OU College of Medicine researcher named 2026 AAIP Physician of the Year

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OKLAHOMA CITY – A leader in improving Native American health outcomes, Dorothy A. Rhoades, M.D., M.P.H., has been named the 2026 Physician of the Year by the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP).

Rhoades is a professor of medicine at the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine. She is also the inaugural director of the Native American Center for Cancer Health Excellence (NACCHE), housed within the Stephenson Cancer Center and operated in partnership with the Harold Hamm Health Campus at the University of Oklahoma.

The AAIP honored her at its 54th Annual Meeting & Health Conference, held last month in Oklahoma City. This distinction has special meaning for Rhoades: her father, Everett R. Rhoades, helped establish the organization in 1971 and is the AAIP’s last living founding member.

“I was deeply honored and humbled to receive this award,” Rhoades said. “Throughout my career, AAIP has provided encouragement, mentorship and a community of colleagues who share a commitment to improving the health of Indigenous peoples. Receiving this recognition from an organization that has meant so much to me makes the honor especially meaningful.”

As a member of the Kiowa Tribe, Rhoades has spent decades in the field of hospital medicine and has addressed the chronic disease and cancer health disparities within American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and led or contributed to 29 research projects and grants addressing health issues, including tobacco use and cancer prevention and screening. Much of her health research has been done in collaboration with Tribal Nations.

In her role at NACCHE, Rhoades has strengthened the Stephenson Cancer Center’s outreach to tribal communities and increased tribal partnerships. She has also furthered programs that improve Native cancer outcomes, which she said NACCHE achieves through research, outreach and education, workforce training, access to care and health systems improvement.

“Our approach is grounded in bidirectional partnerships, mutual respect and a steadfast commitment to tribal sovereignty,” said Rhoades, who also created the Stephenson Cancer Center’s Tribal Advisory Council. “We believe that meaningful and sustainable progress in Indigenous health can only be achieved by working together and learning from one another.”

Earlier this year, Rhoades received the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board’s Building Resiliency in Indian Country Award. The honor highlighted her career spent in service to improving Native health outcomes.

Her efforts to uplift Indigenous communities extend to fellow researchers: she has served as secretary of the AAIP Executive Board twice and has led on other national committees to advance Indigenous cancer research and training. She has also mentored many early-career Indigenous researchers.

“I am passionate about working with Native American communities because, despite experiencing disproportionately high rates of many health conditions, Tribal Nations continue to demonstrate remarkable strength, resilience and leadership,” Rhoades said. “It is a privilege to work with tribal communities in efforts to improve health outcomes through approaches that are grounded in community priorities, cultures and sovereignty.”