
Distinguished Physician Alumni Award
Lilly S. Filler, MD, ‘98
Lilly S. Filler, MD, was already married and the mother to three children when she began her medical training at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. After graduating in 1998, Filler completed residency at Palmetto Health Richland in 1992, then opened her private practice in obstetrics and gynecology, Women Physician Associates. The practice grew to be the largest all-female practice in Columbia at the time of her retirement in 2014.
Filler recognized that fundamental changes in patient care for women and insurance for oral contraceptives were only going to occur with medical political activism. She joined the medical executive board at Palmetto Richland, was selected chief of staff in 2002, and became president of the Columbia Medical Society in 2003. Filler has been a fierce advocate for her patients and their rights. She continues to address community organizations and college campuses about women’s issues, encouraging young women to consider a profession in medicine.