After 10 years of service as chair and professor of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, John Boltri, M.D., FAAFP, retired at the end of March.
Dr. Boltri began his career at NEOMED in 2014 and during his time as chair, has made a huge impact with numerous contributions in both his department and at the University level.
Some of the most notable contributions and accomplishments during his time at NEOMED are:
- Establishment of a Primary Care Training and Enhancement Fellowship.
- Selection as one of only 12 institutions nationwide to participate in the Primary Care Leadership Collaborative, offering medical students a longitudinal leadership training experience.
- Collaboration with NEOMED’s Office of Advancement to create the Magoon Leadership Award for rising M2 students and the Ross Black II Family Medicine Leadership Scholarship for rising M4 students.
- Recognition of NEOMED’s American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) with the national program of excellence award three times.
- Awarding of the highly competitive Pisacano Leadership Award to two NEOMED senior medical students, providing four years of training in medical leadership.
- Establishment and expansion of an award-winning student-run free clinic (SRFC).
- Creation of three medical student pathways -- rural, accelerated and social justice.
- Transformation of teaching space and rapid launch of a student health center during the COVID-19 pandemic, later expanded to include employee health and primary care services for the community, along with the establishment of an opioid use disorder treatment center and a travel clinic.
- Appointed to serve on the National Clinical Care Commission on prevention and treatment of diabetes and co-chair of the sub-committee on prevention. He was an author on the Final Report that made recommendations to Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Marc Basson, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine, had this to say about Dr. Boltri:
“Dr. Boltri has been a seminal and innovative leader at NEOMED, who has helped to define the unique character of our Department of Family and Community Medicine and led the Student-Run Free Clinic. He has been a strong advocate for both faculty and students. The school will miss him at many levels, and I will personally miss his counsel. We wish him the best in all his future endeavors and are grateful that he will stay engaged with us on a part-time basis.”
Dr. Boltri earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University and completed his residency at Akron City Hospital (now Summa Health System – Akron Campus). Prior to arriving at NEOMED, he was chair and professor of the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences at Wayne State University.
Dr. Boltri stated his time at NEOMED has been the pinnacle of his 24-year academic career. “I am grateful for the collaborative environment and support that NEOMED has provided me to explore and develop my passions while helping students and faculty colleagues succeed and excel.”
Dr. Boltri intends to continue his teaching and mentoring endeavors on a part-time basis, including serving as a reflective practice leader and volunteering at the Student-Run Free Clinic.
Please join us in wishing Dr. Boltri all the best in his retirement!