09/04/2025
BIG news! It has been officially announced!!
Dr. Blackburn has received the 2025 Ohio Academy of Family Physicians award!!
Shelley is an amazing physician, who is loved dearly by all of her patients, staff and friends.
Congratulations Dr. Blackburn! We love you ❤️!
2025 Family Physician of the Year:
Shelley Blackburn, MD
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) is pleased to announce that Shelley Blackburn, MD, has been selected to receive its 2025 Family Physician of the Year award.
The OAFP annually presents the Family Physician of the Year Award to an individual who meets and exceeds the criteria of being an outstanding family physician. Other criteria includes maintaining high professional standards and service orientations; providing high quality and family-centered continuing healthcare; and being active in their community.
Dr. Blackburn is a board certified family physician at Rivers Edge Family Medicine in Columbus, OH, and is affiliated with OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. Her areas of professional interest include community health, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychology, as well as LGBTQIA+ care and women’s health.
“I have loved and cherished being a family physician for almost forty years,” said Dr. Blackburn. “It has been the privilege of my life to care for and learn from my patients these many years.”
She earned her medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her family medicine residency at the OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine Residency Program in Columbus.
“I am thankful for all of my teachers and colleagues who have made me who I am today, giving me guidance along my path to be the best family physician I can be,” explained Dr. Blackburn.
In addition to receiving the 2025 Family Physician of the Year Award, Dr. Blackburn was selected as the OAFP Foundation’s Family Medicine Mentorship Award recipient in 2016—an honor to those who encourage medical students and provide constructive feedback; offer guidance for career goals, planning, and growth; and provide skills development and clinical advice.
“I have enjoyed being a teacher and mentor to numerous residents and students throughout my career,” said Dr. Blackburn. “It’s been a joy to see them flourish as doctors.”
Award nominator Roma Amin, MD, FAAFP, explained, “Dr. Blackburn has been a fierce advocate for inclusive care her entire career, and even as she approaches retirement, she continues to practice full spectrum family medicine, while also teaching and creating job opportunities for the next generation of family physicians in Ohio.”
The OAFP congratulates Dr. Blackburn for this honor and thanks her for exemplifying the best qualities of Ohio’s family physicians.
“It’s a blessing I can’t fully describe seeing the babies I have helped deliver grow into adolescents, young adults, and the parents of their own children,” said Dr. Blackburn. “Being allowed to accompany my patients on their life’s journey from birth through every age is a great honor.”
To learn more about the Family Physician of the Year award, please visit the OAFP website.
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians is a statewide, professional association with more than 4,700 members, including practicing physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students. The scope of family medicine encompasses all ages, both sexes, and every disease entity. Family physicians provide comprehensive, continuing care to all members of the family. For more information, visit the OAFP website.
