The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows (RWJF) program today announced that Richard D. Krugman is the recipient of the RWJF Health Policy Fellows Lifetime Achievement Award for his exemplary leadership and commitment to protecting children’s health throughout his career. Krugman is a Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He was a member of the 1980–81 class of RWJF Health Policy Fellows.
Krugman joined the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1973 and served as the Director of its Kempe National Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect from 1981 to 1992, where he led groundbreaking efforts in research, training, and program development to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.
A nationally recognized leader in health policy, Krugman has chaired the US Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect of the Department of Health and Human Services, served as a program advisor to the RWJF Rural Infant Care Program, and led the RWJF National Advisory Committee for the Clinical Scholars Program. Krugman was a member of the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program Advisory Board from 1985 to 1989 and 1995 to 1999. He served as Dean of the University of Colorado School of Medicine from 1992 to 2015 and as Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs from 2007 to 2015.
Elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2005, Krugman has contributed to multiple National Academies committees and boards. He served on the committee that produced the 2002 report Confronting Chronic Neglect: The Education and Training of Health Professionals on Family Violence. Krugman currently serves on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Council of Councils, which advises the Director of the NIH. In 2022, he co-founded the National Foundation to End Child Abuse and Neglect and currently serves on the board. A dedicated mentor and educator, Krugman has inspired generations of physicians to strengthen research and policy to protect children’s health.
“Through his work as a physician, professor, and advocate, Dr. Krugman has advanced the goals that define our program: using health policy to improve lives and strengthen communities,” said Gregg Margolis, Director of the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program. “We are honored to recognize his enduring contributions to protecting children’s health and his remarkable commitment to service.”
About the Lifetime Achievement Award
Established in 2008, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows Lifetime Achievement Award honors distinguished alumni whose careers reflect sustained and exceptional contributions to the field of health policy. The award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated national or international leadership in advancing health and health policy, while exemplifying an enduring personal commitment to improving the well-being of others.
Recipients embody the core values of the Health Policy Fellows community through their service, mentorship, and dedication to the growth and success of fellow alumni. The award celebrates those whose contributions shape and influence policy, foster the professional development of others, and strengthen the collective impact of the Health Policy Fellows network. This year’s selection committee was chaired by 1993-94 Health Policy Fellow Oliver Fein, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.
About the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellows Program
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows program, conducted and administered by the National Academy of Medicine with funding support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, offers the nation’s most comprehensive learning experience at the intersection of health, science, and policy in Washington, DC.
Since its establishment in 1973, this nonpartisan fellowship has provided exceptional mid-career health professionals, behavioral and social scientists, and others committed to improving health and health care with direct, hands-on experience in the nation’s most influential congressional and executive branch offices. Fellows gain a deep understanding of the policymaking process, develop strong leadership and analytical skills, and bring their expertise to address pressing health challenges at the national, state, and local levels.
