David Gregory, M.D.
Gregory to receive ACP’s award for community service
Vanderbilt Associate Professor of Medicine David Gregory, M.D., is the 2006 recipient of the American College of Physicians' (ACP) Oscar E. Edwards Memorial Award for Volunteerism and Community Service, to be presented at the ACP Annual Session April 6-8 in Philadelphia.
The award was established in 1998 by the ACP Board of Regents to honor the late Edwards, a Governor and Regent of the College.
It is presented annually to a college medical student member, associate, member, fellow, or master who has initiated or been involved in volunteer programs or provided volunteer service post-training.
Vanderbilt's Alexander Townes, M.D., professor of Medicine, emeritus, nominated Gregory for his vision and dedication in establishing the Siloam Clinic, a faith-based, volunteer-driven, health care clinic that cares for the uninsured, underinsured and those who have difficulty accessing health care due to language barriers.
“This is, without question, the signal honor of the American College of Physicians to its membership,” said Joel Levine, M.D., who chairs the American College of Physicians Awards Committee.
“It is a process that exemplifies how somebody has really helped other people, so I think it says something very exceptional about how Dr. Gregory is considered within the community.”
The nomination process requires at least five letters from colleagues, Levine said.
Gregory birthed the vision for Siloam while sitting in church in 1988, and began seeing patients for two hours on Saturday mornings in the fall of 1991. Now the clinic has grown to 120 providers in a new facility next to Kroger off of Eighth Avenue South.
He credits Vanderbilt University Medical Center for being supportive of Siloam, as many of his volunteer staff are drawn from Vanderbilt faculty and residents.
"The success of the clinic is the result of the efforts of a large team of persons," said Gregory, who serves as associate chief of staff for Ambulatory Care at Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
"It is a great privilege to have been involved since the inception, and to provide medical care for uninsured international patients and others in need. The stated mission of Siloam is to ‘share the love of Jesus with those in need through health care.’ "