The Robert Graham Family Physician Executive Award
The Robert Graham Family Physician Executive Award honors outstanding family physicians for their role as physician executives.
What does the award recognize?
This award honors AAFP members whose executive skills ensure their organization delivers high-quality health care. Their focus on health care excellence also demonstrates that family physicians improve the overall health of the nation.
Created in 1999, the award is named for Robert Graham, MD, who served as AAFP executive vice president from 1985 to 2000. Dr. Graham dedicated his career to improving health care access and promoting family medicine principles. His long-term dedication and commitment to the family medicine specialty and health care as a whole is the principal foundations of this award.
Award details
The award is open to members with at least five years experience in an executive leadership position who have documented executive skills in health care organizations through:
- Encouraging innovation in health care financing, organization and/or delivery.
- Contributing to excellence in the provision of high-quality health care.
- Improving patient safety and well-being.
- Fostering the tenets of family medicine.
Typical health care organizations include, but are not limited to:
- Integrated delivery systems
- Local, state and federal government agencies
- Commercial health insurance companies
- Quality improvement entities
- Large medical groups
Although this award is not intended to recognize leaders in academia, candidates whose professional duties include limited clinical or academic responsibilities are eligible.
Previous winners of this award are not eligible to receive it again.
Past award recipients
Christopher Crow, MD, MBA
Timothy Switaj, MD
2023: None
2022: Timothy Switaj, MD
2021: James M. Clower, MD
2020: None
2019: Theodore Wymyslo, MD
2018: Clive K. Fields, MD
2017: Norman H. Chenven, MD
2016: Nick W. Turkal, MD, FAAFP
2015: Nathan Paul Newman, MD, FAAFP
2014: David H. Filipi, MD, FAAFP
2013: None
2012: Brue Flareau, MD, FAAFP, FACP, CPE
2011: None
2010: Lee Bernard Sacks, MD, FAAFP
2009: John M. Little Jr., MD, MBA, FAAFP
2008: John M. Montgomery, MD, MPH, FAAFP
2007: Mary Jo Welker, MD, FAAFP
2006: Roland A. Goertz, MD, MBA
2005: Larry Green, MD
2004: B. Nedrow Calonge, MD, MPH
2003: Robert E. Neese, MD
2002: Marc L. Rivo, MD, MPH
2001: Brigadier General Kenneth L. Farmer Jr., MD
2000: Nancy Wilson-Ashbach, MD, MBA
1999: Robert Graham, MD