Kansas Physician Assumes Chairmanship of American Academy of Family Physicians

CHICAGO – Rick Kellerman, M.D., a family physician in Wichita, Kan., assumes the role of board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) today at the AAFP’s annual meeting. He previously served one-year terms as president and president-elect and three years as a member of the AAFP Board of Directors. The AAFP represents nearly 94,000 physicians and medical students nationwide.

Kellerman is in private practice with the Medical Practice Association, Wichita, and also serves as professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.

Kellerman received his undergraduate degree from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kan., and his medical degree from the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan. He completed his residency at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, serving as chief resident in his final year. He then completed a fellowship at the McLennan County Medical Education and Research Foundation, Waco, Texas. Kellerman is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has earned the AAFP Degree of Fellow, an earned degree awarded to family physicians for distinguished service and continuing medical education.

A member of the AAFP since 1975, Kellerman has served on the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees and has also served as board liaison to various AAFP commissions. He served on the Commission on Health Care Services, Commission on Quality and Scope of Practice and the Commission on Membership and Member Services. In addition, Kellerman served on the AAFP Committee on Special Constituencies, Committee on Rural Health and Committee on Chapter Affairs. He served on the Task Force on Care of Children. Kellerman also served on the AAFP’s Committee on Strategic Planning and on the AAFP Congress of Delegates Resolution Subcommittee. He is currently a member of the AAFP delegation to the American Medical Association.

As a member of the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians (KAFP), Kellerman has served in all of the KAFP officer positions and on numerous committees. He has represented KAFP to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and also served on the KAFP Foundation Board of Directors.

Kellerman served as physician representative for the Kansas Hospital Association Board of Directors from 1999 to 2005.

Kellerman has received numerous honors and citations, including the inaugural Kansas Board of Regents Faculty Award, 2003; the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Golden Chair Award, 1999; the United States Public Health Service Primary Care Policy Fellow, Washington, D.C., 1997; the National Health Service Corps Award for Excellence, Region VII, 1995; and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine New Faculty Award, 1989. He served as program director of the Smoky Hill Family Practice Residency in Salina, Kan., during which time the National Rural Health Association selected the program for its 1996 Outstanding Rural Health Program in America Award. Kellerman is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical society.

Kellerman has worked on the international level with Partners of the Americas, working to establish family medicine education in Paraguay. The initiative received the Award of Excellence from Partners of the Americas, Quito, Ecuador, in 2002.