If you know of a rural doctor who has provided outstanding service to his or her community, or who has overcome great challenges or obstacles to offer the best in medical care, you can learn more about our Country Doctor of the Year Award by accessing these links:
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Meet some of the best doctors in America, many of whom have preserved through challenges and less-than-ideal conditions to provide the best medical care to their patients in country towns and rural locations across the nation:
2010 Kenneth Jackson, M.D. - Kingman, Arizona
After completing his medical training in the 1970s, Dr. Jackson spent a year in a migrant health clinic, then worked for five years at the Indian Health Service hospital on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona where he delivered both of his two children. He moved to Kingman in 1991 and has been providing free care to Native American communities for 16 years.
2009 Steven J. Smith, M.D. – Marathon, Florida
For most of the last 30 years, a 90-mile strip of the Florida Keys was covered by one surgeon and one surgeon alone, Dr. Steven J. Smith. For two and a half decades, Dr. Smith covered two hospitals located over 40 miles apart, often making the drive between facilities three times daily, while being on call around the clock, 365 days a year.
2008 David Watson, M.D. – Yoakum, Texas
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.
2007 Hiram T. Ward, M.D. – Murfreesboro, Arkansas
When the only hospital in the county was faced with imminent closure due to a lack of physicians accepting doctor jobs at the facility, 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.
2006 David Nichols, M.D. – White Stone, Virginia
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.
2005 Katrina Poe, M.D. – Kilmichael, Mississippi
"Dr. Poe is more than a physician in Kilmichael, she's the community's guardian angel..."
2004 Kenneth Paul Mauterer, M.D. – Olla, Louisiana
"They said they were looking for someone who was one fish short of a stringer," says Dr. Mauterer. "I guess that's me."
2003 Charles Boyette, M.D. – Belhaven, North Carolina
Cared for patients through a hurricane, even after the hospital was evacuated.
2002 James Blume, D.O. – Forest Hill, West Virginia
Worked through colon cancer and sold property to pay rising malpractice premiums.
2001 Kamlesh Gosai, M.D. – Bentleyville, Pennsylvania
Stepped in after several other physicians refused doctor jobs from the dying town and rebuilt a community.
2000 Howard Clark, M.D. – Morton, Mississippi
Single-handedly kept the local hospital open. At age 73 still worked close to 100 hours a week.
1999 Paul F. Maddox, M.D. – Campton, Kentucky
Continued to practice after being diagnosed with cancer, scheduling patients around daily chemotherapy.
1998 Elton D. Lehman, D.O. – Mt. Eaton, Ohio
Brought modern medicine to the large Amish community of Stark County.
1997 Claire Louise Caudill, M.D. – Morehead, Kentucky
Known as the "Mother of Rowan County," she delivered more than 8,000 babies during her 50-year career.
1996 William Hill, M.D. – Carrollton, Alabama
Physicians from the Hill family have treated patients in Carrollton since before the Civil War.
1995 John Harlan Haynes, M.D. – Vivian. Louisiana
Described as "a cross between Marcus Welby and Daniel Boone," he saved the local hospital.
If you would like to learn more about working as a locum tenens provider through Staff Care, why not read about our temporary
doctor jobs and how we can help you find the locum tenens physician opportunities you want.