The AMA Foundation: recognizing and supporting physicians

Of the several events held in Washington, D.C., before and during the AMA National Advocacy Conference (NAC), one of my favorites is the AMA Foundation Excellence in Medicine Awards dinner and ceremony. This year's ceremony took place March 31.

Held each year the evening before the NAC begins, the ceremony is an annual opportunity to acknowledge the incredible humanitarian accomplishments of some of our profession's true heroes. The Excellence in Medicine Awards, presented in association with the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, recognize physicians who exemplify the highest values of altruism, compassion, leadership, and dedication to patient care.

The Excellence in Medicine Awards are split into four separate categories. The Pride in the Profession Awards honor U.S. physicians whose lives encompass the spirit of being a medical professional by practicing medicine in areas of challenge or crisis, or by devoting their time to public service. The Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine recognizes a U.S. physician whose influence reaches the international patient population. And the Jack B. McConnell, MD, Award for Excellence in Volunteerism recognizes the work of senior physicians who provide treatment to U.S. patients who lack access to health care.

Finally, the Leadership Awards honor 56 outstanding medical students, residents and fellows, and physicians from across the country who display strong nonclinical leadership skills in advocacy, community service, public health, or education. This year's Leadership Award recipients (PDF, 143KB) are an especially impressive group.

A portion of the Excellence in Medicine Awards ceremony, including interviews with the recipients, is available on ReachMD XM Satellite Radio through Sunday, April 13. (If you're not a ReachMD listener, you can use promotion code AMAF1 to log in.)

The Excellence in Medicine Awards are just one way the AMA Foundation contributes to the profession of medicine. As the philanthropic arm of the AMA, the AMA Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and works with the AMA Alliance, corporations, and other organizations to develop and support meaningful programs in medical education, public health, and research. The AMA Foundation is governed by a board of directors that includes AMA Trustees Peter W. Carmel, MD; Ardis D. Hoven, MD; and Robert McMillan. Barbara A. Payne Rockett, MD, is the current president and Steven W. Churchill is the executive director.

The AMA established the AMA Foundation in 1950 (then known as the American Medical Education Foundation) to raise money for the nation's medical schools, most of which were operating at steep deficits at the time. In 1955, the AMA Foundation forged a partnership with the AMA Auxiliary, a nationwide network of physicians' spouses and physicians that eventually became the AMA Alliance. Since 1960, the AMA Foundation and the AMA Alliance have together contributed more than $58 million to medical schools nationwide.

As part of a recent column about our nation's physician shortage, I wrote that the growing debt burden for medical school graduates averages nearly $140,000. Financial assistance for medical students is more important than ever, and the AMA Foundation offers several scholarships and awards to help ensure that young men and women who want to study medicine can do so. Deadlines to submit nominations for this year's scholarships and awards are fast approaching; details can be found in the general news portion of this newsletter.

The AMA Foundation also is a champion of public health, providing community service through a number of public education campaigns and initiatives nationwide. One of these programs is the Healthy Communities/Healthy America Fund, which directs resources to help some of the nation's most vulnerable populations. Grants of $10,000 to $25,000 are offered through this fund to support physician-led free clinics in the United States that are addressing the needs of patients who face obstacles in accessing care.

Another of these initiatives is the Health Care Recovery Fund, which the AMA Foundation (with support from the AMA) launched in 2005 in response to the devastation caused to the Gulf Coast states by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The fund presents grants of up to $2,500 to practicing physicians in federally declared disaster areas to help them rebuild or restore their practices.

Medical research is another area in which the AMA Foundation contributes a great deal. In February, 47 physicians, residents, and fellows received $2,500 grants to conduct research on topics ranging from HIV/AIDS to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases to secondhand smoke. The funding is part of the AMA Foundation's Seed Grant Research Program, which supports young investigators as they conduct basic science, applied, and clinical research projects.

In a separate column I wrote about health literacy—the degree to which people have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information—and mentioned the AMA Foundation's efforts in helping physicians discuss the subject with their patients. The AMA Foundation offers several health literacy resources, including an educational toolkit and a patient safety monograph that are both accepted continuing medical education activities.

Physicians and medical students give so much to their patients, yet almost never receive the support and recognition they deserve. Thanks to the AMA Foundation, they can experience a little bit of the compassion and altruism they provide to others every day. I hope you'll consider making a donation to help the AMA Foundation continue its numerous contributions to the profession of medicine.

Please send comments, questions, and replies to amaprez@ama-assn.org.