Robert D. Sparks Community Health Endowment Fund and Leadership Achievement Award

This Endowment Fund was established in 1997 by Robert D. Sparks, MD, and matching contributions by the Kellogg Foundation. Originally named the Leadership Achievement Fund, the CMA Foundation voted to change the name to the Robert D. Sparks Community Health Endowment Fund in 1999 in honor of the original donor and first President and CEO of the CMA Foundation, Robert D. Sparks, MD.

The purpose of the Fund is to honor an individual or a group that has shown outstanding concern for the health of communities and demonstrated efforts consistent with the mission of the CMA Foundation, which is:

The California Medical Association Foundation, a partnership of leaders in medicine, related health professions, and the community, supports advances in individual and community health.

The Guidelines for the Leadership Achievement Award are:

1. The Robert D. Sparks Community Health Endowment Fund supports an annual award to be made by the CMA Foundation Board of Directors.
2. The Award shall be given to a person or organization from any role (not just physicians) that the CMA Foundation Board of Directors identifies as making an important contribution consistent with the mission of the CMA Foundation.
3. Funds added to this dedicated Endowment will increase the amount available for the Annual Award and the funding of the CMA Foundation Community Health Projects.
4. The Annual Honoree will be provided a plaque, a cash amount from the Endowment Fund to be awarded to the individual or to an eligible organization selected by the Honoree, and the expenses for the Honoree to attend the awarding of the honor.
5. The award will be given in conjunction with the CMA Foundation Leadership Recognition Dinner or a similar event organized by the CMA Foundation such as a meeting of the CMA Foundation Members (the CMA Board of Trustees).
6. Nominations will be solicited from the CMA Foundation Board of Directors, the CMA Foundation Members, and the CMA Foundation Staff, the CMA and its Staff, the CMA and its officers and staff, the CMA affiliated organizations, and from the public, as determined by the CMA Foundation Board of Directors.
7. Nominations will be submitted to the CMA Foundation CEO with appropriate information to support the nomination, and the material will be submitted to the CMA Foundation Program and Development Committee for selection of the Award winner three months in advance of the date the award is to be given.

List of Past Honorees

1997: University of California-San Francisco Berkeley Joint Medical Education Program was honored because of the Program's emphasis on education of future physicians about community health issues.

1998: Stephen L. Hansen, MD and Ann Hansen were honored for their efforts to combat the use of tobacco products by people of all ages but by youths particularly. (A joint award with the CMA Alliance)

1999: Rolland C. Lowe, MD was honored for his outstanding efforts in philanthropy and active involvement in improving the health of his community.

2000: Ethnic Health Institute was honored for its multi-cultural coalition addressing community health issues.

2001: Ernie Bodai, MD was honored for organizing the successful campaign for a postage stamp to raise funds for breast cancer research.

2002: CalOptima was honored for their multicultural outreach to the community.

2003: Steve Heilig, MPH was honored for his leadership and activism in the medical and public health community on complex and far-reaching issues.

2004: Ernest L. Levister, Jr., MD was honored for his 30 years of service to the community, particularly his work in the African-American community and diversity in healthcare work force.

2005: Jack L. Gilliland, MD was honored for his 30 years of service to his patients and his community, particularly his work to increase access to health care to the uninsured in San Joaquin County.

2006: Antelope Valley Partners in Health was honored for their dedication to providing access to health care services for medically vulnerable and underserved residents of the Antelope Valley.

2007:Condessa Curley, MD was honored for her numerous community and global health improvement efforts that include peer-to-peer leadership to educate women of color about HIV/AIDS prevention and self-esteem building, as well as hand-on AIDS education in various regions of Africa.

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