Graham Named to Smith Chair in Family Medicine

Robert Graham, MD, a national figure in the specialty, has been named to the Robert and Myfanwy Smith Endowed Chair in Family Medicine at the UC College of Medicine.

The chair honors Robert Smith, MD, and his wife in recognition of Dr. Smith’s 40-year career as a leader and innovator in family medicine. Dr. Smith, professor and chairman emeritus of UC’s Department of Family Medicine, stepped down 1991.

Dr. Graham has had leadership roles with the federal government, including administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, with the rank of rear admiral in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, and assistant surgeon general. He also served in senior positions in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Health Resources Administration, and as a professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Health.

Dr. Graham’s previous responsibilities also included serving as CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the national service and advocacy organization for the specialty, from 1985 through 2000, and administrative officer of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, from 1973 to 1975.

Throughout his career, Dr. Graham has spoken and written extensively about critical health-policy topics such as health-care reform and the need for universal coverage, federal health workforce policy and 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, his selection as treasurer of the bipartisan Alliance of Health Reform and the renaming of the AAFP Center for Policy Studies in Family Practice and Primary Care as “The Robert Graham Center.”

A native of Kansas, Dr. Graham graduated from Earlham College, Richmond, Ind., and the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City. He is married to Jane E. Henney, MD, senior vice president and provost for health affairs at UC.