2019 Honoree: Melissa Freeman
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Dr. Melissa Freeman, granddaughter of a slave and graduate of Hunter College, studied medicine at Howard University and has been practicing medicine since 1961. She was on the front lines of opioid addiction treatment nearly half a century ago, pioneering the use of methadone maintenance programs for women, and continues to this day devoting part of her time to an addiction clinic affiliated with Beth Israel. She opened a private practice in Harlem in 1981, where she continues to see patients.
interview
Video by Julia Fitzgerald, interviewed by Rachel Bernstein
Awards ceremony
Video by Julia Fitzgerald