The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians recognized Larry Bauer, MSW, MEd, with the 2017 Friend of Family Medicine Award on August 12 at the Members Assembly.
The award recognizes an elected official, member of the media, or community individual who has worked on, been involved with, or reported on issues related to family medicine in Ohio.
As chief executive officer (CEO) for the Family Medicine Education Consortium (FMEC), Larry has been a tireless advocate for the specialty of family medicine for 40 years.
A social worker and educator by trade, Larry began working with family physicians in 1978 when he joined the Pennsylvania State University Department of Family and Community Medicine, where he served as director of faculty development. In 1991, Larry came to Ohio serving in positions within the departments of family medicine at The Ohio State University and later Wright State University. From his work at Wright State, he helped start the Dayton Community Family Medicine Residency Program and the Kettering Family Medicine Residency Program.
An innovator in his own right and an active supporter of family physician innovators, Larry launched the FMEC in 1994 and in 1999, became the first FMEC CEO. The Family Medicine Education Consortium, Inc. is an incubator, convener, and catalyst that connects those interested in improving the health of the community by strengthening family medicine/primary care services and medical education. FMEC’s primary area of focus is the northeast region of the United States. Over the years, Larry has led teams of faculty members who have raised more than $6 million to support student and resident scholarships to the annual FMEC Northeast Region annual meeting.