Dr. Camille Cecile Graham, MD

I was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1950. The year I was to start kindergarten, the governor of Arkansas closed the public schools rather than integrate them. My father sent my brother and me to school in Jamaica rather than have us grow up in a system that deemed us inferior by the color of our skin. The school, which included students from Europe, South America, and other islands in the Caribbean, provided an excellent academic education. More importantly, the school fostered interaction with people of different races, cultures, and classes. Witnessing the courage it took for our parents to take the long view of our education and development has made me the person I am today.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to help people and to improve society. Being a pediatrician has given me the ultimate pleasure of fulfilling my life dreams. I have seen poverty, but I know that material things alone do not make better human beings---children in Jamaica succeeded at our school …because of the commitment of their families and their teachers. And as adults, those who attended the school are almost all people concerned about doing good, not just doing well.

In medical school, I spent three months in Ghana, West Africa, learning primary care from some of the most dedicated pediatricians in the world. I was humbled by how much could be done with little resources, and how much more needs to be done to help the world populations. In West Africa and in Jamaica, I saw devastation and death caused by common childhood diseases, such as measles, tetanus, polio, and malaria. Those experiences strengthened my commitment to focus on vaccination and other preventive efforts.

I love what I do, and will try to go the extra mile for each of my families. I have an open door if you have a complaint or a question. I believe our success lies in the success of our patients, and we welcome all suggestions.