Richard Wender, MD is the Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He has dedicated his career to leading medical and public health efforts that strive to improve the quality of primary care, implement population health, and address social determinants of health in the continuous pursuit of equity for all people.
Dr. Wender spent the first 33 years of his career in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, including 12 years as the Alumni Professor and Chair of the Department. At Jefferson, Dr. Wender and his team spearheaded innovative programs in geriatric medicine, palliative care, the patient-centered medical home, quality-based payment, refugee health, and community partnership.
From 2013 to 2020, Dr. Wender served as the first Chief Cancer Control Officer of the American Cancer Society. He helped to build a cancer control team that launched a transformative national initiative to achieve 80% colorectal cancer screening rates in every community, and a national and global campaign to increase HPV vaccination rates. Dr. Wender has continuously advocated for the importance of preventive care and for the creation of an effective bridge between primary care and public health. As Chair of the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and a member of the steering committee for the President’s Cancer Panel cancer screening initiative, Dr. Wender led efforts to promote the safe provision of cancer screening services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
