Detroit Family Physician Receives Public Health Award at American Academy of Family Physicians Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – Susan Schooley, M.D., a family physician from Detroit, Mich., was awarded the 2006 Public Health Award by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The AAFP’s Public Health Award recognizes individuals who have made or are making extraordinary contributions to the health of the American public. The award was one of 10 presented for exceptional achievement in the field of family medicine. The AAFP’s Scientific Assembly, one of the largest gatherings of primary care providers in the country, was held Sept. 27 – 30.

Schooley has committed her life to serving the indigent and medically underserved in areas of Detroit. Schooley currently serves as the medical director of the Henry Ford Medical Group’s Detroit region, which provides clinical and administrative leadership for nine primary care centers, located mostly in underserved areas. She is also chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the Henry Ford Health System. Since 1992, Schooley has served as the voluntary medical director for the Cabrini Clinic in Detroit, a free clinic that provides medical care for patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Schooley’s work includes advocacy for mothers and children in the Detroit area. She served as a clinical expert for cases involving child abuse in Detroit and its surrounding communities. From 1992 to 2000, she served as the medical director of the New Steps Program, a program designed to meet the needs of cocaine-addicted pregnant women.

Schooley has also made great contributions to the medical profession through her involvement in medical education. Throughout her career, she has taught residents and medical students. She has developed and implemented innovative educational programs, particularly to help students develop physician skills to improve the health of the public. She has made numerous national presentations to other educators about innovative approaches to teaching community-oriented primary care. In 1994, the graduates of the Henry Ford Family Medicine Residency Training Program recognized Schooley as Teacher of the Year.

Schooley’s service extends beyond the medical and educational arenas into the public arena. Between 1996 and 2000, she served as a member of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council to the health care financing administration in Washington, D.C., advising Congress on regulatory issues in Medicare and Medicaid. Her national influence also includes her appointment to the Council of Graduate Medical Education, a group that advises federal legislators on graduate medical education policy. She chaired the Council’s Task Force on Physician Workforce.

In addition to receiving the AAFP’s Public Health Award, Schooley has been recognized for her service with myriad other awards, including the City of Detroit Distinguished Service Award (1997), The Center for Medical Treatment Effectiveness Programs’ Service Award (1997), the Champion of the Underserved Award (2002) and most recently, the DFCU Endowed Chair in Primary Care (2005) and the Michigan State Medical Society’s Woman Physician of the Year Award (2005).

Schooley received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and undergraduate degree from Salem State College in Salem, Mass.