James M Spears, MD

Dr. James Spears, a family physician, has worked with underserved populations in New York City for more than 20 years. He previously worked at multiple drop-in sites and homeless shelters in Manhattan with the Institute for Urban Family Health. He helped establish a medical practice at the Times Square Hotel, the largest single room occupancy (SRO) in the United States. Dr. Spears established and developed the Nagle Family Health Center for Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in Washington Heights, and he has helped develop the Family Medicine Residency Program at Columbia, where he served as Medical Director for five years.

Dr. Spears is currently the Medical Director of the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic of the Actors Fund, serving the uninsured and underinsured entertainment professionals of greater NYC. He also teaches Columbia VP&S medical students at all levels of training, including at Columbia-Harlem Homeless Medical Partnership since its inception. He is from California, where he received his undergraduate degree from Stanford and his MD from the University of California, Davis.