The Washington Academy of Family Physicians is proud to honor Russell Maier, MD, as its 2011 Family Medicine Educator of the Year.
Dr. Maier is a skilled educator whose work has significantly impacted both the regional and national medical education landscape. Russell was perhaps fated to teach. His father was a philosophy professor at Whitman, and his mother a kindergarten teacher and elementary school principal. His enthusiasm for learning and teaching is contagious, as he has extraordinary abilities to transcend something ordinary to stimulate learning. He is unfazed by adversity; always offering a cheerful, optimistic approach to struggling residents. Over the years his involvement and contributions to medical education, have included his tenure as a University of Washington family medicine resident, then as chief resident, Central Washington Family Medicine faculty member and now as director of that program.
Since 1993, Dr. Maier has worked with the Central Washington Family Medicine Residency (CWFMC), which has survived challenges in recruiting residents and faculty, working with competing hospitals, and being in a community where bilingual care is critical, largely because of Dr. Maier’s leadership. Russell and his wife, fellow family doctor Sara Cate, are well respected community leaders committed to improving the health of Yakima residents. Their work, among many projects, has educated stakeholders about the health risks of the Hanford nuclear site, and the need for fluoridation in the water.
The third year Family Medicine clerkship is one of many teaching programs Russell has made his mark on. From 1993-2005, Dr. Maier was a clerkship site director; overseeing medical students in his program in Yakima, which has had a significant, positive impact on the family medicine pipeline. In addition, he served on the clerkship steering committee and helped administer required clerkships at over 20 sites in five WWAMI states. He made important contributions to curricular development and mentored many younger site directors. He continues to help medical students by orchestrating field trips to Yakima for the Second Year Rural Class and by visiting clerkship training sites, contributing greatly to the program’s high ratings by University of Washington medical students.
Medical students enjoy learning from Dr. Maier, which is reflected in his recent high evaluation rating of a 6 (on a 1-6 scale) in areas of knowledge and analytical skills; enthusiastic and stimulating learning; involving the student; direction and feedback; and overall teaching experience.
Russell has demonstrated remarkable leadership over many years working with community and physician leaders to overcome distrust of fluoridating the water supply. Further, he is nationally recognized for his leadership in this field, having developed the Smiles of Life oral health curriculum, which educates students and family medicine residents on improving oral care provided by primary care physicians. Russell also keeps a keen eye on the state and national policymaking processes and leads the state family medicine residency directors’ advocacy efforts. Russell’s leadership and collaborative style has helped forge the successful advocacy presence family medicine has enjoyed in Washington State in recent years.
Dr. Russell Maier models the highest standards of medical care, training, and professionalism in his dealings with students, colleagues, friends and patients.