12.05.2019 / Press Release

Statement: Honoring a Dedicated Pediatrician, Medical Activist and Advocate for Health Care Justice

Washington, D.C. – Families USA Executive Director Frederick Isasi released the following statement regarding the passing of Fitzhugh Mullan, MD.

“We are saddened to hear that Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan, a professor of health policy and management and pediatrics at George Washington University, has passed away. In addition to having a storied career as a pediatrician, he was an amazing advocate for health care justice and workforce issues.

His passion for helping others was evident throughout his career—from serving as a civil rights doctor in Holmes County, Mississippi; writing a book on medical activism, White Coat, Clenched Fist and producing academic and public policy work on health equity.

And he did not let a cancer diagnosis stop him. He wrote a second book, Vital Signs: A Young Doctor’s Struggle with Cancer, an article for the New England Journal of Medicine, “Seasons of Survival: Reflections of a Physician with Cancer” and founded the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.

His other contributions include providing Congressional testimony that resulted in the Teaching Health Centers program in the Affordable Care Act, founding the Beyond Flexner Alliance—which serves to advance the social mission in health professions education—and serving pediatric patients in low-income Washington, DC neighborhoods.

We salute Dr. Mullan’s professional and personal work and are thankful for the legacy he left as an advocate and champion of a more just and equitable health care system.”