David Avery Elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians

WASHINGTON – David W. Avery, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., a family physician in Parkersburg, W.Va., has been elected to the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The AAFP represents more than 94,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. Avery was elected to a three-year term by the AAFP’s governing body, the Congress of Delegates.

Avery has been in private practice for more than 24 years. He has owned and operated a solo practice, Grand Central Family Medicine, PLLC, for the past seven years. Prior to opening his own practice, Avery worked in large physicians’ group practices for more than 15 years. He cared for thousands of patients at Vienna Family Medicine Associates, Inc., in Vienna, W.Va., and later at the Mid-Ohio Valley Medical Group in Parkersburg. Avery has served as medical director of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department for the past 14 years.

A member of the AAFP since 1982, Avery has served on and chaired numerous committees and commissions, including rural health and governmental advocacy. He currently serves as the AAFP delegate to the American Medical Association.

A member of the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (WVAP) since 1982, Avery served as board chair and president. He has been a member of the board of directors for the past 20 years and has served as legislative chair for the past seven years. He has served on several state committees and has represented the chapter at the AAFP Congress of Delegates since 2002. In 2005, the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians awarded Avery its prestigious Family Physician of the Year award.

In addition to caring for patients and serving in leadership roles for the AAFP, Avery has dedicated a significant amount of his personal time to government affairs. He worked closely with the previous three West Virginia governors and served on many of their state committees. Avery’s political service includes work on state committees for uncompensated health care, infant mortality and Medicaid payment.

Avery has also been an active member of the West Virginia State Medical Association, in
which he served as both vice president and president, among other executive positions. He is currently completing his 4th term as speaker of the house.

Throughout his career, Avery has generously donated his time and expertise to the local community. He has served on many local boards at organizations such as the Center for Aging and Health Care, Head Start and Prime One managed care network. Avery is a Rotarian and also serves as team physician at Parkersburg Catholic High School. He also mentors local students and teaches part time in the physicians’ assistant program at Marietta College.

Avery earned his undergraduate degree from LeMoyne College and his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical Center, both in Syracuse, N.Y. Avery then completed his residency at United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, W.Va. Avery is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and is an AAFP Fellow, an earned degree awarded to family physicians for distinguished service and continuing medical education.