Where Are They Now: Dr. Jerry P. Abraham, MD, MPH, CMQ

In honor of our 75th anniversary, we are revisiting the stories of individuals who have shaped the AMA Foundation’s history and following up to see where they are today.

One of those individuals is Jerry P. Abraham, MD, MPH, CMQ, recipient of the 2022 Dr. Debasish Mridha Spirit of Medicine Award, who was honored for his extraordinary leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. When his Los Angeles clinic was initially excluded from early vaccine distribution, he became a vocal advocate, taking decisive action to secure doses for his patients. Under his leadership, Kedren Community Health Center became a leading COVID-19 response center, delivering more than 400,000 vaccinations, with a focus on ensuring equitable access for communities of color and other priority populations across Los Angeles County.

Dr. Jerry P. Abraham, MD, MPH, CMQ

Today, Dr. Abraham continues to advance health equity as the director of public health, integration, and street medicine at Kedren Community Health Center, a historically black institution, acute psychiatric hospital, and federally qualified health center located in South Los Angeles.

In addition to his public health leadership, Dr. Abraham is an assistant professor of family and community medicine and psychiatry at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, the nation’s fourth historically Black medical school. He also serves as the Physician Member of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Hearing Board and was a principal author of the AMA resolution declaring climate change a public health emergency. Dr. Abraham holds leadership roles with the AMA, California Medical Association, and several organizations dedicated to LGBTQ+ health, climate justice, HIV prevention, and public health innovation.

Beyond his clinical and teaching roles, Dr. Abraham remains an active member of the AMA Foundation community. He has served as a mentor for participants in the Leadership Development Institute and is actively involved in the LGBTQ+ Health Program.

Jeanette Rios, MD, with LDI mentor Jerry Abraham, MD, MPH, CMQ