Nancy Geers Award Recipients

2026 Recipient: Dr. James Saucedo

James M. Saucedo, MD, MBA, is an orthopedic hand and upper-extremity surgeon and Associate Professor at UTHealth Houston, where he also serves as Program Director of the Hand Surgery Fellowship. He specializes in hand and wrist injuries, nerve compression, tendon disorders, and hand and wrist arthritis. A Houston-area native from Rosenberg, Texas, he completed his medical training at Baylor College of Medicine, orthopedic surgery residency at Northwestern University (where he received the Brian Hartigan, MD Memorial Award for compassionate care and clinical excellence), and advanced Hand and Microvascular Surgery Fellowship at the University of Washington/Harborview.

Dr. Saucedo is known for his compassionate, patient-centered approach and his ability to clearly explain treatment options. His clinical focus is helping patients relieve pain, restore function, and return to work, daily activities, and the hobbies they enjoy.

He is active in national leadership within hand surgery and serves as Vice President of the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand (AFSH) from 2025-2027. He previously served on the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) Council as the Practice Division Director 2021-2024, supporting national initiatives in clinical practice, professionalism, education, and improving access to care. He has also helped develop resources such as Hand-P, an online practice management education platform for ASSH members.

Dr. Saucedo has a special interest in health-system innovation and completed an MBA at Rice University to better understand healthcare delivery and improve patient access. His academic work ranges from developing practice-management curricula for residents to outreach and access-to-care initiatives nationally.

Before joining UTHealth Houston in 2023, he practiced in San Antonio at The Hand Center of San Antonio, cared for veterans at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, and helped train residents and fellows through various educational programs, including creating an international elective for orthopedic residents from Madrid, Spain. He now lives in The Woodlands with his family and enjoys teaching, music, and coffee roasting.

Past Nancy Geers Award Recipients

2023: Dr Gloria Gogola

2021: Select Physical Therapy

2019: Heath Herrington

2017: Anil Dutta, MD

2015: Christopher Miskovsky, MD

2013: Phillip S. Sizer, Jr. PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT

2011: David T. Netscher, MD, BCh

2009: Thomas C. DiLiberti, MD

2007: David Hildreth, MD

2005: Bubba Klostermann, OT, CEAS II

2003: David M. Lichtman, MD