The Dr. Clement A. Alfred Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a Flint-area healthcare professional who exemplifies a commitment to professionalism, integrity, and humanitarian service, reflecting the lifelong dedication of Dr. Alfred. 

Nominated by Peter Thoms, Dr. Chapin has dedicated his career to serving others, leaving a profound impact on the communities he has touched. 

Speaking about the recognition, Dr. Chapin said, “I just do the things that I do because I think that it’s the right thing to do, and it’s what God wants me to do. I just hope that when my life is over, that God will say, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant.’” 

Dr. Chapin’s journey in healthcare began with four years in the U.S. Army, where he completed a family practice residency at the U.S. Army Hospital in Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1961, he settled with his family in Millington, Michigan, where he opened a family medicine practice and joined the staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Flint. Over nearly four decades, he built a reputation as a caring and dedicated physician, earning the Physician of the Year award in 1986. He retired in 1999 after 38 years of service, but his commitment to healthcare didn’t end there.  

Reflecting on his early life, Dr. Chapin shared, “I was raised on a farm, and I spent quite a bit of time hoeing corn and milking cows. I had planned on being a farmer... but during the year between my junior and senior years in high school, my sister, who had become a nurse, talked me into becoming a doctor. I think this was God working in my life.” That pivotal conversation set Dr. Chapin on a path to Central Michigan College, and later, medical school. 

Throughout his career, Dr. Chapin served on numerous boards and committees, including a review board for nursing homes in the Flint area. His leadership extended to the Flint District Board of Missions and the Haiti Liberia Task Force, where he played a crucial role in organizing and facilitating shipments of medical supplies to Samuteb Hospital in the Dominican Republic of the Congo. His service also extended to the Methodist community, where he volunteered as a nurse and physician at Camp Kinawind for many years. 

Dr. Chapin's commitment to global health is evident through his participation in mission trips to Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Zimbabwe, where he provided essential care to underserved communities, often accompanied by his wife, Dorothy Chapin. He also assisted in the cleanup after Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi and Louisiana and continued his service with a mission trip to the Appalachian region. He received a World Family Practitioners award to mark his dedication around the world.  

Dr. Chapin’s says that his global health mission work is the result of his “servant” leadership mindset.  

“If we are going to be living like Christ, we have to have a servant attitude, and I guess that’s how I practice medicine, and it’s pretty much how I’ve lived my life,” explained Dr. Chapin.  

Locally, Dr. Chapin continues to give back. He has volunteered with the Forgotten Men’s Prison Ministries, tutored at Millington Elementary School, and offered his services at a local free clinic. His deep commitment to his faith and community has made him a beloved figure in Millington and beyond. 

Dr. Chapin and his late wife, Beverly Gould Chapin, raised six children and established two endowed awards: the Beverly A. Gould Chapin Endowed Music Award, in memory of Beverly, a music teacher, and the Dr. Maurice H. Chapin Pre-Medicine Endowed Award for pre-med students. 

“I read somewhere that the epitome of demonstrating and living out love is patience. I have not always lived up to that, but that’s my goal,” said Dr. Chapin. “I want to show Christ’s love to the world.”