Do you know a country doctor who goes above and beyond expectations to deliver exceptional care to a rural community? Someone like Jasmine Sulaiman, MD, our 2016 Country Doctor of the Year? If so, we want to hear about it! We're now officially calling for nominations for the 2017 Staff Care Country Doctor of the Year Award.
What makes a Staff Care Country Doctor of the Year? We're seeking to learn about physicians who still make house calls in rural areas, who still engage with their community members on a one-on-one basis — who may even accept the occasional apple pie or roast turkey as part of his or her fee!
Nominate a Country Doctor
20 Years of Country Doctor Awards from Staff Care
Although Staff Care's Country Doctor of the Year Award dates back more than 20 years (view an infographic history of the Country Doctor Award here), the award has never been more timely, given the nation's ongoing physician shortage and the increasing scarcity of doctors in rural areas.
Indeed, the nation's rural physician shortage is a crisis that's garnered increasing levels of attention in recent years. "It's not uncommon for Main Street in rural communities throughout South Dakota to have a post office, a gas station, a small grocery store or market, and possibly a traffic light or two — not much more than that," U.S. Senator John Thune recently wrote for South Dakota's Daily Republic in honor of National Health Center Week 2016.
"Just because some South Dakotans choose to call small town America home doesn't mean they're less deserving of the health care that's often available in more populated areas," Sen. Thune added. "The health care professionals who choose to practice in these smaller communities should be applauded because without them, the community members who rely on these facilities would be forced to travel long distances and likely incur higher costs along the way."
If you know a doctor who fits this description, we encourage you to take a moment to nominate him or her for our 2017 Country Doctor of the Year Award. Nominations extend until December 31, 2016, and we'll announce the winner early in 2017.
Staff Care will provide the winner of the 2017 Country Doctor of the Year with a temporary locum tenens physician to fill in for him or her for two weeks — at no charge — a value of approximately $10,000. Given how busy our nation's country doctors are, the prospect of a two-week vacation knowing that a reliable fill-in is taking matters in hand is no small matter.
“We hope the award winner enjoys some well-deserved rest,” says Staff Care President Sean Ebner, “but our real intent is to honor an outstanding country doctor and to shine a light on the great work that rural physicians continue to do even as their numbers dwindle.”
Nominations will be accepted for physicians practicing in rural communities and who are engaged in such primary care areas as general practice, family practice, internal medicine, and/or pediatrics. Anyone can nominate a country doctor — friends, colleagues, patients, co-workers, even family and community members. And we welcome all stories and anecdotes about the physician’s practice!
So please nominate your favorite country doctor today! You can find a nomination form here, or click the button below. And read on to view our Country Doctor infographic for even more inspiration!
Nominate a Country Doctor
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