GAINESVILLE--The medical practice of one Gainesville doctor has proven to pay off after she was honored with a prestigious national award. 

Doctor Latha Ganti Stead has earned the "Dr. William Beaumont Award" by the American Medical Association. 

The award acknowledges outstanding contributions as a physician, researcher and educator. 

Doctor Ganti Stead says she's not doing anything different than her colleagues, she's just truly passionate about what she does.

"I come to work everyday and I love what I do because you just never know what's going to happen.  The emergency department is really exciting." -Dr. Latha Ganti Stead, Chief of Clinical Research at UF

Doctor Ganti stead is a professor of emergency medicine and neurological surgery.

She is also the endowed chair for the "Toral Family Foundation of Traumatic Brain Injury."