Rick Rader, MD
Pre-concert Speaker
Dr. Rader is cross trained in internal medicine and medical anthropology and has an appreciation and understanding of the biocultural determinants of health and disease. He is the Director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center at the Orange Grove Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee where he is responsible for the identification, implementation and evaluation of innovative health programs designed for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan. Dr. Rader has recently received a Presidential appointment as a council member to the National Council on Disability.
He was the first appointed Special Liaison for Family Healthcare Concerns at the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and has been a consultant to five U.S. Surgeon Generals in the area of health and disability. Dr. Rader is the Editor in chief of Exceptional Parent Magazine and has published over 400 articles on intellectual disabilities.
Global recognition
Dr. Rader's excellent work has resulted in global respect and recognition of his expertise. Here are some of the many groups he represents.
- Member, National Council on Disability
- President, American Association on Health and Disability
- Board, American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry
- Executive Committee, Friends of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Executive Committee, Friends of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Medical Advisory Committee, Special Olympics International
- Emeritus Advisor, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, US Dept of Health and Human Services
- Member, National Academy of Practice in Medicine
- National Medical Advisor, National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals
Additional information
Dr. Rader is an Emeritus Advisor to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and was elected to the National Academies of Practice in Medicine. He is the recipient of the Katie Becket Advocacy Award, the Defeating Stigma in Healthcare Award and The Exceptional Physician of the Year Award. He has served as an Advisor to the National Organization for Rare Disorders and conducted research in sensory processing disorders. He is an adjunct professor of Human Development and Health and Human Performance at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He is actively engaged in teaching medical students, interns and residents in the area of developmental medicine. Prior to his career in developmental medicine he served as the Director of International Operations at Surgical Aid to Children of the World (SACOW) and as the Executive Director of the American Institute of Stress. He is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and holds an honorary doctorate in humane letters. He serves on the Board of the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practice.