James Norton of the
University of Kentucky is this year's recipient of the Dan Martin Award for Lifelong Contributions to Rural Health, which honors a health care professional who has shown a long-standing commitment to solving health challenges in rural areas across the state,
UKNow reports.
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| James Norton |
This year the
Kentucky Rural Health Association presented the award, a handmade and locally crafted dulcimer, to Norton prior to the annual conference, since he was traveling abroad during the September conference when it is normally presented. Norton is a past president of the KRHA and has served on the committee that chooses the recipient of this award.
"It's really gratifying," Norton said of receiving the award. "You do this for a long time, and it's nice to have your peers convey to you that they think what you've done has value in the long pull."
Norton is the associate dean for educational engagement at UK
College of Medicine; leads the Western Kentucky Initiative, which places third-year medical students in rural clinical sites in Western Kentucky; is the director of CE Central, which manages continuing education for doctors and pharmacists; and serves on state and national boards that include the
National Rural Health Association and on groups that are part of the
Association of American Medical Colleges.
"For over 30 years, Dr. Norton has been a major contributor and leader in developing programs directed to developing future health care providers for rural and underserved communities," Linda Asher, chair of the KRHA selection committee, said in the release.
Started in 2003, the award is named after its inaugural honoree Dan Martin of the
Trover Foundation in Madisonville.