GREENSBURG - A Decatur County Memorial Hospital physician and Partner with Tree City Medical Partners, Mary McCullough, MD recently received the prestigious Doc Hollywood Award from the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA).
The award was presented to Dr. McCullough earlier this month at the annual IRHA Conference in Indianapolis.
This unique award gets its name from the book, Doc Hollywood, authored by Neil Shulman, MD. Dr. Shulman himself was known as the original Doc Hollywood and his book was later made into a major motion picture starring Michael J. Fox.
The Doc Hollywood award is presented to recognize Indiana physicians who have shown outstanding dedication toward improving healthcare in rural and underserved communities. Nominations for candidates are accepted from throughout the state and selection is based on a number of criteria relative to individual service by the physician. Dr. McCullough was nominated by Decatur County Memorial Hospital President and CEO, William Alloy and was the only one recognized with the award this year.
Commenting on the award presentation Alloy stated, "Dr. McCullough epitomizes the values and contributions that are at the root of successful rural healthcare. We are fortunate to have her practicing in our community and certainly pleased that she was recognized for that service at the state level. She couldn’t be more deserving."
In his nomination Alloy wrote, "Perhaps the heart, soul and spirit of Doctor Mary McCullough are all best captured in an event of just a few years ago, happening in the midst of adversity." Alloy’s nomination then highlighted an instance when Dr. McCullough walked over two miles in a 24-inch snowstorm to deliver a baby at the Hospital – even though it wasn’t her patient. To this he added, "This act alone epitomizes her selflessness and desire to help others."
Alloy continued, "Dr. McCullough has the uncanny ability to know just what needs to be done and carry it off in a calming manner while inspiring others around her. It is difficult to capture the impact she has in the community, however, it’s easy to see that she embodies the vision of the Doc Hollywood Award," His nomination then chronicled the list of contributions Dr. McCullough has made to the Greensburg/Decatur County community.
Dr. McCullough, is a family practitioner with Tree City Medical Partners, and while the recognition focused on being a model rural healthcare provider she has a long list of other accomplishments that impressed the review panel.
When she arrived in the community in 1987 the concept of a female practitioner was still relatively new to the area. During her practice she has been known to deliver over 90 babies per year, has served multiple terms as Chief of Staff and acted as Chief of Obstetrics at Decatur County Memorial Hospital and has functioned on numerous committees. She still serves on the Hospital’s Board of Directors, which in and of itself demands a considerable amount of time.
Dr. McCullough has also been active with Relay for Life since its inception in Decatur County, she’s volunteered at the Free Health Clinic, been involved with Tree County Players productions and numerous other community causes. In addition to her local involvement, she has volunteered on several mission trips to help others.
Dr. Mary McCullough was able to accept the award at the conference, in the presence of two of her daughters, DCMH CEO William Alloy, VP of Patient Care at DCMH, Diane McKinney and Director of Pharmacy, Denise Fields.
