Families, Systems, & Health 2014, Vol. 32, No. 1, 4 –5
© 2014 American Psychological Association 1091-7527/14/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/fsh0000010
THE 2013 DON BLOCH AWARD
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
A Tribute to Frank V. deGruy on the Occasion of Honoring Him With the Donald Bloch Award Susan H. McDaniel, PhD
Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD
University of Rochester Medical Center
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver
Frank V. deGruy III. Very few names are as unique as the message they deliver and the positions they hold: Family physician; department chair; Institute of Medicine member; author; father; son; husband; health services researcher; clinician; mentor; president; board chair; advisor; consultant; innovator; athlete; friend. His name pretty much says it all. A synthesizing, innovative thinker, he is always “Frank” in his assessment of an issue. As often as it is mispronounced, “deGruy” implies measurement, quality, achievement, and all things Frank. Frank deGruy—whether at the Institute of Medicine or the North American Primary Care Research Group— his name is referenced as a leader in integrated, collaborative primary care; he invariably delivers when called upon for a fresh perspective, the big picture, to focus and point us toward the future. If you’ve spent any time with this visionary, you know that he represents the best of the progressive South. He has a passion for any kind of music; and a love for skiing and all things athletic. He is also an Olympic-level listener. When he focuses in on you with laser-like attention, you know his response will inform your topic and take it one or two steps closer to the soul of what you said.
Although quiet by nature, his passions are powerful and you soon hear what he cares about (comprehensive primary care, the health of the population, you). Proving an accent is always a good thing, when he speaks, every ear in the room is bent in his direction. Within his words there is wisdom; within his delivery he can engage and save us all. He motivates and challenges us to create better systems of primary care that adequately address mental health and patient need. The Donald Bloch Award is going to Frank V. deGruy in 2013 because of his pioneering, visionary work on collaborative care: • In his 1996 Institute of Medicine report on mental health in primary care, Frank challenged any and all to question whether mental health and primary care can be separated. He goes so far as to describe the two as “inseparable,” saying attempts to segregate the two inevitably leads to “inferior” care. • His research connected ambiguous, unexplained symptoms with a history of trauma and abuse. • His persistent ability to express the need for integrated care in passionate but coherent writings and presentations, acting as an itinerant preacher proselytizing to the uninformed (and often antagonistic) leaders and practitioners in mainstream medicine and mental health. • At the University of Colorado, actualizing his vision with an outstanding group of talented zealots who advance integrated care through state and regional implementation projects, research, and national-level policy. • During his presidency of Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA), Frank oversaw hiring a full-time, high-end Executive Director. He continued and grew the policy arm of the organization, including
Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine and Department of Psychiatry; Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine, Mail Stop F496, Academic Office 1, 12631 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045. E-mail: [email protected]. edu 4
A TRIBUTE TO FRANK V. DEGRUY
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
advocating for innovative payment mechanisms for collaborative care. He argued for and pursued more diversity in our membership. He involved the organization in grantgetting, to study all aspects of the implementation of integration on the ground. And he argued for and implemented collaboration with other like-minded organizations.
5
Frank V. deGruy III: We are grateful for his vision, his leadership, and his dedication to collaborative care. He is the Donald Bloch of our time, and we are pleased to honor him today with this award. Received October 17, 2013 Accepted November 4, 2013 䡲
© 2014 American Psychological Association 1091-7527/14/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/fsh0000010
THE 2013 DON BLOCH AWARD
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
A Tribute to Frank V. deGruy on the Occasion of Honoring Him With the Donald Bloch Award Susan H. McDaniel, PhD
Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD
University of Rochester Medical Center
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver
Frank V. deGruy III. Very few names are as unique as the message they deliver and the positions they hold: Family physician; department chair; Institute of Medicine member; author; father; son; husband; health services researcher; clinician; mentor; president; board chair; advisor; consultant; innovator; athlete; friend. His name pretty much says it all. A synthesizing, innovative thinker, he is always “Frank” in his assessment of an issue. As often as it is mispronounced, “deGruy” implies measurement, quality, achievement, and all things Frank. Frank deGruy—whether at the Institute of Medicine or the North American Primary Care Research Group— his name is referenced as a leader in integrated, collaborative primary care; he invariably delivers when called upon for a fresh perspective, the big picture, to focus and point us toward the future. If you’ve spent any time with this visionary, you know that he represents the best of the progressive South. He has a passion for any kind of music; and a love for skiing and all things athletic. He is also an Olympic-level listener. When he focuses in on you with laser-like attention, you know his response will inform your topic and take it one or two steps closer to the soul of what you said.
Although quiet by nature, his passions are powerful and you soon hear what he cares about (comprehensive primary care, the health of the population, you). Proving an accent is always a good thing, when he speaks, every ear in the room is bent in his direction. Within his words there is wisdom; within his delivery he can engage and save us all. He motivates and challenges us to create better systems of primary care that adequately address mental health and patient need. The Donald Bloch Award is going to Frank V. deGruy in 2013 because of his pioneering, visionary work on collaborative care: • In his 1996 Institute of Medicine report on mental health in primary care, Frank challenged any and all to question whether mental health and primary care can be separated. He goes so far as to describe the two as “inseparable,” saying attempts to segregate the two inevitably leads to “inferior” care. • His research connected ambiguous, unexplained symptoms with a history of trauma and abuse. • His persistent ability to express the need for integrated care in passionate but coherent writings and presentations, acting as an itinerant preacher proselytizing to the uninformed (and often antagonistic) leaders and practitioners in mainstream medicine and mental health. • At the University of Colorado, actualizing his vision with an outstanding group of talented zealots who advance integrated care through state and regional implementation projects, research, and national-level policy. • During his presidency of Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA), Frank oversaw hiring a full-time, high-end Executive Director. He continued and grew the policy arm of the organization, including
Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine and Department of Psychiatry; Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine, Mail Stop F496, Academic Office 1, 12631 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045. E-mail: [email protected]. edu 4
A TRIBUTE TO FRANK V. DEGRUY
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
advocating for innovative payment mechanisms for collaborative care. He argued for and pursued more diversity in our membership. He involved the organization in grantgetting, to study all aspects of the implementation of integration on the ground. And he argued for and implemented collaboration with other like-minded organizations.
5
Frank V. deGruy III: We are grateful for his vision, his leadership, and his dedication to collaborative care. He is the Donald Bloch of our time, and we are pleased to honor him today with this award. Received October 17, 2013 Accepted November 4, 2013 䡲
