Biography
Dr. Don Detmer is a Professor of Medical Education in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia. His illustrious career began with his education at Kansas University’s School of Medicine, followed by training stints at Johns Hopkins, Duke Medical Center, and the National Institutes of Health.
Commitment to Health Protection
As the Founder of Blue Ridge Academic Health Group in 1995, he promoted directing serious attention to all social drivers of health (SDOH) in academic health centers through the Blue Ridge Group Report. This report followed the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission of Social Drivers of Health Report of 2010, which discussed achieving health equity through action.
During his tenure as Vice President of Health Sciences at the University of Virginia in the 1990s, Dr. Detmer pioneered significant advancements in healthcare. Most notably, he spearheaded the transformation of the new University Hospital into Virginia’s first smoke-free hospital, setting an everlasting precedent for health-conscious policies in the region.
Dr. Detmer’s impact extends beyond Virginia state borders. His legacy of innovation began in the 1970s while training at Duke Medical Center in North Carolina, where he co-developed hospital-based ambulatory surgery practices and successfully revolutionized patient care delivery. In the early 1980s, his leadership in advocating for raising the legal drinking age in Wisconsin resulted in a measurable decrease in the vehicular death rates.