The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected Anita Ravi and Alyssa Tilhou as the 2024 James C. Puffer, MD/American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Fellows.
Anita Ravi, MD, MPH, MSHP, FAAFP
Dr. Anita Ravi is an ABFM board-certified family physician and a distinguished health care leader specializing in the care of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). She is a Founder and CEO of the PurpLE Health Foundation, a nationally recognized non-profit organization pioneering a center of health care excellence for survivors of GBV to improve care for women, girls, and gender-diverse people who have experienced human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
Dr. Ravi’s expertise and dedication in the field of GBV and health care have driven the development of comprehensive clinical, research, training, and advocacy programs that have garnered widespread acclaim. Her influence extends beyond clinical practice into public health research and policy, with her work featured in reports by the NAM and the World Health Organization (WHO) and highlighted in prominent media outlets. A highly sought-after speaker and educator, Dr. Ravi is known for using creative tools, such as drawing and repurposing classic games, to emphasize the urgent need for radical transformation in the health care system for GBV survivors.
Alyssa Tilhou, MD, PhD
Dr. Alyssa Tilhou is an ABFM board-certified family physician, addiction medicine subspecialist, and health services researcher. She is an assistant professor and research director in the department of family medicine at Boston University. She practices family medicine and addiction medicine at Boston Medical Center where she is a physician in the family medicine clinic and attends on the inpatient addiction consult service.
Dr. Tilhou’s research aims to reduce health inequities by leveraging large secondary data to identify strategies and opportunities for intervention to improve health outcomes. She has a particular interest in improving the health of patients with substance use disorders by enabling access to high quality primary care and substance use services. Her work has used secondary sources such as Medicaid claims, commercial and employer-sponsored insurance claims, and electronic health record data. She also has experience leading mixed methods studies and strives to create opportunities for patient and community voices to be represented in the research process. Her research has been funded by Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K08DA058052).
As NAM Fellows, Drs. Ravi and Tilhou will each receive a flexible research grant to further their careers. Named in honor of James C. Puffer, MD, president and chief executive officer emeritus of the ABFM, the fellowship program enables talented, early-career health policy and science scholars in family medicine to participate in the work of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and further their careers as future leaders in the field. The NAM Fellows continue their primary responsibilities while engaging part-time over a two-year period in the National Academies’ health and science policy work.
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences, and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
For media inquiries, please email media@theabfm.org.
In 2015, Dr. Wagner received an offer to practice preventative medicine for Kaiser Hospital in Vallejo, CA. So, at the age of 72, he happily returned to the front lines of patient care.
“During the last 10 years, I’ve been in the office seeing patients. It’s a world that’s perfect for me,” Dr. Wagner said, “I believe you have to connect with patients to be happy in your practice.”
At the age of 81, Dr. Wagner has embraced a second retirement, spending free time with his wife, Eris, and keeping track of five children and six grandchildren. He still gets asked for medical advice however, as everyone knows his long history with family medicine. “I consult family members, neighbors…everyone who knows me calls if something is going on. I don’t treat anyone, but I still talk to them. That hasn’t stopped,” he said.
“I love family medicine, and my hope is that physicians will keep a personal touch with their patients. It makes a difference,” Dr. Wagner explained. “There are statistics that show patients are often prescribed medicine they don’t take, and I think it’s because they don’t have personal confidence in their physicians. The connections you make can lead to better quality of life for your patients.”
Congratulations to Dr. Wagner on his well-earned retirement, and thank you for your 50+ years of patient care and commitment to the specialty of family medicine.
