Healthcare Champion of the Year award criteria

Who can apply or be nominated

The Healthcare Champion of the Year, a branded award, is open to healthcare professionals currently working in the United States who are actively involved in care delivery.

Eligible nominees may include professionals working in settings such as:

Hospitals or health systems
Clinics or community health programs
Academic or teaching settings (with active clinical practice)
Care coordination or patient navigation roles

Nominees may be at any stage of their career and may work in roles including—but not limited to—physicians, nurses, advanced practice clinicians, surgeons and community health workers.

Nominations may be submitted by:

A colleague, leader, patient or community member (with the nominee’s consent), or
The healthcare professional themselves (self-nomination)

Johnson & Johnson and TIME employees and immediate family members are not eligible to be nominees.

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What we’re looking for

The Healthcare Champion of the Year will be selected by J&J and a panel of industry experts based on real-world impact, not titles or visibility. The strongest nominations reflect how a healthcare professional shows up for patients and communities, especially under pressure.

Nominees are evaluated across three core dimensions:

Grit

Demonstrated leadership, resilience and determination in pursuing solutions to complex healthcare challenges—even in constrained or high-pressure environments.

Innovation

Meaningful improvements to care delivery through new approaches, systems change, science or technology that help advance outcomes for patients, teams or communities.

Care

A deep commitment to patients and communities, reflected in compassion, trust and personalized care that improves the patient experience.

You do not need to demonstrate excellence in all areas to apply—but strong nominations clearly show impact in at least one, with supporting examples.

What the application includes

The application is designed to surface the nominee’s story, impact and outcomes. Applicants and nominators will be asked to submit:

Basic information about the nominee and nominator
Short written responses describing the nominee’s work and impact
Option to provide a CV of the nominee (if desired) and one written testimonial from a colleague, patient or someone who can speak to the nominee’s impact on care in the communities they serve

Written responses focus on:

What drives the nominee’s work in healthcare
A clear example of grit, innovation or care
Tangible outcomes or results (e.g., people reached, access improved, systems changed)
Why this work matters now

You do not need prior recognition, institutional backing or a relationship with J&J or TIME to apply.

A nurse provides bedside care to a hospitalized patient in a clinical setting.

Key dates

Call for submissions opens

July 16, 2026

Applications due

August 28, 2026

Shortlist announced

October 16, 2026

Healthcare Champion of the Year winner announced

Early December 2026

Healthcare Champion of the Year winner recognition at A Year in TIME event

December 9, 2026 in New York City

What happens after you apply

All submissions are reviewed by J&J and a panel of industry experts, through a structured, merit-based process aligned to the award criteria.

A shortlist of finalists will be announced publicly later this year. One Healthcare Champion of the Year will be recognized on December 9 at A Year in TIME Event.

The selected honoree will be invited to attend the event with one guest. Travel support will be provided by J&J if needed.

Ready to apply?

If you know a healthcare professional whose work reflects grit, innovation or extraordinary care—or if that story is your own—we encourage you to apply.

Apply here

Terms and conditions apply.

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