Casey Recognized for Contributions and Dedication to Rural Health

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 4, 2011) − Dr. Baretta Casey, professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UK College of Medicine, has been awarded the Kentucky Rural Health Association's 2011 Dan A. Martin Award recognizing her work and dedication to rural health issues.

The Dan A. Martin Award, named for Dr. Dan Martin of the Trover Foundation in Madisonville, was created in 2003 and is given each year to honor lifetime contributions to rural health in Kentucky in the areas of patient care, health professional education, health administration, health promotion or public advocacy.

"The Dan Martin Award is the highest honor given by the Kentucky Rural Health Association to recognize lifetime contributions to rural health," said Elizabeth Cobb, president of the Kentucky Rural Health Association.  Dr. Casey is one of those individuals with clear dedication and compassion for rural health."

Casey, a native and former practicing physician from Pikeville, Ky., served as the director for the UK Center for Excellence in Rural Health in Hazard, Ky., from 2005 to 2010 and prior to that she was the program director for the UK College of Medicine, Hazard-based East Kentucky Family Medicine Residency Program, which trains medical school graduates for practice in rural areas. She is a 2006 graduate of the Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Health Care Executive Program, a management development program exclusively for executive directors and leaders of community-based health care organizations. In March 2008, she completed the prestigious Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program sponsored by Drexel University.

Casey is a past president of the Kentucky Medical Association and the Kentucky Academy of Family Medicine. She currently holds a position on the American Medical Association Council of Medical Education, the National Residency Matching Program and the board of directors for the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education. Casey serves on numerous medically related national and state boards. She has received several awards and honors related to her work with medical education, domestic violence, and community service.

The Kentucky Rural Health Association educates health providers, and consumers on rural health issues and advocates actions by private and public leaders to assure equitable access to health care for rural Kentuckians.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Ann Blackford, (859) 323-6442, ann.blackford@uky.edu