Falls City Medical Society is Louisville's leading professional association of Black physicians — founded in 1902, re-chartered in 2017, and affiliated with the National Medical Association.
We exist to promote the science and art of medicine, improve the representation of Black physicians, and eliminate health disparities across the Kentuckiana region.
Members of what would become FCMS were pivotal in establishing Louisville's Red Cross Hospital — one of the few facilities in the region providing medical care to Black patients during the Jim Crow era.
Black physicians in Louisville formally charter Falls City Medical Society, creating a professional home in an era when they were excluded from the Jefferson County Medical Society and most mainstream medical organizations.
FCMS members lead the effort to integrate the University of Louisville School of Medicine and the Jefferson County Medical Society — dismantling barriers that had excluded Black physicians from practicing, teaching, and training alongside their peers for decades.
After a period of inactivity, FCMS is re-chartered by a founding executive committee — President Dr. Lewis Hargett, Vice President Dr. Erica Sutton, Treasurer Dr. Kandis Adkins, and Secretary Dr. Tamea Evans — reigniting the society's mission with a focus on health equity, physician pipeline development, and community outreach.
The Falls City Medical Association Initiative, Inc. is established as the society's 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm, enabling tax-deductible donations and expanding the capacity for scholarship and community health programming.
To promote the science and art of medicine and to better the public health of the people of the Kentuckiana region — with a particular focus on communities historically underserved by the healthcare system.
A future where every Louisville resident has access to quality, culturally competent healthcare — and where the physician workforce reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of clinical practice, advocate relentlessly for equitable care, and remain rooted in service to the communities that shaped us.
Every program, partnership, and event we run ladders up to these three organizational priorities.
Strengthening the pipeline through mentorship, scholarships, and Pathways to Medicine programming that inspire and support the next generation.
Partnering with community organizations to deliver free screenings, wellness fairs, and outreach in Louisville's underserved neighborhoods.
Keeping our membership informed and active on the issues, research, and policies most critical to closing the health gap in the Kentuckiana region.
Falls City Medical Society is a proud affiliate of the NMA — the largest and oldest national organization representing Black physicians in the United States, founded in 1895.
This affiliation connects our Louisville members to a national network of over 50,000 physicians, providing advocacy at the federal level, professional development resources, and a collective voice on healthcare policy.
Financial oversight and scholarship administration
Recruitment, engagement, and retention
Mentorship and pipeline development
Digital presence and communications
The physicians guiding FCMS's mission and charting the path forward for health equity in Louisville.