Medical Society Names BUSM Faculty Member 2009 Community Clinician

Richard L. Kalish, MD assistant professor in the Departments of Medicine and Family Medicine at BUSM has been named 2009 Community Clinician of the Year by his physician peers of the Suffolk District Medical Society. The Community Clinician of the Year Award was established in 1998 by the Massachusetts Medical Society to recognize a physician from each of the Society’s 20 district medical societies who has made significant contributions to his or her patients and the community.

In addition to his joint academic appointment at BUSM, Dr. Kalish is the Medical Director for Boston HealthNet and serves as Medical Director of the Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan.  A board-certified internist, he practices primary care at the South Boston Community Health Center.

In nominating Dr. Kalish for the honor, his district colleagues said, “He has done an amazing job to develop a coordinated, integrated health care delivery system, promote the ability of patients to get into health care coverage, improve the fiscal health of the centers, promote the training of primary care physicians in Boston, and provide services and programs for the local area communities.”

Dr. Kalish received his bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University, a master of science in preventive medicine and MD from The Ohio State University, and a master’s in public health from Harvard University.

The Massachusetts Medical Society, with more than 21,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters covering 12 specialties. The Society is also a leader in continuing medical education for health care professionals throughout Massachusetts, conducting a variety of medical education programs for physicians and health care professionals. Founded in 1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country. For more information please visit www.massmed.org, www.nejm.org, or www.jwatch.org.