Clockwise: Jonathan Chastek, Manager Economic & Industrial Development W≤ Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive; Bill Callison, President W≤ Alec Jarvis, Director of Law and Government Relations W≤ Tracy Wingenroth, ERG Partners, government affairs consultant to W≤ Matt Smith, State Representative; Wayne Fontana, State Senator; Dave Montz, Green Tree Borough Manager.

John A. Nikoloff, right, President of ERG Partners based in Harrisburg, is presented with a Special Recognition award by Ralph Schmeltz, MD. Nikoloff was praised for his exceptional dedication, vision and advocacy on behalf of Pennsylvania internists and their patients for more than two decades. The award was presented at the annual dinner of the PA Chapter of the ACP.

John Nikoloff, a founding partner and president of ERG Partners, a Harrisburg-based public affairs firm, was recognized by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians for his exceptional “vision, dedication and advocacy which serves as the foundation of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the ACP.” The award was presented during the Chapter’s annual Awards Dinner held in Hershey on December 5.

Nikoloff has been involved with the Pennsylvania Chapter for more than two decades.

Beginning as the Executive Director and lobbyist for the PA Society of Internal Medicine and volunteer Government Relations Consultant to the PA-ACP from 1988 to 1995, John eventually became Executive Director of the PCIM and of the PA-ACP.  After leading a strategic planning process for the Chapter that led to having a full time executive director, John assumed the role as Chapter’s government relations consultant and lobbyist.

During his tenure with Pennsylvania’s internists, John led efforts with other medical organizations and state government for more than two decades.  These efforts led to development of the primary care physicians’ coalition, creation of the primary care physicians’ loan forgiveness program in the Department of Health, key tort and medical malpractice reforms, standardized procedures for insurance companies, and blocking significant expansion of scopes of practice for midlevel providers. His efforts have allowed the Chapter to enjoy close relationships and access to key state and legislative leaders, beginning with Governor Casey and House Speaker Jim Manderino to Governor Corbett, Speaker Sam Smith and President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati through decades of constant change in the political scene in Harrisburg.

John was responsible for establishment of regular meetings between internists and the state’s Blues and Insurance Federation of PA, creation of the first internal medicine state political action committee (PSIM-PAC), and institution of the Robert S. Pressman award for excellence in advocacy. During the negotiations between the ACP and the ASIM, John played a key role at both state and national levels, in bringing parties to the table and creating an organization that brought all internists under one tent for the first time in 40 years.

The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians is a professional medical organization with 7,000 members.  Its members include internists and other medical subspecialists who provide comprehensive care to adult patients. The American College of Physicians, with 130,000 members, is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in the United States. For further information, contact John Derrickson, executive director at 610-543-6880

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ERG Partners is a premier strategic consulting firm in the Mid Atlantic region. Specializing in government relations, public affairs and project development, ERG Partners provides clients with information, analyses, strategic services and solutions to support business development and expansion. Visit ERG Partners at www.erg-partners.com.