Montana Laureate Award
American College of Physicians
Phillip E. Griffin, MD, FACP
The Laureate Award honors those Fellows and Masters of the American College of Physicians in Montana who have demonstrated by their example and conduct an abiding commitment to excellence in medical care, education, and/or research, and in service to their community and the ACP.
Recipients of this award shall bear the title Laureate of the Montana Chapter.
This award shall be presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting. The awardee should accept the recognition in person, unless excused by the Governor. The awardee is to be nominated by a process that may originate from the Awards Committee or from any member of the Chapter. The nomination must document the attributes and accomplishments of the nominee.
The awardee should be a senior physician and Fellow or Master of long-standing, with acknowledged excellence and peer approval in the field of internal medicine. In addition, the awardee should have served the Chapter with distinction.
It is with distinct pleasure that this year, the Montana Chapter presents the Laureate Award to Phillip E. Griffin, MD, FACP. Dr. Griffin is a long-standing and loyal supporter of the College, has rendered distinguished service to the Chapter, and has upheld the high ideals and professional standards for which the College is known.
Robert G. Byron, MD, MPH, FACP
Governor ACP, Montana Chapter
Phillip E. Griffin, MD, FACP
Doctor Phillip Griffin was born in Billings, Montana in 1936. He received his B.S. degree from Montana State University in 1957 and his M.D. degree from Northwestern University in 1961. Following a rotating internship and a first year of internal medicine residency at Chicago Wesley Memorial Hospital, he entered the United States Air Force for two years. He then took two years of internal medicine residency at the University Hospital, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, after which he completed a rheumatology fellowship at the Rackham Arthritis Research Unit, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Dr. Griffin joined the Billings Clinic in 1968 where he has practiced until his recent retirement. Dr. Griffin is a complete physician who is known for his skills both in rheumatology and general internal medicine. He has been a leader at the Billings Clinic where he served twice on the executive committee and was elected Chairman on each occasion. He served as Chief of Staff at the Deaconess Medical Center as well as many hospital committees. He was chairman of the Department of Medicine and member of the executive committee at St. Vincent Hospital. Upon the merger of the Billings Clinic and the Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Griffin became Chief of Staff, Deaconess Billings Clinic Integrated Physician Group and subsequently Acting Vice President of Medical Affairs. For many years Dr. Griffin has been a consultant for the Indian Health Service and has held clinics on several reservations.
Dr. Griffin is an excellent teacher. He has played an active role in the Billings WWAMI Internal Medicine Clinical Unit since 1974, both as a preceptor and a lecturer. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington. He lectures at the Rocky Mountain College Physicians Assistant program.
Dr. Griffin became a member of the American College of Physicians in 1968 and became a Fellow in 1975. He has been a member of the Chapter Advisory Committee on two occasions and chaired the 1982 program of the Annual Montana Chapter meeting. He served as Governor of the Montana Chapter from 2000-2004.
Dr. Griffin is a founding member of the Montana Society of Rheumatology and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology.
Dr. Griffin was the recipient of the Medical Achievement Award from the Deaconess Billings Clinic Foundation in 1998. In 2001 the Montana Arthritis Foundation recognized him for his excellent service to community and patients with arthritis by presenting him the Griffin Arthritis Award.
Dr. Griffin has been a member and chair of the Board of Directors of the Billings Family YMCA. He served on the Billings Deaconess Hospital Board of Directors. He currently serves as a board member of St. Johns Lutheran Ministries Foundation.
Because of his great contributions to the care of patients, our profession and his community, the Montana Chapter of the American College of Physicians is pleased to honor Dr. Phillip Griffin as its Laureate for 2006.