Melissa Nothnagle, MD, MSc, director of the Family Medicine Residency Program and chief of Family Medicine at Natividad, has been honored with the Nikitas J. Zervanos Outstanding Program Director Award from the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors and the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

The Zervanos Award is the highest national honor for a family medicine residency program director, recognizing sustained leadership in the specialty, mentorship of residents and medical students, contributions to the community and service to family medicine organizations. Nothnagle received the award during a ceremony at the AAFP’s Residency Leadership Summit in Dallas, Texas, this month. 

“One of the greatest privileges of my career is helping train the next generation of family physicians at Natividad,” Dr. Nothnagle said. “Our residents are learning not only excellent clinical care, but also how to serve their communities with compassion and purpose.”

A nationally recognized leader in family medicine education, Nothnagle has directed residency programs for more than 14 years. Before joining Natividad eight years ago, she served as program director at the Brown University Family Medicine Residency from 2011 to 2017. The AFMRD designated her a Gold Level Program Director in 2021, and in 2022, the American Medical Women’s Association selected her as an Inspire Award winner for her academic and clinical work in reproductive justice. 

At Natividad, Nothnagle balances a demanding portfolio of responsibilities. She supervises residents and maintains her own patient panel in the residency clinic, actively practices obstetrics and is an attending physician on the Family Medicine Inpatient Service. She is also known nationally for her scholarship and clinical leadership in reproductive justice. 

“Melissa is admired for her clinical acumen, her bedside teaching, her natural gift of mentorship and her administrative prowess,” said Marc Tunzi, MD, MA, senior associate program director of Natividad’s Family Medicine Residency and the institution’s designated institutional official. “The residents adore her, the family medicine faculty revere her, the specialty faculty respect her, and the institutional leadership leans on her.”

Colleagues credit Dr. Nothnagle with a deep commitment to building a residency faculty and future family medicine workforce that reflects the diverse demographics of Monterey County. 

Former Natividad Family Medicine program chief resident and current Natividad hospitalist Dr. Victor Carrasco said, “Dr. Nothnagle has dedicated her career to passionately serving and empowering marginalized communities. Naturally, through authentic and personal relationships, she elevates the caliber of her residents, colleagues and the future of full-spectrum Family Medicine. Dr. Nothnagle has forever impacted my life, and I am incredibly grateful for her support and leadership.”

Natividad is the only teaching hospital in Monterey County and is affiliated with University of California San Francisco. A single-residency institution, Natividad offers full-spectrum training to prepare graduates to meet the needs of underserved communities. Graduates go on to practice in many different medical settings including outpatient family medicine, pregnancy and delivery care, inpatient medicine, rural and global medicine. About half of all graduates remain on the Central Coast. 

Natividad Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Walls said that the Natividad family recognizes how fortunate they are to have Dr. Nothnagle leading their residency and Family Medicine service.  

“It’s a great honor to have the recognition of a prestigious, national organization such as the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Nothnagle is clearly a tremendous teacher, leader and mentor,” Dr. Walls said. “But underneath all that is the caring and brilliant physician any family would want at their bedside in their time of need.” 

The Zervanos Award is named for the late Nikitas J. Zervanos, MD, a pioneering figure in family medicine education. To be eligible, nominees must have actively directed a family medicine residency program for at least 10 years and demonstrate significant leadership at the national level. The award is presented only when an outstanding candidate exists. According to AAFP, there are more than 800 accredited family medicine residency programs in the United States.  

About Natividad 

Natividad is a hospital and trauma center providing compassionate high-quality health care to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Located in Salinas, Calif., Natividad is a public health care system offering a wide range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care for adults and children. Founded in 1886, the 172-bed medical center has more than 11,000 admissions and 60,000 emergency visits annually. Home to the area’s only Level II Trauma Center, the hospital’s specialized personnel, equipment and services provide a vital local community service that saves lives and keeps patients close to home. Natividad’s Baby-Friendly® facility delivers nearly 2,300 babies every year and is affiliated with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. It also operates an accredited Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, giving the tiniest and most fragile babies the best chance for a healthy start. Through its UCSF-affiliated Natividad Family Medicine Residency, Natividad is the only teaching hospital in Monterey County. For more information, please call (831) 755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.