Country Doctor of the Year Award

In rural America, country doctors still make house calls and get to know their patients personally. The Country Doctor of the Year Award, sponsored by Staff Care, recognizes these doctors for the outstanding jobs they have done in contributing to rural healthcare.

This honor is bestowed annually to a physician who best exemplifies the spirit, skill and dedication of America's rural medical practitioners. Staff Care presents this prestigious award in December each year. Anyone with knowledge of an extraordinary country doctor may submit a nomination. Nominees often include doctors who have done exceptional jobs providing medical care despite challenging conditions and have managed to make a significant impact on their community.

For more information please visit www.countrydoctoraward.com.
Download a Country Doctor of the Year nomination form.

Dr. Watson arrived in Yoakum immediately out of medical training and began the multifarious tasks of a country doctor: family physician, surgeon, obstetrician and (unofficial) psychiatrist. The 78-year-old Dr. Watson continues to provide all these services, except obstetrics, seeing 20 to 30 patients a day in his office, rounding on patients in the hospital and the nursing home, and mixing in the occasional house call.

When the only hospital in the county was faced with imminent closure due to a lack of physicians, 81-year-old Dr. Hiram Ward volunteered to come out of retirement to provide medical coverage for the hospital seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Once a week for 27 years Dr. David Nichols has flown out to tiny Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay to care for its isolated population of 600 people, most of them the descendants of English settlers who came to the island in the 1600s.

"Dr. Poe is more than a physician in Kilmichael, she's the community's guardian angel..."

"They said they were looking for someone who was one fish short of a stringer," says Dr. Mauterer. "I guess that's me."

Cared for patients through a hurricane, even after the hospital was evacuated.

Worked through colon cancer and sold property to pay rising malpractice premiums.

Stepped in after several other doctors refused offers from the dying town and rebuilt a community.

Single-handedly kept the local hospital open. At age 73 still worked close to 100 hours a week.

Continued to practice after being diagnosed with cancer, scheduling patients around daily chemotherapy.

Brought modern medicine to the large Amish community of Stark County.

Known as the "Mother of Rowan County," she delivered more than 8,000 babies during her 50-year career.

Physicians from the Hill family have treated patients in Carrollton since before the Civil War.

Described as "a cross between Marcus Welby and Daniel Boone," he saved the local hospital.