WATERTOWN, NY — Samaritan Medical Center will be hosting its seventh annual Physician Recognition Dinner on Thursday, April 4, 2019.
This event, supported by the SMC Medical Executive Committee and Foundation, is held on or around National Doctors’ Day each year to honor Samaritan’s active and retired physicians for their dedication.
As part of this event, one physician is selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was been established to recognize a Samaritan physician for his/her leadership and service to the health and well-being of the Northern New York community. Whether in their private practice, hospital duties, Board or Medical Staff leadership positions or volunteer work, Samaritan’s physicians dedicate their time and talent to making the community a better place to live.
The 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is LaVerne VanDeWall, DO, an internist, who has been a member of the SMC Medical Staff since 1992. When he first moved to the Watertown area, he joined Drs. Marilley and Kellogg. After Dr. Marilley’s retirement, the practice became known as Watertown Internists. Dr. VanDeWall retired from Watertown Internists in 2015 and continues to actively support Samaritan and the health and well-being of the community in a variety of roles.
Dr. VanDeWall was born in Rochester, New York and attended Albany College of Pharmacy where he obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Pharmacy degree in 1975 and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA where he received his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree in 1977. After practicing pharmacy for a few years, Dr. VanDeWall decided to go back to school 1981 and attended Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, receiving his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine in 1985.
Dr. VanDeWall has been an active member of the Watertown medical community for the last 27 years providing care at Samaritan Medical Center, Samaritan Summit Village and the Samaritan Keep Home. He served as the Medical Director for the Mercy of Northern New York Nursing Home from 2011 until it closed its doors in 2013. Additionally, he continues to support Samaritan as a Faculty Supervisor for Samaritan’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) SMART Clinic and as the Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program.
He is an active member of several committees such as Medical Management, Antibiotic Stewardship, and Graduate Medical Education and served as President of The Medical Staff in 2003, 2010, and 2015 and Vice President in 2002 and 2009. He also served on the Credentials and the Medical Executive Committees.
Dr. VanDeWall and his wife, Jeannie, a recently retired RN with Samaritan, reside in Watertown and have four grown daughters and six grandchildren.
“This event has been established to offer the entire community an opportunity to recognize and thank our physicians for their time, talent and commitment,” states Thomas H. Carman, President and CEO of Samaritan Medical Center. “We ask a lot of our physicians. In addition to the day-to-day work in their offices or here at the hospital doing rounds or performing surgery, our physicians actively participate in other initiatives, such as Medical Staff committees, Boards, and other leadership roles. Our community is fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated Medical Staff.”
The Physician Recognition Dinner is being held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Watertown. This event is open to the community. Tickets are $30 per person.
For more information or to RSVP, please contact the Medical Staff Relations Office at SMC at 315-779-5184 or visit www.samaritanhealth.com/physiciandinner.
