AAFP Foundation announces CHFM Oral History Grant award recipient

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leawood, Kan. — The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Foundation is pleased to award the inaugural Center for the History of Family Medicine (CHFM) Oral History Grant to Mēlani Douglass for her project From the Dining Room to the Doctor’s Office: Understanding Health care Decision-Making in and around Anacostia, Washington, D.C.

Douglass is the founder of the award-winning Family Arts Museum, a migratory institution focused on the celebration of family as fine art, home as curated space, and community as a gallery. Douglass’s project focused on several families based in Anacostia in Southeast Washington, D.C. who bonded after their participation in a birthing class series at a family medical center. The oral history shared the complexities of health care decision-making in the U.S., the importance of having a family physician, and the conversations that contribute to self-care in family care.

“The Foundation is excited to announce Mēlani as the recipient of this year's Oral History Grant award. The stories captured in her oral history are reminders that family physicians play a critical role in perceptions of health and serve as allies and advocates for their communities,” said Tomás Owens, M.D., FAAFP, president, AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees. “The CHFM’s Oral History Grant recognizes the unique bond family physicians have with patients, and how that bond improves access to care across communities.”

Each year, the CHFM provides up to $3,000 in grants to support the creation of oral history interviews that preserve the history of family medicine and highlight the unique experiences of patients and physicians across the country. To learn more about the Oral History Grant program, visit the AAFP Foundation website.