AIM Center News

Emory University School of Medicine is honored to recognize the extraordinary generosity of the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation and the Gary W. Rollins Foundation. Their philanthropy has played a pivotal role at Emory, and they have made a new, $18.5 million gift to further strengthen the Emory Academic Internal Medicine (AIM) Center. The mission of the AIM Center is to lead excellence, change, and innovation in clinical care, education, and research to achieve better delivery of health care to patients. 

“The partnership and generosity of the Rollins family have resulted in positive, transformational changes for our programs,” remarked David Roberts, MD, Charles Evans Chair in Medicine and AIM Center director. “Their ongoing support enabled the expansion of our center from a single clinical site to an entire division. These gifts will leave an enduring legacy and ensure the continuation of Emory’s excellence in medical education, research, and patient care.”

Initial funding from the Rollins family helped establish the Paul W. Seavey Comprehensive Internal Medicine Clinic in 2013. The Seavey Clinic advances faculty development through protected academic time, mentorship, and a structured path toward promotion. The Seavey Clinic model, which supports physicians in providing personalized care that is rare today, is central to the ongoing work of the AIM Center.

Additional funding in 2023 extended this successful model, launching  two new AIM Center clinical care locations: one at Emory University Hospital Midtown and the other at 1525 Clifton Road. These three branches of the AIM Center create an integrated, collaborative academic internal medicine community.

The Rollins family’s new gift will support two new early career professorships, each endowed at $1.5 million, ensuring that promising junior faculty members have the resources necessary to launch and sustain successful academic careers. The gift also will provide endowments for clinical innovation, education, and research in internal medicine.

“Leaders in the Seavey Clinic and AIM Center expansion to additional clinics have delivered on their promises,” said Amy Kreisler, executive director of The O. Wayne Rollins Foundation. “By investing in the faculty and their academic pursuits, we are strengthening the foundation of general internal medicine for generations to come.”

 The previous Rollins gift for the AIM Center supported 14 Rollins Distinguished Clinicians, the Rollins Director of the Seavey Clinic/AIM Center, and two Academic Site Leads. The previous gift also enhanced our administrative infrastructure to facilitate faculty development, teaching, and research. The Rollins family’s generosity continues to drive innovation in medical education and research. This gift will sustain the AIM Center’s operations and create new pathways for faculty members and trainees to engage in practice model innovation, quality improvement, and population health management.

Faculty members have already begun to experience the profound benefits of these strategic investments. “This support has allowed us to expand our academic and research opportunities while maintaining the highest standards in patient care,” said Ted Johnson, MD, MPH, director of the Division of General Internal Medicine and Paul Seavey Endowed Chair. “The ability to collaborate across sites and access dedicated resources is truly game-changing.”

“Our donors’ commitment to academic internal medicine is an investment in the future of health care. Their generosity over the years has provided both a jump-start and a lasting foundation for excellence, allowing us to continue attracting top-tier faculty, advancing research, and shaping new generations of medical leaders,” said Ravi Thadhani, MD, MPH. Thadhani is executive vice president for health affairs for Emory University, executive director of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and vice chair of the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors.

With continued philanthropic partnership, the AIM Center will become a national leader. For more information on how to support the AIM Center and academic internal medicine at Emory, please contact Vicki Riedel, assistant vice president of advancement, at vriedel@emory.edu.

February 20, 2025

I’m pleased to announce that Dr. Ted Johnson, MD, MPH has assumed the role of Co-Director of the Emory Academic Internal Medicine (AIM) Center as of February 15, 2025. He will focus initial efforts on Phase 2 of the AIM Center.

As most of you know by now, the AIM Center was created through the generosity of the Rollins Family Foundations, as well other donors, to support General Internal Medicine (GIM) faculty development. This was in recognition of the importance of General Internal Medicine and its impact on patients, faculty and trainees. Their 2023 gift of $16.5M established the AIM Center (AIM Phase 1), focusing on having select faculty from the Midtown GIM Clinic and the 1525 Cliton Road Clinics join with the Seavey Clinic in creating an integrated community of practicing clinical faculty, providing protected time and other support resources for 14 faculty positions including 6 “supported faculty” and one academic site lead at each site. 

With the success of AIM Center Phase 1, the Rollins Family Foundations - along with other donors - provided an additional $26M to expand the AIM model (AIM Phase 2). This gift expands AIM reach to the entire GIM Division, which includes the remaining Emory Clinic GIM sites, Grady GIM, and the Atlanta VA Primary Care and Quality section. The funding and support will allow for pilot project and seed grants, educational program support, research project and personnel support as well as 3 new endowed professorships. Of the three new professorships, two will be rotating Rollins Early Career Professorships supporting early to mid-career faculty focused on their research and professional development trajectory and success. Faculty development programs that have shown great promise in sections of the Division, particularly those in Grady GIM, will be expanded to be division wide.

Given his 13-year experience as Division Director, Dr. Johnson is uniquely qualified to co-lead the AIM Center. Importantly, his knowledge of the entire division’s faculty and programs and skills in all aspects of the academic enterprise will be particularly helpful with AIM Phase 2.  He is well suited to make as big of an impact as quickly as possible. I’m thrilled that Ted has accepted this position. He has been very engaged in all aspects of the AIM program since its formation.

Together we look forward to working to maximize the benefit that the AIM Center can provide to every one of you.  Please feel free to reach out with any questions or thoughts.

David L. Roberts, MD, FACP
Professor, Charles F. Evans Chair and Eminent Clinician
Rollins Director, Academic Internal Medicine Center
Director, Paul W. Seavey Comprehensive Internal Medicine Clinic