K. Allen Greiner, MD’95, MPH’00

2012 Early Career Achievement in Medicine Alumnus

Allen Greiner, M.D., M.P.H., is a caring physician and dedicated researcher

who knows the value of building relationships.

 As the principal investigator for the Kansas Community Cancer Health Disparities Network, Dr. Greiner collaborates with community organizations to improve prevention and the odds of surviving cancer for rural Latinos and American Indians in Kansas. These partnerships have resulted in innovative, culturally appropriate initiatives, such as a smoking-cessation program for American Indians that recognizes the traditional use of tobacco for spiritual and cultural purposes. A separate project uses Spanish-language touch-screen computer kiosks to inform Latinos of medication, cancer screening and counseling resources in safety-net clinics.

 Dr. Greiner also makes connections in his work as director of two research programs. The Primary Care Practice and Research Program involves students in clinical training as well as health promotion and disease prevention research in rural settings across Kansas. The Kansas Physicians Engaged in Prevention Research Network is a practice-based research network that serves as an important laboratory for preventive health studies in rural and urban safety-net clinics.

 A long-time volunteer in urban safety-net clinics, Dr. Greiner helped launch the JayDoc Free Clinic, a student-run clinic for the uninsured. He is also the medical officer for the Wyandotte County Health Department.

 A fourth-generation Kansan, Dr. Greiner was a National Institutes of Health Disparities Scholar and a former winner of the Kemper Fellowship Award and the Nason Family Award for Excellence in Family Medicine Education.

 Joshua Freeman, MD, chair of the family medicine department, says Dr. Greiner is a dedicated mentor to students interested in research and in community health. “On top of this, he is an extremely productive and respected physician,” Freeman says. “He is my doctor as well as a valued colleague.”

 For his excellence as an investigator, teacher and caregiver, the KU Medical Alumni Association recognizes K. Allen Greiner with the 2012 Early Career Achievement in Medicine Award.