The Community Health Leadership Award was created by St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities to honor the not fully-recognized efforts of one outstanding nonprofit community health leader who is motivated to use their knowledge and skills to reach out and advance community health in body, mind and spirit.
2011 Award Recipient David S. Buck, MD, MPH
President and Founder, Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston
After graduating from college in 1984, Dr. David S. Buck traveled to Calcutta, India to work with Mother Teresa to care for the poor and underserved. Witnessing the broken systems of care in that region prompted him to pursue a master's degree in public health and then enroll as a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, where he currently serves as a physician.
Dr. Buck has since dedicated himself to improving the health of the homeless and underserved population of Houston for the past 14 years. In 2000, he founded Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston (HHH), a consortium of more than 30 community-based agencies, health care clinicians, educational institutions and public organizations that work togetherto increase the quality of health care for the homeless. HHH started as a small two-exam-room medical clinic that served fewer than 2,000 people and has flourished. Last year HHH served more than 10,000 homeless men, women and children through its clinics, outreach initiatives and supportive services. Not only is Dr. Buck a leader within the HHH program, he also serves as a mentor for future health professionals and is an inspiration to his peers.
