On August 4, Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) member Leon McDougle, MD, MPH, FAAFP, associate dean of diversity and inclusion at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine, was installed as the 121st president of the National Medical Association.
Dr. McDougle, who is also chief diversity officer and professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the OSU Wexner Medical Center, will champion the National Medical Association’s efforts to eliminate health disparities, improve access to care, and increase diversity in medicine.
“For more than a century, the National Medical Association has been advocating for African American physicians and the communities we serve,” Dr. McDougle said. “Now more than ever, we must take a stand against the systemic racism in our nation’s health care delivery system that negatively impacts the Black community and other underserved populations.”
The National Medical Association’s mission is to promote the interests of both doctors and patients of not only African descent, but also of other races, to foster the utmost quality of care for all Americans. The association also aims to help the United States’ health care system prevent and manage disease effectively.
A graduate of the University of Toledo OSU’s College of Medicine, Dr. McDougle completed a family medicine residency at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Califo0rnia, and earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Management and Policy. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine, a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a member of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States.
Congratulations, Dr. McDougle!