The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) annually recognizes OAFP members that exhibit extraordinary, beyond-the-call-of-duty merit, articulate and encourage members and students to pursue the ideals of family medicine, and convey these ideals to the public. Nominated by their patients and colleagues, the recipients of the following awards have done a great deal in order to stand out from the excellent class of nominees this year.
The OAFP is pleased to congratulate the following 2021 award recipients:
Family Physician of the Year: Richard D. Mizer, MD
Dr. Mizer is a practicing family physician at Adena Family Medicine Greenfield, caring for a rural patient population and performing minor office procedures and inpatient care, in addition to serving as chief of staff for Adena Greenfield Medical Center. In February 2021, he began an administrative role as the physician executive vice president of the Adena Medical Group in Chillicothe, OH, responsible for leading over 300 physicians and advanced-practice providers in a four hospital system. View Dr. Mizer’s interview with OAFP President Mike Sevilla, MD, FAAFP, on the OAFP YouTube channel.
Family Medicine Educator of the Year: William D. Smucker, MD
The OAFP honors Dr. Smucker as the posthumous recipient of the Family Medicine Educator of the Year Award. In a former personal statement, Dr. Smucker wrote, “As a medical educator, my role is to encourage and catalyze each learner’s natural tendencies to be an emotionally compassionate, clinically competent, and intellectually, honest life-long learner. I try to teach, and then emulate, those critical attributes that we all need in order to meet the expectations of our patients.”
Resident Leadership Award Recipient: Andrea Rosado, MD
Over the past year, Dr. Rosado has served her community and addressed social determinants of health through COVID-19 education and advocacy by participating in panels, presentations, and interviews. As she now prepares for her year as chief resident, she wishes to serve her co-residents, advocate for their needs, and promote continued growth and success of the residency program.
Friend of Family Medicine Award Recipient: Mike Appleman, MA Ed
Mr. Appleman is the director of primary care education at the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in Rootstown, OH. In his role as NEOMED’s American Academy of Family Physicians Family Medicine Interest Group advisor, he helps plan events for medical students to learn about what family physicians do and where they can work, furthering the pipeline of family medicine.