UNM Alumni Association Awards

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Warren Heffron-Erna S. Fergusson Award

heffron image Warren Heffron says he "remembers sitting exhausted in a clinic in the jungle of central Puerto Rico in the 1960s, thinking about family medicine.

"I'd spent 24 hours delivering 10 babies, and I was thinking, 'Here I am, a foreigner in the jungle delivering babies, while the local medical students are going to America and learning specialties that won't let them practice in the jungle. This country needs doctors who can deliver babies in the jungle.'"

From the jungles of Puerto Rico Warren came to New Mexico where he finished a residency in internal medicine at UNM in 1971. At the end of his training, Warren says, the dean of the Medical School, Robert Stone, called him into his office and said, "You know, there's this new specialty called family medicine. We need those kinds of doctors in New Mexico. Would you join our faculty and start a residency?"

In one fell sweep, Warren saw his idea of training doctors to serve in remote areas of great economic need take form; Dean Stone saw his vision of a family medicine residency at UNM School of Medicine take life; and UNM saw a program that would eventually draw national attention and praise take on a future.

Evidently, Warren had what it took to get started. "He's one of the most socially committed and doggedly determined people I've ever met," says Art Kaufman, UNM vice president of community health and the current chair of family medicine.

For the past 16 years, the family medicine program that Warren first dreamed up in the jungle has been ranked among the top 10 such programs nationally in US News and World Report.

Through the years, Warren has been to all parts of the world, helping communities set up their own family medicine programs, using the UNM program as a model.

And he has served as president or vice president of just about every professional organization dedicated to family medicine that exists.

"There's something about his persona," says his colleague Kerrie Seeger. "He doesn't aggressively push running for office, but people recognize him as a leader and he is elected over and over."

As emeritus professor, Warren now devotes an easy 30 hours a week to his quarter-time work at the department. In his honor, the department established the Warren and Rosalee Heffron Faculty and Graduate Fellowship for International Health. Every other year, the fund will bring a physician from a foreign country to UNM to spend one or two months studying in the family medicine program. In alternate years, the fund will send a UNM family medicine resident for a one-month rotation in a foreign country.

Appreciation for Warren goes far beyond the university, with donations to the endowment coming in from the many people whom Warren has touched through the years.

But tonight, we concentrate our appreciation upon Warren—visionary, leader, humanitarian, teacher. Warren, you exceed the criteria of the Erna Fergusson award. Not only are your accomplishments exceptional, but your commitment and distinguished service extend far beyond the university to countries and people around the globe. We're proud to give you our award tonight.

Mary Conrad

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