Robert Graham, MD, Appointed to Smith Chair

Dr. Robert Graham has accepted the position of Professor and Robert and Myfanwy Smith Chair of Family Medicine.  The Smith Chair was established in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Smith.  Dr. Smith was the founder and first Chairman of the Department, the first recipient of the Fred Lazarus, Jr., Chair of Family Medicine, and a long-time national leader in the field of Family Medicine and migraine headache.
 
Jeff Susman, MD, says of the appointment “It is a great honor to welcome Dr. Graham as the first recipient of the Robert and Myfanwy Smith Chair.  What a tribute to the life-long achievements of Dr. and Mrs. Smith.”
 
Dr. Smith states “Dr. Graham has a distinguished background in the discipline of Family Medicine. His experience and leadership will add greatly to the Department's current academic endeavors. We are delighted he is joining us.”
 
Dr. Graham was the Executive Vice President/CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) (1985-2000), the head of the Academy’s Foundation (1988-1997), and the Administrative Officer of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (1973-1975).
 
In addition to his activities in Family Medicine, Dr. Graham has held a number of leadership responsibilities in the Federal Health Sector, including the position of Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (1981-1985), during which time he held the rank of Rear Admiral in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, and served as an Assistant Surgeon General.  He also held senior positions at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2001-2004), and the Health Resources Administration (1976-1979).  From 1979-1980, he served as a Professional Staff Member of the U.S. Senate Sub-committee on Health.
 
Throughout his career Dr. Graham has spoken extensively and written about a number of critical topics in health policy, such as health care reform and the need for universal coverage, federal health workforce policy, and the organizational characteristics of effective health systems.  Dr. Graham’s contributions and expertise in health policy have been recognized by his election to the Institute of Medicine and his selection as Treasurer of the bipartisan Alliance of Health Reform.  In September of 2000, the Academy renamed its Center for Policy Studies in Family Practice and Primary Care as “The Robert Graham Center”.
 
Dr. Graham states “I’m honored to be selected as the first “Smith Chair”, and delighted to be able to resume a full-time role in the Family Medicine community again.  It’s my intent that this new position have a measurable positive impact on the success of the Department.  In the coming weeks I’ll be meeting with our faculty and staff to get their ideas about how this might best be accomplished.” 
 
Dr. Graham, a native of Kansas, is a graduate of Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana (1965), and the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas (1970).  He is married to Dr. Jane Henney, who is the Senior Vice President and Provost for Health Affairs at the University.   They currently reside in Mt. Adams.