Frank Fisher Davidoff

Frank Fisher Davidoff, MD, died on April 2 after struggling with dementia for several years. Although he trained as a physician, Frank's lifelong interest was in medical education and system quality improvement. He is remembered fondly by many as an editor, teacher and mentor.

Frank graduated in 1955, magna cum laude from Harvard University, and received his MD from Columbia University in 1959. After internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) he was a research associate at the National Heart Institute from 1961-64. In 1964 he returned to MGH for an endocrinology fellowship and remained in Massachusetts as a researcher and faculty member at Harvard Medical School. In 1974 Frank joined the faculty at the newly formed University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He remained at UConn in various positions; Chief of the Medical Service, Chief of the Division of General Medicine and residency training program, and Chief of the Department of Medicine at New Britain General Hospital, over the succeeding 13 years.

In 1987 Frank moved to Philadelphia to become the Associate Executive Vice President for Education for the American College of Physicians (ACP). In 1989 he was promoted to Senior VP for Education and in 1995 he became the editor of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the flagship publication of the ACP. He retired as editor in 2001.

After retiring from the ACP, Frank moved to Wethersfield, CT and remained active in medical policy, healthcare improvement and humanitarian efforts. He served as Executive Editor at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, joined the editorial board of Quality and Safety in Healthcare. He was Vice President of the Board of Physicians for Human Rights for 12 years and was interim CEO of that organization from April 2011 through January 2012.

Frank's interests outside of medicine included travel, music and cooking. Over the course of his life he visited numerous countries, both professionally and recreationally. He enjoyed food from many cultures and sometimes spent days making a Mexican mole or an Indian biriani. His sourdough bread was extraordinary after years of experimentation and practice. When he left Philadelphia he took up the piano again, not having played since high school, and was a diligent student and a fine musician.

Frank is survived by his two daughters, Nina Bixler and Jennifer Miglus, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 60 years, Ann Grant Davidoff, and by his son, Jonathan Grant Davidoff.