September 24, 2026 – Dr. James Hotz, Clinical Service Director, Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC) has been named by The Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University as the 2026 Geiger Gibson Program Distinguished Visitor.
The Distinguished Visitor Program recognizes leaders in the community health center movement who have made exceptional contributions to community health and medically underserved communities. Each year, the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health selects a Distinguished Visitor to share their experience and insights with students, faculty, and staff through an in-residence lectureship and campus visit. Geiger Gibson Distinguished Visitors represent the finest in community health center leadership and serve as informal advisors on Geiger Gibson research and scholarship.
“The Distinguished Visitor program provides a unique opportunity for students, faculty and staff in the School’s Department of Health Policy and Management to engage with and learn from senior health center policy and practice experts from across the country,” Feygele Jacobs, director of the Geiger Gibson Program at the Milken Institute SPH, said. “Dr. James Hotz is a leading voice in the community health center movement, recognized for his commitment to innovative health center practice and health care access.”
“It’s an honor to be recognized by The Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, said Dr. Hotz. “My life’s goal has been to improve access to care for patients in southwest Georgia through advocacy and education. I hope to provide students, faculty, and staff with a realistic view of patient health care needs in rural areas, while also sharing the inspiring experiences that my colleagues and I have every day while we provide quality care to all our patients.”
In 1978, Dr. Hotz helped found AAPHC and today, the health center annually serves 55,000 people. In addition to being a practicing health center provider, he is Associate Clinical Professor at Mercer University’s School of Medicine and is the former chairman of the Board of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and the Georgia Association for Primary Health Care. He served two terms on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Community Health Centers.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Cancer Coalition of South Georgia and is chair of the Steering Committee of the Georgia State Cancer Plan, the Georgia Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and is co-chair of the Community Health Center Task Group of the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT). A graduate of Cornell University and the Ohio State University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine Internship and Residency at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Hotz started his career as a legislative assistant to Kansas Representative Dr. William Roy addressing health reform issues.
Dr. Hotz is the author of many scientific publications with a special interest in cancer screening, as well as a novel, Where Remedies Lie, about his experience as a rural health center physician. He was the inspiration for the novel and movie Doc Hollywood and was featured in the 2025 documentary short, Doc Albany. Dr. Hotz has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including most recently NACHC's 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.