The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) awarded the second annual Dr. Daniel S. Blumenthal Memorial Lecture to Daniel E. Dawes, JD, Executive Director at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine. Professor Dawes presented his lecture and accepted the honor during an event held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on September 28 in front of an audience of elite leaders in health and healthcare.
Dr. Daniel S. Blumenthal, MD, MPH, FACPM, was a trailblazer and inspiration for many seeking to improve health equity and racial and social justice. From his time as a physician in 1960’s Arkansas to his career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)and as an educator at the Morehouse School of Medicine, Dr. Blumenthal sought to use his influence, experience and skills as a physician, to advance the health of all people, particularly those historically excluded and marginalized.
Professor Dawes is one of many leaders in health equity to call Dr. Blumenthal a friend and mentor. A widely respected public health leader and health policy expert, he is the author of 150 Years of ObamaCare and The Political Determinants of Health, both of which provide an in-depth look at the intersection of politics, policy and health equity. Professor Dawes’ work ties together public health, health equity and policy synergistically, focusing on how diverse urban and rural populations have been left behind by an increasingly complex health care system, and what can be done to ensure all have access to optimal health and wellbeing. He has been a central figure in creating the nation’s first health equity tacker, and developing the Mental Health Parity Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, and an architect of the Affordable Care Act’s health equity-focused provisions, among other landmark federal policies.
“Professor Dawes’ inspirational career and lecture reminds and implores those of us in public health that we must use our voices and power to advance social good,” said Donna Grande, CEO of ACPM. “While the challenges we face to achieve health equity are large and deeply entrenched in our society, we have the knowledge, skills and passion to uproot them. We are honored to share this award with Professor Dawes, and thankful for his expertise and insight on the intersection of equity, diversity, justice and health.”
This year’s lecture event included experts from across the ecosystem of public health, from practice to policy, for a reaction discussion to Professor Dawes’ lecture on the intersection of historical factors, politics and social determinants of health. Speakers included: Dr. Blumenthal’s wife, Marjorie Speers, Ph.D.; ACPM President M. Tonette Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH, FACPM; Reed Tuckson, MD, FACPM, Managing Director of Tuckson Health Connections, LLC; American Medical Association President-elect Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, ; Julie Morita, MD, Executive Vice President, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; George Rust, MD, MPH, FACPM, Director of the Center for Medicine and Public Health, Florida State University; and Sarah de Guia, JD, CEO of Change Lab Solutions.
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About ACPM
The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) is a professional medical society representing more than 2,000 physicians dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of individuals, families, communities, and populations through disease prevention and health promotion.
For more information, visit www.acpm.org