2012 Doctor-Citizen of the Year
Dr. James “Jim” Shames, a Medford family physician, was named the Oregon Medical Association’s 2012 Doctor Citizen of the Year at the Association’s 138th annual meeting inPortland. The annual award honors a physician who has made outstanding contributions to his community, the practice of medicine, and health care policy in our state.
With this award, Dr. Shames is being recognized for his work in seeking a collaborative solution among the community of health care providers in Jackson County for the growing problem of opioid drug abuse. The collaborative community-driven guidelines represent a concrete effort among those who provide prescriptions for these medications to ensure they are not diverted or used improperly. With recent news reports that Oregon’s rate of opioid pain killer abuse is the second-highest in the country, this work is critical indeed.
As the Health Officer in Jackson and Josephine counties, Shames’ project is one of his many efforts to improve the community. His active efforts to expand immunization compliance in a community with notably high immunization exemption rates have earned him an award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this year.
His nominating colleague, Eric Webb, MD, noted that “He has taken the lead in our community in trying to improve pain medication prescribing practices in an effort to reduce two major problems in our county: addiction and unintentional fatal overdoses.”
Past Doctor-Citizen Award recipients:
1957, Archie D. McMurdo, Heppner
1958, De Norval Unthank, Portland
1959, William Willis Holt, Medford
1960, Stanley A. Boyd, Eugene
1961, Samuel L. Diack, Portland
1962, Virgil N. Samms, Eugene
1963, Craig B. Leman, Corvallis
1964, Howard L. Cherry, Portland
1965, Merle Pennington, Sherwood
1966, Morris K. Crothers, Salem
1967, E.G. Chuinard, Portland
1968, Joseph P. Brennan, Pendleton
1969, Alfred J. Kreft, Portland
1970, John G.P. Cleland, Oregon City
1971, Beatrice Rose, Portland
1972, Vern Miller, Salem
1973, Forrest Rieke, Portland
1974, J.Richard Raines, Portland
1975, Louis Feves, Pendleton
1976, Raymond McKeown, North Bend
1977, Cameron C. Bangs, Oregon City
1978, Ralph S. Crawshaw, Portland
1979, David D. Kliewer, Corvallis
1980, Donald M. Jeppesen, Roseburg
1981, Donald E. Poage, Coos Bay
1982, C.H. Hagmeier, Portland
1983, William Zieverink, Portland
1984, Roy W. Skoglund, Roseburg
1985, John R. Tongue, Tualatin
1986, Brandt Bartels, Medford
1987, John R. Hazel, Oregon City
1988, George E. Kabacy, Canby
1989, Warren G. Bishop, Medford
1990, Charles E. Hofmann, Baker City
1991, Stuart G. Garrett, Bend
1992, Richard Allen, Portland
1993, Terence J. Parr, Lakeview
1995, James Garland, Hillsboro
1996, Richard G. Kincade, Eugene
1997, Martin L. Jones, Eugene
1998, John W. Forsyth, Medford
1999, Byron T. Sagunsky, Klamath Falls
2000, John D. Alsever, Salem
2001, Joanne Jene, Portland
2002, Stanley O. Shepardson, Bend
2003, T. Allen Merritt, Bend
2004, Ronald E. Carver, Bend
2005, Crittenden Huston, McMinnville
2006, James K. Lace, Salem
2007, U. Scott Page, Portland
2008, James Frances Calver, Jr, Klamath Falls
2009, David R. Grube, Philomath
2010, William Kohn, Grants Pass
2011, Charles E. Hofmann, Baker City