Title
Proclaiming March 8, 2017 to be Dr. Fredrekia “Fred” Lewis Day.
Body
Whereas, Dr. Fredrekia "Fred" Lewis was born in 1953 and received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN in 1979; and
Whereas, Dr. Lewis completed his residency in internal medicine in Flint Michigan in 1980-1982; and
Whereas, he joined the staff of Open Cities Health Center in 1982 and served as Medical Director from 1982 until 1984, 2000 until 2010, and 2013 until 2017; and
Whereas, he was passionate about “practicing the art of medicine,” which emphasized the importance of listening to the needs of patients to help determine how they could best be served; and
Whereas, he was committed to reducing barriers to treatment and using the medical system to provide physical care while also addressing the mental and emotional well-being of patients and their families; and
Whereas, he used informally developed models and one on one encounters to treat chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension; and
Whereas, his passion for community health, serving the poor and underserved and the greater community was his greatest dream and passion; and
Whereas, he was loved by colleagues, co-workers, family, and friends across the Twin Cities, and more importantly, he was loved and respected by his patients; and
Whereas, Dr. Lewis’s legacy will forever be remembered for his dedication to the community and those he treated; and
Now therefore, be it resolved that the City of Saint Paul proclaims March 8, 2017 to be Dr. Fred Lewis day.