Earnestine Willis, MD, MPH, Honored for Excellence in Pediatrics

    MILWAUKEE, WI, September 09, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Earnestine Willis, Medical Doctor, Pediatrician, Center Director and Kellner Professor of the Pediatrics Center for the Advancement of Underserved Children at the Medical College of Wisconsin, has been recognized for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in pediatrics.

Dr. Willis has 39 years of professional experience, with 21 years as a medical doctor of the Medical College of Wisconsin. Throughout her career, she has set herself apart through her work in community medicine, community health care and a broad spectrum of health care for children. Each day, she is responsible for supervising others, developing programs, educating others and locating resource opportunities.

Dr. Willis serves as the Kellner Professor in Pediatrics and the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Underserved Children. She has almost three decades of experience in addressing health disparities by the development of successful community initiatives to include research, education and community services. Her interests include analyzing the impact of systems on children and adolescents, applied public policy, community-oriented programs, medical education, health assessments, and diversity in medicine and child advocacy.

On July 1, 2012, Dr. Willis was awarded tenure. Tenure is awarded for accomplishments beyond having achieved academic recognition, and is not simply an extension of academic recognition. It is reflective of exceptional, continuous contributions relevant to the diverse missions of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), thus an additional recognition of the individual's importance to MCW.

Looking back, Dr. Willis attributes her success to her supportive family, mentors, and friends. Dr. Willis became involved in her profession because she had an interest in kids from a young age; she started babysitting when she was 12 years old. She also wanted to give back and serve the community. Her interest in science piqued due to her chemistry teacher in college, as he had a big influence on her as he recognized her abilities to comprehend complex concepts and her people skills. After her experience of conducting research in mathematics; she realized how much of a people person she was and that is what steered her into medicine, as opposed to laboratory research work. The highlight of her career is observing her past patients' develop into productive individuals and proud parents.

Dr. Willis completed a residency in pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals of Cleveland, having earned an MD and MPH from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, respectively. She maintains affiliation with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Academic Pediatric Association, the American Public Health Association, the Society for Adolescent Medicine, the American Pediatric Society, the Academic Physician Society, the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the State and County Medical Society of Wisconsin, The Links, Incorporated, and Professional Dimensions. In 2015, she was presented with a Community Impact Award. She was also honored as a Woman of Influence by the Milwaukee Business Journal in 2013. In years to come, Dr. Willis aspires to continue to contribute and champion community medicine, to work to improve health care for children, and to advocate for change in public policies in order to improve programs and health care delivery. She hopes to leave a footprint for community health improvement.

For more information about Medical College of Wisconsin, visit http://www.mcw.edu.

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