Ada Stewart, MD - May 2, 2022 by Center for the History of Family Medicine published on 2022-05-02T15:30:05Z Interviewee: Ada Steward, MD, FAACP Interviewer: Crystal Bauer Date: May 2, 2022 On a timeline, it is easy to trace Dr. Ada Steward’s life. It began as a child in a Cleveland, Ohio, housing project. Then came pharmacy school and medical school which propelled her into careers. She added even more involvement by joining the U. S. Army Reserves. Her leadership skills were further honed in the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Yes, this list is impressive. But even more inspiring are her reasons for choosing to work in medicine for so many years. Then as a National Health Service Corps scholar during medical school, she felt an even greater desire to serve and connect with a community. Consequently, she joined the Richland Community Health Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Since her family medicine residency, she has remained with the same organization and the same patients serving them in rural and urban centers. “It’s been a blessing,” she says. Here she has been able to focus on HIV medicine and hospice care based on the needs of the community. As a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, she hopes to do more about addressing the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease. Both the AMA and the AAFP have greatly benefitted from her leadership. While a medical student, she served on the AMA’s Minority Affairs Consortium and testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ delegates. She continued her involvement with the AMA by serving as an AAFP delegate. One of her most prestigious titles has been the first black woman to become AAFP President. She has served as the Board Chairman and has been honored to have the opportunity to sit as the inaugural chair of the newly created Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness in Family Medicine. Genre Storytelling