MRHC leaders recipients of statewide rural health awards

Posted on: 3/13/20

Photo: Andy Fosmire (left), OHA vice president of rural health, presents the award to David Keith, CEO, McAlester Regional Health Center.

David Keith, CEO, and Kamron Torbati, MD, both of McAlester Regional Health Center, received awards for their work in rural health at the Oklahoma Rural Health Conference in Norman last week. Dr. Torbati received the “Rural Physician of the Year” award and Keith received the “Rural Health Leader of the Year” award from the Rural Health Association of Oklahoma’s board of directors.

Lucy Muller, HR generalist, McAlester Regional Health Center, made both nominations. Muller said in her nomination that Keith “is a visionary for rural health. He understands the growing needs of the populations that rural health facilities know and he has solutions ready at hand for health care leaders and elected officials to meet the needs of the challenges that rural health faces. He has met with many leaders in local, state and federal government. This includes regular meetings with city leaders. This also included meetings with senators, the speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the governor’s cabinet. He strives to unite rural hospital leaders together to build a network to combat issues that target rural health care in an effort to ensure rural communities continue to grow and have access to health care providers.”
Muller said Dr. Torbati “works to ensure that mothers have the care they need in a compassionate, high quality manner that puts mothers at ease…. He is innovative with the care he provides. He works to serve rural Oklahoma as he also hosts students and encourages them to come back to rural communities to serve so that maternity deserts will be a problem of our past.”

In his acceptance speech, Keith said he wanted to acknowledge his team at McAlester Regional Health Center. He also said, “this state is in a point of transition. We need Medicaid expansion. It means keeping hospitals alive.”