WASHINGTON, DC–Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is pleased to announce that Mark D. Smith, California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) president and CEO, will receive the 2014 Terrance Keenan Leadership Award in Health Philanthropy. The award pays tribute to health grantmakers whose work is distinguished by leadership, innovation, and achievement, as well as creativity, risk taking, and boldness.
“When Mark Smith talks, people listen” is a common accolade attributed to Dr. Smith, a board-certified internist recognized for his remarkable talent, vision, and dedication. Dr. Smith has led CHCF since its inception in 1996, guiding the organization to be one of the most forward-thinking foundations in the country. Under his leadership, CHCF has granted significant funds and resources to develop and promote innovative solutions, including Health-e-App, the first fully automated Web-based application in the United States for enrolling low-income children and pregnant women in public health insurance programs. More recently, Dr. Smith spearheaded the creation of CHCF’s Health Innovation Fund, an investment fund to support entrepreneurs with business concepts that have the potential to significantly lower the total cost of care and substantially improve access to care for Californians.
“Mark Smith is a visionary who stands at the intersection of health philanthropy, medicine, and the health care marketplace,” said A. Eugene Washington, Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences, and Dean, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles, who nominated Dr. Smith for the award. “Mark has never shied away from controversial topics and is open to being challenged on the merits of a variety of perspectives.”
Dr. Smith is a clinical faculty member at the University of California-San Francisco, and an attending physician at the Positive Health Program for AIDS care at San Francisco General Hospital. Prior to joining CHCF, he served as executive vice president at The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
GIH established the Terrance Keenan Leadership Award in 1993 in honor of Terrance Keenan and his more than 40 years of service and contributions to the field of health philanthropy. GIH will present the award to Dr. Smith at its annual meeting, March 5-7 in Atlanta.