Robert A. Milch, MD, FACS, of The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, near Buffalo, received the inaugural Cunniff-Dixon Hastings Center established physician award of $50,000. He has been involved with hospice and palliative care for more than 30 years, most of it at Hospice Buffalo, where he initially served as a volunteer medical director. Dr. Milch, a surgeon, was recognized for his longstanding commitment to and excellence in clinical care for patients with advanced illness and for his regional and national leadership in palliative care and surgery.