Reed V. Tuckson Receives 2025 Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award
I am delighted to share that Reed V. Tuckson, MD, FACP, yesterday received the 2025 Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award at the annual meeting of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). Dr. Tuckson received this prestigious recognition for his substantial contributions to advancing health education and for innovative utilization of telehealth and remote tools to enhance local and national community engagement, making health education more accessible for all Americans.
Dr. Tuckson is co-convener of the Coalition for Trust in Health & Sciences and co-founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID. Previously, he served as executive vice president and chief of Medical Affairs for UnitedHealth Group. His prior roles include serving as president of the Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, senior vice president for Professional Standards of the American Medical Association, senior vice president for the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the commissioner of public health for Washington, D.C.
In his remarks at the award ceremony, Dr. Viktor Bovbjerg, James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation board member, said: “Dr. Tuckson’s extensive expertise has enabled him to translate complex health information into accessible language across audiences, leaving a lasting impact on health education.” Thanks to Dr. Tuckson’s leadership and advocacy, more people are seeing better health outcomes and gaining the tools they need to take charge of their own health.
The Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award recognizes a distinguished leader who makes significant contributions to health education and health promotion through program development or delivery, policy, advocacy or research. Award recipients receive a $50,000 prize.
The CDC Foundation is honored to partner with the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation, which established and funds the James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health and the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award. The CDC Foundation manages and administers the Fries Awards for Health.
