MaryAnn O'Hara, MD, Physician Leadership Award

2008 - Ellie Graham, MD, MPH

Dr. Graham works as a pediatrician at Harborview Medical Center, the University of Washington Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the UW medical system.  She has developed successful programs to foster culturally-tailored and ethnically diverse community health programs, such as "EthnoMed" and "Community House Calls."  She has drawn attention to important issues affecting Maternal and Child Health, with a particular focus on medical practices that support breastfeeding mothers.

2007 - Anne Montgomery, MD, FAAFP, FABM, IBCLC

Dr. Montgomery is a board-certified Family Physician and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, currently practicing at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane. She became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 1997, and has supported numerous breastfeeding families throughout her career.

Among her peers, Dr. Montgomery is known as a breastfeeding expert and has assisted numerous health care providers in the medical management of their lactating patients. She is passionate about birth and breastfeeding advocacy, and lectures frequently on these subjects. She was a member of the South Sound Breastfeeding Task Force while living in Olympia.

Dr. Montgomery is a Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington, and a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). She sits on the AAFP Breastfeeding Task Force and participated in the writing of the AAFP position paper on breastfeeding. In addition, Dr. Montgomery was an accredited La Leche League Leader, served as a Medical Associate for La Leche League International and on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

2006 - Jay Fathi, MD

Dr. Jay Fathi is recognized as an outstanding family physician, teacher, and community leader. He currently serves as Chief of Family Medicine at Swedish Medical Center, is a physician at the 45th Street Community Health Clinic, and teaches as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine in the University of Washington Family Medicine Network. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dr. Fathi is a devoted husband and adoring father of two breastfed boys.

As Co-Chair of the Washington Academy of Family Medicine's Committee on School and Child Health, Dr. Fathi garnered support for legislation to protect women's right to breastfeed. He also helped educate fellow physicians about the importance of breastfeeding to maternal and child health.

As the Chair of Family Medicine at Swedish Medical Center, Dr. Fathi's leadership was instrumental to the success of the first day-long lactation training at Swedish last year. He also helped establish and serves as Chair of the Lactation Quality Improvement Committee at Swedish Medical Center. The committee aims to ensure evidenced-based lactation education, policies, and practices at Swedish Medical Center. These activities are significant, as hospital practices and policies strongly influence women's success with breastfeeding.

Dr. Fathi's work to affect policy change and increase support for breastfeeding in the community and within the medical profession, significantly improves the health and well-being of our children and communities.

2005 - MaryAnn O'Hara, MD

Dr. MaryAnn O'Hara, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington, a Board Member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, a member of the United States Breastfeeding Committee, Chair of the WA Academy of Family Physicians' Committee on Child Health, and Co-chair of the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington. With graduate degrees in both public health and social anthropology, she has studied scientific and cultural aspects of breastfeeding, and is a noted researcher on breastfeeding issues.

MaryAnn is known as a passionate, articulate, and dedicated advocate for mothers and babies. In addition to caring clinically for families, she works to improve knowledge about and support for maternal-child health and breastfeeding in the medical profession, in the community and in health policies. She helps educate other physicians by mentoring residents, lecturing at medical conferences and contributing to medical literature. She gives hours of her time by providing commentary to the press, appearing on news and radio programs, responding to inaccuracies and unsupportive messages about breastfeeding and attending endless meetings locally, nationally and internationally.

MaryAnn is a key link between breastfeeding advocates, the public, and the scientific community.

As Joan Danison, the other co-chair of the Breastfeeding coalition of Washington shares, "There are few people as humble in attitude, genuine in presentation, and compassionate in action. I feel deeply honored to be counted among her colleagues. She has been and continues to be, a personal mentor and an exemplary model to her fellow medical practitioners."

It is with deep respect that the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington establishes the MaryAnn O'Hara, MD, Physician Leadership Award in honor of Dr. MaryAnn O'Hara. This award will be presented each year to a medical student, resident, or physician who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to maternal and child health through advocacy of breastfeeding education and support in the community, and within the medical profession.