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David W. Windus, MD, HS ’83

David W. Windus, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology, is recognized for his dedication to improving global health and the delivery of health care services to the underserved.

Windus, a renal specialist, is credited for creating a sustainable infrastructure for health care delivery in some of the poorest regions around the world, such as in Eritrea, Bhutan, and Ethiopia. When he discovered that an overwhelming number of people had uncontrolled diabetes in Eritrea, he put together a global health team to immerse himself in the challenges of improving diabetes care. As a result, he helped develop a training program for physicians and diabetes educators, a standardized nutrition guide and a better way to manage patients with diabetes and kidney disease. Encouraging others to join him, he and other faculty from Washington University School of Medicine then established a teaching program in a new medical school in Eritrea. Windus also helped establish diabetes and kidney disease clinics in Bhutan and continues to return regularly to care for underserved patients.

By actively engaging in these activities, Windus has served as a model for both faculty and students on how to access and manage care with limited resources and infrastructure. He is described as an astute observer of health care delivery who has applied creativity and compassion in order to effect positive change. A true educator, he began offering medical residents and students the opportunity to participate in global health activities, which ultimately led to the establishment of the Global Health Scholars in Medicine program in 2011. The program has sent medical residents to seven countries as well as into homeless shelters and underserved populations in the St. Louis region. Among participants, many have gone on to continue their careers and engage in global health activities.

Windus has been honored with several Distinguished Service Teaching Awards from Washington University medical students, and he is the recipient of the AAMC Humanism in Medicine Award and Washington University’s Samuel R. Goldstein Leadership in Medical Education Award. He also served as associate dean for medical student education.

The Washington University Medical Center Alumni Association is pleased to honor Dr. Windus with its Distinguished Service Award for his expertise and commitment to improving health and health care delivery worldwide.

Published: 03/05/2017