Dr. David W. Gregory, associate professor of Medicine and associate chief of staff for Ambulatory Care at Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was recently named winner of the 2003 Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Innovator of the Year Award for his service at the Siloam Family Health Center.
Mary Catherine Strobel was a devoted community activist and volunteer who was kidnapped and murdered 17 years ago while on her way to deliver food to the Nashville Rescue Mission. The Strobel awards honor volunteers who provide services to the neediest in the community.
Gregory is recognized as Siloam’s founder and first volunteer physician. Siloam is a faith-based, volunteer-driven, health care clinic that cares for the uninsured, underinsured and those who have difficulty accessing health care because of language barriers.
Gregory began seeing patients for two hours on Saturday mornings in 1991. He continues today seeing patients weekly. He also serves as Siloam’s Medical Director and chairs the Program Committee.
“My work at Siloam has been a wonderful privilege, and I am very grateful that I may continue being part of an extraordinary team of people whose compassion and dedication are ever inspiring,” Gregory said. “The Strobel Award is an honor that I rightfully share with all the staff, volunteers, and students who make Siloam such a special place.”
Today, Siloam is open 45 hours a week, has a staff of 11 and more than 200 volunteers who give 6,000 hours in service annually. More than 7,000 patient encounters are anticipated this year. Siloam’s patients come from more than 100 different homelands and speak 85 different languages.
In addition to providing high-quality, affordable health care to the poor, Siloam’s staff and volunteer physicians also mentor young health care professionals. Second-year Vanderbilt Medical School students can choose Siloam as an elective. Participants are usually chosen by lottery because the class is so popular. Also, Vanderbilt medicine and med/peds residents can serve part of their primary care elective rotations at Siloam.