In Memoriam: Ada M. Fischer

Ada Markita Fischer, MD ’75, MPH

A remarkable alumna of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), Ada Markita Fisher, MD ’75, MPH, died at age 75 on October 7, 2022, but left a strong legacy

“Dr. Fisher lived an amazing life of firsts. She was among a handful of our first Black graduates and was the first Black woman to earn a medical degree from the SMPH,” notes Dean Robert N. Golden, MD. “We are deeply honored that she pursued her medical education here during a time when many barriers existed. Her career of public and private service, as well as her commitment to social justice, continues to inspire us.”

Fisher completed a family medicine residency at the University of Rochester and earned a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Hygiene and Public Health. Her career included clinical medicine, medical research, policy development and management roles. She was dedicated to serving people and populations who have been traditionally underserved in medicine and health care. In 1984, she was honored as one of 10 Outstanding Young Women of America.

According to her obituary published by the Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor, Durham, North Carolina, Fisher’s Jewish faith “sustained her in an atmosphere of not always feeling welcomed because of her uniqueness, culture and experiences, despite being the first.”

A widely published leader, Fisher worked for the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and John Umstead Hospital in North Carolina; Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., in Tennessee; a self-founded, home-based talent agency, $Asci, in Tennessee; Amoco Oil Company in Chicago; and the W. G. Hefner Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Carolina. As noted in her obituary, “One of her proudest moments was to help draft the Occupational Health Services Standards of Care for corporate America and the Veterans Affairs health system.” Fisher also became the Republican National Committee’s first Black elected committeewoman for North Carolina.

Golden concludes, “Our school’s mission is to advance health and health equity, a mission Dr. Fisher shared. We are very grateful to count her among our distinguished alumnae and to reflect on her history-making legacy.”