CFHC Physician Honored

Dec. 8, 2008

Dr. Michael Mendoza, a Family Physician for Chicago Family Health Center and the University of Chicago Medical Center has been honored by the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians with the 2008 Family Medicine Teacher of the Year- Part Time faculty award.

Each year, the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians presents this award to one full-time and one part-time physician. A nominee for this honor must exhibit the special values intrinsic to family medicine and each nominee must provide outstanding care that only a family physician can provide. This award also recognizes the family physician for their outstanding service to students and colleagues as a teacher who best personifies excellence in teaching the specialty of family medicine.

Dr. Mendoza splits his time as he works for both Chicago Family Health Center and the University under the umbrella of the South Side Health Collaborative Program. The program provides physicians the opportunity to practice in a community healthcare setting while also training new medical students in the field of community based medicine. “Dr. Mendoza serves as an example of a dedicated, passionate physician who knows the importance of practicing in communities where quality healthcare is not always accessible,” said Warren J. Brodine, CEO of Chicago Family Health Center. “He also knows the importance of sharing that knowledge with the next generation of medical providers so they too can commit themselves to addressing the health issues that are most relevant in the communities we serve,” Brodine added.

During his time on the faculty at the University of Chicago, Dr. Mendoza has served as the formal advisor to ten medical students, five of whom are entering family medicine. At a school that typically graduates one or two family physicians each year, six students chose family medicine in 2008. Along with his duties precepting, lecturing and advising, Dr. Mendoza works with summer research students and also studies health disparities. He is currently working on research focusing on translating research into practice using secondary analysis of administrative databases to accelerate the use of innovation into primary care practices.

Dr. Mendoza will be presented this honor at the IAFP Annual Meeting Awards Banquet in December in St. Louis. Again, congratulations to Dr. Mendoza on a wonderful honor.