Paul W. Burleson Award is Vu Nguyen, M.D., MBA.

Dr. Nguyen received his medical degree from Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine; his master’s degree from East Carolina University; and his Bachelor of Science degree from Drake University. Dr. Nguyen completed his residency training at Carolinas Rehabilitation/Carolinas Medical Center with Atrium Health/Wake Forest University.

He is a United States Air Force veteran, having served in the Medical Corps. His military service led him to specialize in neuro and stroke rehabilitation. He is passionate about empowering patients with stroke to achieve their optimal functional outcome. At one time, he was the Medical Director of one of the largest and most comprehensive stroke rehabilitation service in the nation.

In 2022, Nguyen joined The University of Alabama at Birmingham as the Robert B. Kyle Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in UAB’s Heersink School of Medicine. At UAB, he sees patients in the PM&R clinics and performs specialized injections such as botulinum toxin to optimize the patient’s function.

Dr. Nguyen is a recognized leader in rehabilitation medicine. On the international stage, he is the North American Representative on the Executive Council of the International Society of PRM. At the national level, his leadership roles include being a Director on the American Board of PM&R, a Reviewer on the ACGME PM&R Review Committee, a member of the Physiatry Foundation Advisory Board, and a Director on the Lakeshore Foundation Board of Directors.

The award’s namesake, Paul W. Burleson, M.D., served the Heersink School of Medicine as an internist for 35 years. His passion for education and philanthropy, led to the creation of the Paul W. and Martha R. Burleson Scholarship Endowment and the Paul W. Burleson Foundation, which provides not just medical student scholarships but also internal medicine faculty support.

“I am especially honored to receive this award. Dr. Paul W. Burleson has dedicated his life to the advancement of high-quality care as a clinician and a teacher. I can’t think of another professional that I’d like to represent in my career,” Nguyen said.

This award will be presented during the president’s reception at the Medical Association of the State of Alabama’s Annual Session to be held on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Montgomery, Alabama.