Richard A. Smith (physician) facts for kids

Richard A. Smith (1932–2017) was an important African American doctor. He was part of a special team that worked to make sure all hospitals in the United States were fair and open to everyone, no matter their race, in the 1960s. This was called desegregating hospitals.

Dr. Smith also created one of the first training programs for Physician Assistants (PAs) in the U.S. A Physician Assistant is a healthcare professional who works with doctors to care for patients. His program was called MEDEX. Later, he started MEDEX International, which helped train healthcare workers in other countries too.

Richard A. Smith: A Doctor Who Made a Difference

Early Life and Learning

Richard A. Smith studied hard and earned two degrees from Howard University. He received his first degree in 1953 and became a medical doctor (MD) in 1957. After that, he got special training at the University of Washington to learn about public health and how to prevent diseases in communities. In 1960, he earned another important degree, an MPH (Master of Public Health), from Columbia University.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Dr. Smith was recognized for his amazing work in healthcare. In 1972, he was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Medicine. This is a very important group of experts in health and medicine.

In 1981, he received the Rockefeller Public Service Award. This award honored him "for developing new methods of health care," meaning he found new and better ways to help people get healthy. In 1999, he also received an award from the U.S. Public Health Service, which is a government group that works to protect the health of all Americans.