At a ceremony in London on July 13, Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London (RCP). It is rare for a non-physician, and a non-UK /UK Commonwealth country citizen to be honored in this way.
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 by Henry VIII—the first such institution in England to receive a royal charter. The college has been continuously active in improving practice medicine since then, primarily though training and qualifying new physicians. About a hundred distinguished physicians from the UK and Commonwealth Countries were also inducted as fellows, as well as four honorary fellows, Dr. Davis included.
In a citation that was read at the ceremony, Dame Carol Black, former president of the RCP and Chair of the Nuffield Trust, said as follows:
"Karen, we honor you because of your unstinting, persistent and outspoken support for those measures which will provide affordable high quality health care to all citizens of the United States of America. You argue in the highest places for this goal. Whatever the obstacles—and there are many—you continue to exert influence in Washington, both on your own part and deploying the organization you lead—The Commonwealth Fund—standing firm and forging the way toward a more healthy life for millions of Americans."
