Skip to main content

In a ceremony held virtually on Thursday, November 12, the 2020 H. Fleming Fuller Award was presented this year to co-honorees, Keisha Gibson, MD, MPH, and Benny Joyner, MD, MPH.


In a ceremony held virtually on Thursday, November 12, the 2020 H. Fleming Fuller Award was presented this year to co-honorees, Keisha Gibson, MD, MPH, and Benny Joyner, MD, MPH.

The H. Fleming Fuller Award, which has been given annually since 1986, is meant as a permanent memorial to Kinston physician H. Fleming Fuller, and awarded to the physician who best embodies Fuller’s lifelong commitment to patient care, teaching and community.

A national leader in obstetrics and gynecology, Fuller practiced in Kinston, NC, for nearly 50 years and is credited with helping to bring women’s health care to the forefront of American medicine. A founding member of the Board of Directors of North Carolina Memorial Hospital, Dr. Fuller served on the Board from 1971 until his death. He was also a founder and past president of the North Carolina Cancer Society.

This year’s co-winners fully embody the award criteria, providing compassionate care, ongoing advocacy for their patients and profession, as well as serving as beloved teachers and role models for future generations.

Gibson is Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatric Nephrology in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. She is also the inaugural Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion for the Department of Medicine. A highly decorated clinician and teacher, Gibson is a previous recipient of the Hyman Battle Distinguished Excellence in Teaching Award and the Foundation Phase Excellence in Teaching Award. Nationally, she serves as the Secretary-Treasurer for the American Society of Nephrology and as Nephrology Councilor for the Society of Pediatric Research.

Gibson’s research and clinical focus is lupus nephritis and other glomerular disease, as well as researching racial and socioeconomic disparities in care and access and reducing their impact on patient outcomes.

As one of her nominators wrote, “she can be the child’s greatest advocate, the parents’ most trusted confidant, or the generalist’s support behind the scenes. Dr. Gibson is truly committed to the highest standards of patient care, teaching, and community.”

“Without question, I have benefited from many leaders here at UNC. They have been teachers, mentors, advisors, and indeed, very importantly sponsors along the way. I am truly humbled by this award and even more so as I have learned more about Dr. Fuller’s life work and legacy,” Gibson said.

Joyner serves as professor of Pediatrics, Social Medicine and Anesthesia. He’s a clinical leader within the Children’s Hospital, serving as Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine as well as Vice Chair of Quality and Safety. He has been an institutional leader in advancing simulation training for learners and care teams, helping to prepare them to provide excellent care in complex situations.

One nominator described Joyner this way, “Benny is a true leader in every way – he is a can do individual who always has a smile on his face.  He makes every person feel like he has all the time in the world to listen – patient, peer, student, friend.”

“The foundation laid by my parents and the examples set by the previous Fuller awardees and countless others before me, have molded my career to date. My receipt of this award is the embodiment of the statement, ‘if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,’” said Joyner.