FUNDING FAMILY MEDICINE

ABOUT US   |   NEWS AND INFORMATION   |   CONTACT US   |   FACULTY JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Giving: Family and Community Medicine Endowments

To make an online donation to MU Family and Community Medicine, click here.

FUTURE OF FAMILY MEDICINE PROFESSOR

We at MU Family and Community Medicine are committed to building a better future for our specialty. This is a challenging commitment that requires us to develop innovative ways to teach students, provide care that is comprehensive, consistent, and patient-centered to individuals and families, and gain knowledge and understanding from practice-based research.

Our department is fortunate to have a group of passionate faculty and staff members who are not afraid to think outside the box as they plan for the future of our specialty. They are a spirited group who have the courage to dream, and the determination to make their dreams come true. That’s why we at MU Family Medicine feel confident and uniquely qualified to help shape the future of our specialty.

In the spring of 2006, we created the Future of Family Medicine (FFM) Endowment to sustain our efforts to renew and transform the discipline of family medicine. Our goal was to establish permanent funding for the time, energy, and planning needed to develop a new and improved model of care. When this endowment reached $550,000 in 2010, Michael LeFevre, MD, MSPH, vice chair of our department, was named the Future of Family Medicine Professor.

To make a donation to the Future of Family Medicine Professor.

JACK COLWILL, MD

JACK M. AND WINIFRED S. COLWILL ENDOWED CHAIR

The Jack M. Colwill Academic Endowment was created in May 2000 to promote excellence in education. We named it to honor Dr. Colwill, who was appointed chair of MU Family and Community Medicine in 1976. Dr. Colwill led our department for 21 years, and today, thanks in large part to his vision, dedicated leadership, and commitment to educational innovation, we are recognized as one of the premier family medicine departments in the country.

Even though he stepped down as chair in 1997, Dr. Colwill’s ongoing presence and contributions continue to have a positive impact on our department. In fact, it’s Dr. Colwill who pledged the first and largest gift to the Colwill Endowment. His incredible generosity generated much enthusiasm throughout this fundraising campaign. In fact, by 2005, donations to the fund totaled more than $1.1 million, enough to establish the first endowed chair for MU Family and Community Medicine.

Harold A. Williamson, MD, MSPH, MU Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and former department chair, serves as the Jack and Winifred Colwill Endowed Chair.

To make a donation to the Jack and Winifred Colwill Endowed Chair.

WILLIAM ALLEN, MD

WILLIAM C. ALLEN PROFESSOR

William Allen, MD, joined our faculty in 1965 and for years, he directed the rural preceptorship, which provides medical students opportunities to learn and work with family physicians in small towns across the state.

During his 25 years at the University, Dr. Allen witnessed state support steadily decrease. Recognizing that this support was vital to our department and would need to be replaced, Dr. Allen initiated a fundraising campaign in 1990. His goal was to establish the Family Practice Professorship, an endowed fund that would provide permanent support for our efforts to train future family physicians. To achieve his goal, he began writing letters twice a year to the many alumni, physicians, and friends he knew during his career. When donations reached professorship level in 1998, the department chose to name this endowment the William C. Allen Professorship in recognition of Dr. Allen’s many contributions and steadfast commitment to Family Medicine. Robin Blake, MD, served as the first Allen Professor until he retired in 2000.

Even though Dr. Allen passed away in December 2005, the Allen Professorship has continued to grow. When the William C. Allen Endowment reached $1.1 million in the spring of 2010, two distinguished faculty members were named William C. Allen Professors: Elizabeth Garrett, MD, MSPH and David Mehr, MD, MS.

To make a donation to the William C. Allen Professor.

PAUL REVARE, MD

PAUL REVARE, MD, FAMILY PROFESSOR OF FAMILY MEDICINE

Dr. Revare graduated from MU’s School of Medicine in 1952, when it was a two-year program, and then went to St. Louis University to finish his training. He practiced family medicine nearly 20 years in north Kansas City. He also practiced emergency medicine 10 years before retiring in 1983. During the 1970s, he was among the first 10 physicians in the Kansas City area to become a charter Diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice.

Before he retired, Dr. Revare devoted a lot of energy to learning how to invest his money wisely. His efforts obviously paid off because he was able to retire at the age of 55. Eager to share his investment knowledge and advice, he prepared an Investment Seminar that he presented annually to MU Family Medicine faculty and residents from 2004-2007.

Grateful to MU for the positive ways it impacted his life and career, Dr. Revare made a $550,000 donation to the University in 2005. This very generous gift was used to establish the Paul Revare Family Professorship, an endowed fund designated to support the educational mission of our department. Dr. Zweig, our chair, was named the first Paul Revare, MD, Family Professor of Family Medicine. Dr. Revare, 82, passed away in his Kansas City, MO home in August 2011.

Steven Zweig, MD, MSPH, chair and MU’s Interdisciplinary Center on Aging director, continues to serve as the Paul Revare Professor.

OPAL LEWIS DISTINGUISHED FACULTY SCHOLAR

Opal Lewis (1901-1996) was born in Matfield Green, KS, and married Donloe E. Lewis in 1921. Opal and Don had one son, Donloe B. Lewis, whose family was struck by tragedy. His oldest daughter died of leukemia at age 4. Four years later, his wife and two remaining daughters were killed in a car accident. In the years after this accident, Don B. developed an alcohol addiction. He committed suicide in 1966.

Ms. Lewis died at age 95 while living in a nursing home in Winfield, KS. Her estate left funds to MU School of Medicine for research in alcohol abuse. Opal wanted to help others who suffered from physical conditions similar to those experienced by her family.

Daniel Vinson, MD, MSPH, has been named the Opal Lewis Distinguished Faculty Scholar.