Ron Davis, MD, MPH, RIP
2008.06.17 Alik and Ron Davis at AMA Annual
Originally uploaded by mdrnprometheus.
turnberryknkn mentioned it briefly a day or so ago: on Thursday, just as most of us were convening for the AMA meeting in Orlando, we were told that Dr. Ron Davis, our President last year, died at home after battling pancreatic cancer throughout his presidential year. That photo was taken this June; at the time, he was not curable, but seemed stable and strong. I didn't really think it'd be the last time I saw him.
Ron started in the Medical Student Section and worked his way up over decades. He was everything you could want from the leader of America's physicians -- funny, friendly, and completely devoted to always doing the right thing for patients. He was almost universally respected and beloved, and right as he took the job that he'd wanted for over a decade, he received the news that he was probably in his last year on this Earth.
Some people might get a bit depressed by that. Ron took the news as a sign to double his efforts and cram as much as possible into that single year. He barnstormed across the country promoting our plans for universal health coverage, even when chemo side effects left him barely unable to eat. He spent time with his family, but spent just as much time at meetings and in Washington. He used his internal political capital to push us forward, including a historic public apology to black physicians for our prior institutional racism. Above all, he reminded us to follow his example and never stop working. I can't read his "Circle of Life" speech without tearing up. (The video's even worse, and I'm trying to find a link.)
Before our moment of silence yesterday, Ron was mentioned as a loving husband and father, a caring physician, and a passionate advocate for his patients. That's pretty much everything any of us could hope would be said when we pass on.
You are deeply missed, Ron, and we will carry on in your name.