Skip to content
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
PA logo
DONATE

search

  • About The Society

    Who Are We

    Dedicated to the history and legacy of the physician assistant profession

    Collection Description

    Chronicles the development of various professional organizations

    Founding Members

    Individuals who joined us during our first year

    Mission, Vision & Values

    Learn about our mission, vision & values

    PA Veterans Garden

    Visit the McElligott PA Veterans Garden

    PAHx History & Projects

    Explore our history and projects

    News & Events

    See what’s new at PAHx
    X icon
  • Information & Links

    Initial State Recognition of Physician Assistants

    Find out when your state started recognizing the PA profession

    Our Associates

    View the Associates of the PA History Society

    Past Presidents of the National Organizations

    View our past presidents

    National Conference

    View the locations & dates for the National Conference

    PA Glossary

    Abbreviations, acronyms & titles associated with the physician assistant profession

    Preserving History

    Find several resources for preserving, documenting & archiving historical documents and materials

    Trivia

    Test your PA history knowledge

    Newsletter

    Read the most recent issue

    Helpful Links

    Find links and additional resources

    Search Options

    View our different search options

  • Illustrated History

    Archival Research

    Use finding aids for our collections

    Biographies

    Read our numerous biographies

    Collection & Exhibits

    Our collection features artwork, artifacts and exhibitions

    Oral Histories

    Listen or watch oral history interviews from PAs or those close to the profession's history

    Research Library & References

    Library collections, books and serials

    Videos

    Our moving image collection includes film and video

    Photos

    Slides, photographs, negatives & others

    Historical Perspectives

    Essays, personal narratives and long articles on aspects of PA history

    PA Timeline

    View important milestones and events

    International PA Timeline

    View international milestones and events

    Historical Highlights

    Orgs that are saving and preserving their history

    Celebrating 50

    PA programs that have celebrated their 50th anniversaries

  • Support The Society

    How To Support Us

    Help our staff work with organizations, institutions, researchers and archivists

    Friends of the Society

    View our friends and find out how to become one

    Our Associates

    Become an active partner

    First Class Photos

    First class photos of our Associates

    PA History Books

    Find out how to order your copy

    PA History Products

    Lapel pins, posters, and art prints

    Become an Active Participant

    Learn how to support us
    X icon
  • Contact

Robert Curry, MD, MPH

X icon

As a pediatrician with additional academic preparation in public health and preventive medicine, Dr. Robert Henry Curry has had a stellar career as an educator, administrator and researcher. His expertise is in program development, implementation, evaluation and accreditation. Administratively, he helped develop quality improvement programs for physicians and other health care providers in managed care.

In 1975, Dr. Curry was recruited to Emory University in Atlanta, GA, as program and medical director of the Physician Assistant Program, replacing Dr. Robert Jewett who left Emory to become the first dean of the new East Tennessee State University Medical School in Johnson City, TN. As a PA educator, Dr. Curry served as a member of the board and later president (1984) of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs (now the PAEA). In 1981 he became associate professor of Community Health and the Winship Cancer Center. As a faculty member in the department of Community Health, he directed four, community-based, primary clinics attached to Grady Memorial Hospital. In 1991, he was appointed professor and chair of the newly named Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. As chair, he was able to redirect the department’s focus on community-oriented primary care, prevention and health services and policy research.

Dr. Curry earned a BA degree in English from Emory University (1965) and received a Masters of Public Health in Management and Health Policy from Emory University (1980). He obtained his MD degree from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine in Miami, FL (1970) and completed his postgraduate training in pediatrics at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB, 1970-1973). After completing a one-year fellowship in pediatric infectious disease at the National Institute of Health (NIH), he returned and joined the UAB medical faculty.
He has published in Public Health Reports, Gerontology and Geriatric Education, Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, Academic Medicine, Cancer Practice, Social Science and Medicine, and Medical Anthropology Quarterly. His latest research projects involve evaluation of Medicaid managed care programs, including Georgia Better Health Care and the Medicaid HMO Program.

Prior to retirement, Dr. Curry was Professor and Director of the Center for Health Services Research, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. He maintained his interest in the PA profession by serving on the board and as chair (1988-1989) of the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA, then JRC-PA). In 1992, he was chosen to work with The Atlanta Project as liaison for the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. Also, that same year, he was asked to serve on Georgia’s Advisory Council on Rural Health.

Dr. Curry is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Georgia Chapter), American Public Health Association, Medical Association of Georgia and Medical Association of Atlanta. He is also a former board member of the Kerr L. White Institute, Decatur, GA and the Atlanta Regional Health Forum. Dr. Curry received the Secretary’s Award of Excellence of the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Community Health Promotions Program in 1988 and the Outstanding Service Award of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs in 1990.

Acknowledgments: This biography was prepared by Reginald Carter and submitted to the Society in August 2020. The photographs are courtesy of the PAHx Society, Johns Creek, GA. Information for this biography was extracted from online biographical information accessed on August 11, 2020 from the Atlanta Regional Health Forum – Board of Directors. Robert H. Curry, M.D., M.P.H. at www.arhf.net (4 Feb 2007) [cached] and from biographical files provided by Ashley D. Stevens, Archivist at the WHSC Historical Collections, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

When using information from this biography, please provide the proper citation as described within the PA History Society Terms of Use.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
biography
biography
PA logo
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram

About Us

  • Who Are We
  • Collection Description
  • Founding Members
  • Our Mission, Vision & Values
  • PAHx History & Projects
  • Newsletter

Information

  • Initial State Recognition Of PAs
  • Past Presidents
  • National Conference
  • PA Glossary
  • Preserving History
  • Helpful Links

Support Us

  • How To Support Us
  • Friends Of The Society
  • Our Associates
  • PA History Books

Contact Us

(678) 417-8682

Contactus@pahx.org

12000 Findley Road Suite 100
Johns Creek, GA 30097-1409

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Notice
  • Collection Development Policy

© 2023 Physician Assistant History Society® All Rights Reserved