Dr. Richard Deming, medical director of the Mercy Cancer Center in Des Moines, was one of 11 people to receive the 2011 American Cancer Society Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award, a prestigious national prize for cancer caregiving. The award recognizes individuals who have “made a difference through innovation, leadership and consistent excellence in providing compassionate, skilled care and counsel to persons living with cancer and their families.” The awards were presented during a ceremony in Atlanta on May 12.

Deming, who recently took a group of 14 Iowa cancer survivors to Mount Everest base camp, currently chairs the Iowa Advisory Council of the American Cancer Society. He is a member of the American Cancer Society Midwest division board of directors and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and a participant in American Cancer Society Relay For Life events.