Meet the Founder
Michael A. Lenoir MD
Michael LeNoir M.D. is an allergist and pediatrician who has practiced pediatrics and clinical allergy full time since 1977. He is board certified by and a fellow of both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and in 2014 was elected and served as the 114th President of the National Medical Association.
For 20 years Dr. LeNoir worked as the Director of Allergy Services at San Francisco General Hospital. He also served as the Chair of the Underserved Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, the President of the Northern California Allergy Association, and the chair of the National Medical Associations Allergy and Asthma and was awarded the Meritorious Service award from the National Medical Association in 2014.
Dr. LeNoir founded a non-profit, the African American Wellness Project (AAWP) more than a decade ago, to address health disparities in the Black community and his organization is committed to informing minorities about how to advocate for and take charge of their own health. Through the years, AAWP has served as a trusted megaphone in the Black community and recently launched a podcast, Black Doctors Speak, and a Facebook Live program Wellness Watch.
In 1994 and 2001, Dr. LeNoir received the Ken Alvord Distinguished Community Service Award from that organization. He was one of 50 physicians, nationwide, chosen to receive the Pfizer Positive Physician Award from the American Medical Association. Additionally, in 1988, he was named the Oakland Citizen of the Year by the Oakland Tribune and named one of America’s leading African American Allergist by Black Enterprise Magazine in the August 2001 and 2008 issues. Since 2000, every year including 2019, Dr. Lenoir has been named as one of the 200 best physicians by San Francisco or by Oakland Magazine. He along with Dr. Frank Stagger founded the Ethnic Health Institute at Alta Bates Hospital and served as the President for over 20 years.
In 2006 he was awarded the Community Physician of the Year Award by the Residents at the Oakland Children’s Hospital and Research Institute, the Community Service Award from the Ethnic Health Institute, the Lydia Smiley Award from the California School Nurses Association. In 2001, he was awarded the Public Service Award by Alameda County and was also honored for public service by the 100 Black Men. He is also a recipient of the Burbidge Award for Community Service from the University of California at San Francisco and served as the President of the National Association of Physician Broadcasters.
Dr. LeNoir spent 10 years in the United States Military rising to the rank of LTC, receiving the Army Commendation Medal and serving as the allergy consultant to the 6th Army Area. In 2016 Dr. LeNoir was alumni of the year for the Black Alumni Association of the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
From 1981 to 1993, Dr. LeNoir served as the medical editor for KCBS radio, hosting a 2-hour weekly talk show. He was also the CEO of the Ethnic Health America Network that produced the Telly award winning Ethnic Health America Program, a 30-minute TV health magazine that at one time aired in 1m400 cities nationwide on MBC Network.
Dr. LeNoir also hosted and executive produced the About Health Program, a one-hour talk show on Pacifica Radio, KPFA. His popular one-minute feature About Health Time currently airs several times per week on KBLX radio in the 9 bay area counties. He also served as the executive producer of the video “Clinical Trials in the African American Community” which won top honors from among 1100 entries in the Health Video awards in 2005 and was a finalist in the Community Service Video category, International Health and Video Awards in 2006.
Dr. Lenoir is married to Denise Washington Lenoir, who holds a master’s in nursing and is a family nurse practitioner. He has 4 daughters and 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and holds memberships in Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and his hobbies are photography and golf.
