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On June 18, 2011 at the Alaska Academy of Family Physicians Annual
Scientific Conference in Seward, Alaska, Academy President John S.
Cullen M.D. and Academy Members Barbara J. Doty M.D and Marin Granholm
M.D. presented Harold L. Johnston M.D. of Anchorage, the 2011 Alaska
Family Physician of the Year award.
Dr. Johnston finished his residency in family medicine at Swedish
Hospital in Seattle in 1989 and returned home to Alaska. He first
joined the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, a community health
clinic, to practice full-spectrum family medicine, which he has
continued to the present day. His medical knowledge and expertise,
his calm demeanor, and his passion for quality care and access for
all, combined to establish him in the leadership position of medical
director at the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, where he
remained until he became the first and only director of the Alaska
Family Medicine Residency Program, Alaska’s only postgraduate medical
residency program.
From its inception in 1997, to the present, he has been the leading
force behind the Alaska Family Medicine Residency Program’s
development into one of the best, primary care training programs in
the country. The program has now graduated its 12th class, and in
all, over 100 family physicians have experienced Harold's presence in
their formative training years.
Dr. Johnston is the complete family physician who provides
Comprehensive Care for his patients in continuity over their lives.
He is recognized by his peers throughout Alaska, the Northwest, and
the country as a strong leader and visionary in family medicine. In
1996 he was the recipient of an award for innovative research in
primary care by the National Association of Community Health Centers.
The AC GME awarded its “Courage To Teach” award to him in 2003. In
2005, the Alaska Primary Care Association awarded him their “Sockeye”
award for leadership in primary care. In 2006, he was given a
leadership award by the University of Washington Family Medicine
residency Network, for which he served as president from 2004 at 2006.
In his presentation Dr. Cullen quoted John Schwartz, MD, Faculty
Physician, at the Alaska Family Medicine Residency stating “ Dr.
Johnston is a smart, caring, yet humble family doctor, who is a great
teacher, and a strong leader in Alaska, and throughout the country. He
inspires his staff, residents, and peers, to pursue excellence in
health and learning for ourselves, patients and our communities.”
The Family Physician of the Year Award is the highest honor given to a
member of the Alaska Academy of Family Physicians. The winner is truly
the best of the best. The criteria for this award are (1) to be a
compassionate, caring family physician, (2) have engaged in community
involvement that enhances the quality of life in his/her home area,
and (3) provides a credible role model as a healer and human being to
his/her community, and as a professional in the science and art of
medicine to colleagues, other health professionals, and especially to
young physicians in training and medical students.
The Alaska Academy of Family Physicians is a state chapter of the
American Academy of Family Physicians which was founded in 1947; the
AAFP represents more than 100,000 physicians and medical students
nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary
care. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal
patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn
more about the AAFP and about the specialty of family medicine, please
visit www.aafp.org.
For more information about health care, health conditions, and
wellness, please visit www.familydoctor.org.
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