Boston Haitian doctor honored with prestigious award

January 27, 2010 by Reporter Staff

Dr. Michele DavidBoston resident Michele David, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP, an immigrant from Haiti, has received the 2010 William A. Hinton Award.
David was selected by Public Health Commissioner Dr. John Auerbach in recognition of her many years of activism, commitment to public health and tireless work to educate others in order that they may better understand, promote and support efforts to eliminate health inequities. David is an assistant professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine, director of community health programs at Boston University Center of Excellence in Women's Health and co-director of the Boston Medical Center Haitian Health Institute.
"This award comes at a time of great tragedy for me and my homeland," said David in a statement released yesterday. "I am honored to have been recognized for my work to help eliminate health inequities for people of color, however there is more which must be done."
The award is named in honor of one of the first African-American graduates of Harvard Medical School who made tremendous contributions in the field of immunology. David is also the scheduled keynote speaker of the William A. Hinton Lecture, a collaboration between the Harvard School of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in observance of Black History Month. The lecture honors leaders who address challenges and improvements in health care within communities of color.
The Haitian Health Institute at Boston Medical Center (HHI at BMC) provides culturally and linguistically sensitive care for the Boston Haitian community. Under David's direction, HHI physicians collaborate with other community organizations to provide
informational health outreach though the Haitian media, to investigate barriers to health care and the means of removing those
barriers, and to identity and promote strategies which encourage preventive physical and mental health.