Robert Smith also pioneered the concept of the Federally Qualified Health Center, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Mississippi, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C.
- Mississippi: The American Medical Association (AMA) on Monday awarded physician Robert Smith the Medal of Valor "for fighting social injustice and providing health care to all Mississippi citizens during the civil rights era," AMA said in a release. Smith was a founder of the Medical Committee for Civil Rights and the Committee for Human Rights in the mid-1960s. According to AMA, Smith treated civil rights workers as well as other Mississippi residents during the Freedom Summer of 1964. AMA President David Barbe said, "In dangerous, volatile times in our country, Dr. Smith placed himself repeatedly in harm's way and made it his mission to stand up for the health care rights of African Americans." Smith also coauthored, founded, and implemented the concept of Federally Qualified Health Centers (Brooks, Medscape, 11/13).
- Nebraska: Beginning Jan. 15, Veronica Schmidt will serve as the next CEO of Jeanie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center. Schmidt has 22 years of health care experience. She comes to Melham after serving at the helm of a critical access hospital for six years (Vaidya, Becker's Hospital Review, 11/13).
- Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Postal Service on Nov. 30 will roll out a new stamp to raise awareness for and support research into Alzheimer's disease, which currently affects five million U.S. residents. The effort comes under the semipostal stamp program, which allows first-class stamps to be sold above the typical cost. The Alzheimer's stamps will cost 60 cents each, with the sales revenue being directed toward NIH (Blakemore, Washington Post, 11/11).
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