For Immediate Release: Jan. 6, 2011

AMA Foundation Honors Moore For Increasing Access To Health Care In U.S.

Contact: Dina Lindenberg
Phone: (312) 464-4193
E-mail: Dina.Lindenberg@ama-assn.org

Charles Moore, MD

Charles Moore, MD, a physician from Atlanta, Ga., is a recipient of the 2011 Pride in the Profession Awards. Presented by the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation, in association with Pfizer Inc, the award recognizes physicians who aid underserved populations in the U.S. The award will be presented on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the 2011 Excellence in Medicine Awards Ceremony, in conjunction with the AMA National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Moore saw numerous patients who would seek medical help after their disease had progressed to a point with limited treatment options. At first he would think, "someone should do something about this travesty," until he realized that he himself should be that person to act. In six years, he has singlehandedly led the nonprofit Health Education Assessment and Leadership (HEAL) from providing free medical screenings out of his personal vehicle, to establishing a mobile medical unit, to creating a physical location within the City of Refuge, a humanitarian organization. In 2011, construction will begin on a 16,000 square foot medical facility for the clinic. As volunteer CEO of HEAL, he has reduced health care disparities and increased access to health care in Atlanta, in addition to his duties as faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology at Emory University and his clinical appointment as Chief of Otolaryngology at Grady Memorial Hospital.

The patients that HEAL serves live in the fifth most dangerous neighborhood in the United States. Thirty-three percent of all households in this neighborhood are experiencing poverty, the highest percentage in the state of Georgia. With access to the HEAL Clinic, patients now can receive primary care appointments, cancer screenings, mental health assessments, dental care and specialty care appointments. They are provided with opportunities of health education, support groups, fitness and cooking classes and gardening. The HEAL Clinic provides a true medical home. Dr. Moore has recruited many medical students and more than 60 volunteer doctors, as well as developed partnerships with other medical centers and the religious community to help with this effort. The clinic has grown to serve 6,000 patients each year. Additionally, Dr. Moore consults with various groups to spread the HEAL model to other communities within the United States and in other countries.

"These Excellence in Medicine Award recipients are truly awe-inspiring," said AMA Foundation President Barney Maynard, MD. "They show everyone, inside and outside the medical community, the tremendous impact that one person can make in the world. They inspire us all to do more."

The AMA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt foundation, is the philanthropic arm of the American Medical Association and is committed to improving the health of Americans through support of quality programs in public health and medical education. Visit www.amafoundation.org.

About Grady Health System
Grady Health System is one of the largest public health systems in the United States. Grady consists of the 953-bed Grady Memorial Hospital, neighborhood health centers, Crestview Health & Rehabilitation Center and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, which is operated as a Children's affiliate.

With its nationally acclaimed Emergency Care Center and Burn Unit, Grady Health System has the only level I trauma center in the region. The state's only Poison Center is housed at Grady, as well.

The Diabetes Detection & Control Center, Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence, Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, Primary Stroke Center and Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center are also notable components of the health system. Moreover, Grady's Infectious Disease Program was named one of the top three HIV/AIDS outpatient clinics in the country.

Other exceptional medical services include Grady's Regional Perinatal Center and its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Primary Care Center, a dedicated 60 Plus service line for older adults, Teen Services, the Rape Crisis Center and a 24-hour Advice Nurse Line.

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