Society of Hospital Medicine Honors Leah Lleras, MS with 2021 Award of Excellence: Leadership for Practice Managers

Ms. Lleras Lauded for Ability to Collaborate with Clinical Leadership to Marry Their Vision with Those of Administrative Support to Improve Division Efficiency

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) recently announced the recipients of its 2021 Awards of Excellence, honoring hospitalists who exemplify hospital medicine best practices in areas such as clinical leadership, teaching, teamwork, research, and humanitarian services, among others.

“Hospitalists stepped up in new ways to help their patients and their institutions overcome intense challenges over the past year,” notes Eric E. Howell, MD, MHM, Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Hospital Medicine. “Our Awards of Excellence winners truly embody the innovative spirit and leadership prowess that have become hallmarks of hospitalists, and we are proud to recognize them with this distinguished honor.”

Leah Lleras, MS, is this year’s recipient in the “Leadership for Practice Managers” category. Ms. Lleras is the Division Administrator for the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus and holds a Master of Science Management and Organization degree from the University of Colorado.

Her leadership as a practice manager is exemplified through her efforts in challenges of salary inequity. After joining the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus Division of Hospital Medicine in 2018, Ms. Lleras was successful in launching and achieving compensation equity and transparency across the department. She has also demonstrated an incredible ability to collaborate with clinical leadership to marry the vision of clinical leaders with the administrative support required to turn a vision into a reality.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Lleras has been instrumental in ensuring that the division was prepared and supported to care for an influx of new patients. She did this by leading emergent on-boarding of new practitioners, strategizing financial management of hazard pay for frontline clinicians, and creating a streamlined budget system during rapid change.

Ms. Lleras joined the Society in 2018 and has been an active member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter and the Hospital Medicine Administrator Special Interest Group.

Awards of Excellence winners were recognized at SHM’s annual conference, SHM Converge, which was held virtually from May 3-7, 2021. For more information on SHM’s Awards of Excellence, visit hospitalmedicine.org/awards.