Mercy Joplin’s Dr. Russell Kennedy has been named the recipient of the Distinguished Community-Based Faculty Award for the academic year 2017-2018 by the Rural Track Management Group at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Each year, the group selects one of the MU community-based faculty to be recognized at the Awards Convocation.
Dr. Kennedy is a family medicine physician with a clinic in Webb City, Missouri. Since 2007, Dr. Kennedy has taught 10 rural track medical students from MU School of Medicine.
The prestigious award recognizes community-based rural track preceptors who consistently demonstrate a superior level of commitment and skill for teaching MU rural track medical students. These preceptors serve as outstanding role models for students and regularly teach them about issues particular to rural practice. They provide the highest quality of care for their patients, demonstrate an exemplary level of professionalism, are highly respected by their colleagues, and demonstrate active leadership and involvement in their community.
“I was blown away by Dr. Kennedy’s compassionate approach to patient care,” said Rene Romig, MU medical student who nominated Dr. Kennedy. “It was obvious that he loved his job and really cared about his patients, and his patients could tell, too. He would literally jog with joy down the hallway to go see the next patient!
He truly listened and took time in every patient encounter and his patients just adore him. I learned many effective communication techniques from him. It was neat to see how a certain phrase or wording of a question or statement could diffuse tension and allow for a truly collaborative physician-patient relationship that ultimately can result in better health outcomes and better adherence to care.
I came away from this rotation feeling impressed with the breadth and scope of family medicine, and I feel like Dr. Kennedy showed me an example of the practice of family medicine at its best.”
