The Greater Buffalo Healthcare Initiative is a 501(c)(3) charitable entity and a physician- and academic-led nonprofit organized to advance healthcare in the Greater Buffalo area through research, education, and community partnerships that focus on improving patient outcomes and reducing health disparities.
Our work centers on leveraging our physician network to design and implement grant-funded programs that support innovative research, transformative education, and high-impact healthcare initiatives, while keeping our highly educated and talented physicians in Western New York and directly addressing health disparities in the communities we serve.
Through this structure, the Initiative can pursue competitive grants, philanthropic support, and strategic partnerships with hospitals, health systems, academic institutions, community-based organizations, and civic leaders.
Funds raised are dedicated to initiatives such as community health education, physician and trainee scholarships, public health interventions, data-driven quality improvement projects, and other efforts that measurably improve care for vulnerable and underserved populations. Guided by the expertise of practicing physicians and academic leaders, the Greater Buffalo Healthcare Initiative ensures that programs are grounded in real-world clinical experience and aligned with the most pressing needs of patients and communities.
Board of Directors
The Greater Buffalo Healthcare Initiative is led by physicians who practice and lead in Western New York, bringing deep clinical, academic, and community experience to the organization’s mission.
Iris Danziger, MD – Chair
Dr. Danziger is an otolaryngologist (ENT) in Western New York with longstanding leadership in organized medicine and a strong commitment to improving access to high-quality specialty care for patients in the region.
Michael Merrill, MD – Treasurer
Dr. Merrill is an internist and physician leader based in Buffalo whose work spans clinical care, population health, and health systems management, with a focus on data-informed solutions to improve outcomes and value.
Stacey A. Watt, MD, MBA, MHPE, FASA – Secretary
Dr. Watt is an anesthesiologist and academic leader, recognized for her roles in medical education, perioperative care, and physician leadership development in Western New York.
Ways to Give
Individuals, families, organizations, and foundations can advance this work by making a charitable contribution to the Greater Buffalo Healthcare Initiative. Tax-deductible gifts fuel mission-driven projects that promote physician wellness and resilience, support public health and community-based initiatives, expand medical education and mentorship, and improve access to high-quality care for patients across Western New York.
Your generosity—whether you also support MSCE directly, focus your philanthropy through the Greater Buffalo Healthcare Initiative, or choose to do both—is essential to sustaining physician leadership and strengthening our community’s health. To explore a gift, named fund, or philanthropic partnership, please Contact Us.