Physician Gregory Conners, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and executive director of Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, has been named the 2025 recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Emergency Medicine’s Jim Seidel Distinguished Service Award.
This prestigious national award—the highest honor presented by the AAP Section on Emergency Medicine—recognizes physicians who have made outstanding and lasting contributions to the field of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM). Often referred to as the PEM “Hall of Fame,” the award celebrates a career of exemplary service, leadership, and innovation.
“I am ecstatic to congratulate Dr. Conners on his selection,” said physician David Schnadower, chairman of the AAP Section on Emergency Medicine executive committee. “This is a prestigious and well-deserved honor that reflects his lifelong dedication to advancing our subspecialty and improving emergency care for children.”
Named in honor of the late physician James S. Seidel, the award celebrates the legacy of one of PEM’s founding pioneers and is given to a leader who embodies the same spirit of tireless advocacy, education, and impact.
Conners joins a select group of individuals whose work has shaped the evolution of pediatric emergency medicine nationwide.
Conners has had a distinguished career in pediatric medicine and academic leadership. He has authored or co-authored approximately 100 peer-reviewed papers, 20 book chapters, and a peer-reviewed textbook. He has served on the editorial boards of three professional journals and is a fellow of both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Emergency Physicians.
He is a member and former chairman of the AAP committee on pediatric emergency medicine. Conners was part of the process that provided guidance on pediatric observation units and stressed the importance of good communication between an urgent care center where a child was treated and the child’s “medical home.”
He is also a member of the American Pediatric Society, past chairman of the International Group on BS/MD Programs. He has long been a contributor to faculty development, pediatric leadership, and quality improvement initiatives.
In addition to his leadership post in Pediatrics and with Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, Conners still serves as an attending physician in Upstate Pediatric Emergency Department.
Conners joined Upstate in March 2019, from Children’s Mercy Hospitals & Clinic, University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine, where he served in a variety of roles, including associate chair of pediatrics and director of the Division of Emergency Medicine.
Conners earned his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College, his MD from Stony Brook School of Medicine and holds MPH and MBA degrees from the University of Rochester. He completed his residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
His honors include being named Distinguished Alumnus by Stony Brook School of Medicine in 2013 and repeated inclusion on “Best Doctors” lists, including America’s Top Pediatricians by the Consumers’ Research Council of America.
Conners will formally receive the Jim Seidel Distinguished Service Award at the 2025 AAP National Conference and Exhibition in Denver, Co., during the Section on Emergency Medicine program on Sept. 27.