Outstanding institutional leader. Master clinician. Trusted colleague.
Now, Dr. Mary Hall has added “philanthropist’” to her list of accolades, following a major gift that she and her husband, Dr. David Hall, made in support of family medicine at Atrium Health. Hall retired in June 2024 after 37 years of distinguished service including as Atrium Health’s senior vice president of medical education and chief academic officer.
Longtime champions of education and family medicine, the couple established the Dr. Mary and Dr. David Hall Family Medicine Fund in hopes of inspiring others to invest in this critical area of medicine. The fund will provide the chair of the department of family medicine in Charlotte with annual discretionary funding to advance faculty development and enrichment activities in the areas of education, clinical and research skills, and programming.
“It is our hope that this contribution will enrich the faculty and enable them to thrive in their roles,” said Dr. Mary Hall. “The family physicians, researchers, and other health care professionals come to work every day driven by their mission to care for patients, explore scientific discovery, and educate the next generation of family physicians.”
“We practice family medicine because we love it,” said Dr. Rebecca Hayes, interim chair of Atrium Health’s department of family medicine in Charlotte. “It’s not lucrative,” she added, explaining that if faculty don’t feel supported or have the resources to advance their careers, they are more reluctant to choose that path. “Mary has been a pioneer in our specialty, and the fact that she specifically earmarked faculty development in this gift, truly helps morale.”
“Mary is wise,” said Dr. David Slawson, immediate past chair of Atrium Health’s department of family medicine, who Hall recruited to help prepare the department to integrate with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “She knows that to attract and retain the highest-quality family physicians, we have to have the funds to support their academic careers.”
Slawson spent decades at UVA Health, where — as an endowed chair — he published, traveled internationally, and consulted for government health care systems around the world, bringing prestige to the university. When he arrived at Atrium Health, Slawson discovered a “brilliant” faculty, but a lack of funding for advancing educational opportunities similar to those at UVA.
“We’re not cancer or heart or on the forefront of the news, so we’re not always on the docket for philanthropy,” said Dr. Dellyse Bright, vice chair of education at Atrium Health in Charlotte and former head of the residency program under Hall’s mentorship. “We love to do things for residents but lacked funding for activities like team building, appreciation events, and national conferences. Thanks to the new fund, we will now have that support.”
Supporting and developing faculty has a significant impact, according to Hall. “Faculty educate residents and students while caring for their own patients. By preparing learners to become family physicians, they influence future patient care through their graduates.”
“I’m a better doctor because I’m a teacher of doctors,” said Bright, who credits Mary as an amazing mentor.
In addition to her exemplary faculty mentorship, Dr. Hall has been a passionate national advocate for strengthening doctor-patient relationships to uplift health and the overall wellbeing of patients and their physicians.
“Family medicine’s foundation is comprehensive, long-term primary care,” said Dr. Hall, “which builds understanding and trust between doctor, patient, and family. Moreover, family physicians are essential in guiding patients through the increasingly complex medical landscape.”
Dr. Hall, who continues her work as a senior advisor to the dean and professor emeritus at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is committed to addressing the shortage of family physicians in the U.S. and providing funding to advance academic careers.
“People don’t realize what a bigwig Mary is because she doesn’t desire a lot of flash,” said Dr. Michelle Birch, associate dean of pre-clerkship and education at Wake Forest School of Medicine-Charlotte. “She’s been a gift to the field, nationally and internationally; and now, locally, family medicine physicians will feel valued. This donation reflects her generosity of heart.”