ZANESVILLE PHYSICIAN TO BE HONORED WITH 2015 FAMILY PHYSICIAN MENTOR AWARD – The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Foundation has announced that Stephen Ulrich, MD, from Zanesville, will receive the 2015 Family Physician Mentor Award.

Dr. Ulrich has been practicing medicine for 34 years and is currently lead physician and owner of Perry County Family Practice, New Lexington, OH. His practice has provided care to an underserved, rural population since 1981. Dr. Ulrich also stresses the importance of teaching – a portion of the practice’s mission statement states, “provide medical education and training to health care students in order to increase the number of rural providers and the understanding of rural health needs.”

He is a volunteer faculty with Ohio University Heritage College of Medicine and is certified as a clinical instructor. Dr. Ulrich is also a contract medical director for the Genesis Health Care System where he provides oversight to the employee wellness program.

Dr. Ulrich is currently a board member of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians and the Perry County Airport Authority, a physician member of the Perry County Board of Health, and a board trustee of the OAFP Foundation.

2 OHIOANS ELECTED TO NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS BOARD OF DIRECTORS – The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Ohio is honored to announce that two Ohioans have been elected to the NAMI National Board of Directors.

NAMI Ohio Board Members including former Senator Robert Spada, of North Royalton, and Gloria Walker, of Cincinnati, were elected to the National Board during the NAMI annual convention held in San Francisco last week.

NAMI Ohio Executive Director Terry Russell was elated that these two dedicated individuals have been awarded the opportunity to represent Ohio at the national level. “The commitment they share to improving the lives of individuals living with mental illness and their family members is unsurpassed. They will both be invaluable additions to the National Board of Directors,” said Russell.

The 16 member NAMI National Board of Directors are elected by NAMI members to provide strategic guidance in the fulfillment of NAMI’s mission to provide advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

FINDLAY OFFICAL EARNS LIFETIME FELLOW DESIGNATION – John Richey, founding director of The University of Findlay’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics program, has earned the lifetime Fellow designation from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). AHIMA fellow designation is industry-wide recognition for significant and sustained contributions to the health information management (HIM) profession, excellence in HIM education and meritorious service.

Prior to coming to UF in 2010, Richey also founded the Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology program at Terra State Community College in Fremont, Ohio. Richey is a past president of the Ohio Health Information Management Association, as well as its distinguished member in 2000.

Richey adds, “I am very pleased and honored to have earned AHIMA’s Fellow designation. It reflects that my sense of advocacy for students is genuine, my commitment to advancement of the HIM profession is profound, and my pursuit of higher quality in academic content and educational services is relentless. AHIMA’s fellow designation will help elevate the status of the health informatics graduate program, the college and the university to national and international prominence. My pledge is to continue making lasting contributions to the HIM body of knowledge.”