Awards and Honors

Dr. David Weber, Wenatchee Valley Medical Center CEO received the Outstanding Contribution to Rural Health 2008 Award at the 21st annual Pacific Northwest Rural Health Conference held in Spokane March 20 – 21. This award is based on the overall contributions a nominee has made to benefit rural health and is awarded to one who has, over the course of his or her career, made significant impacts in rural health across the state. 

At the same 21st annual Pacific Northwest Rural Health Conference Dr. Walter Henze, retired North Valley Family Medicine physician, received an Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner 2008 Award.The award is based on the overall contributions a practitioner has made to benefit rural health over the course of his or her career.

The presentations were made by Secretary of Health Mary Selecky and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers at the Washington Rural Health Association Awards Luncheon attended by Governor Chris Gregoire on March 20.

The Washington Rural Health Association's primary focus is to advocate for the preservation and improvement of rural health & healthcare in Washington State.

From the Award Presentations:

David Weber, MD.
This award is for those who have, over the course of their careers, made significant impacts in rural health in Washington State. From the nomination letters for Dr. Weber:

Dr. Weber currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and has led the organization in that role since 2002. He joined the organization over thirty years ago as a radiologist. After three decades of providing quality service to his physician colleagues, and their patients, Dr. Weber took his passion for service to another level when elected to the position of Chairman of the board and CEO. Since then he has traveled from Olympia to Washington D.C., representing the needs of rural healthcare providers and the patients that they serve.

A fitting example of Dr. Weber’s commitment to rural health was the decision for Wenatchee Valley Medical Center to open a clinic in Royal City. In spite of the difficulties and expense of opening a small rural practice, and with the knowledge that the clinic would never be a cash cow, Dr. Weber urged the board to develop and operate the Royal City Clinic. A year later, the Clinic has provided a medical home for the residents of the Royal City area and has started offering new services such as radiology exams and a pharmacy.

Residents of rural North Central Washington and the Columbia Basin have something that many rural areas of the state and country don’t have – ready access to high quality health care. Wenatchee Valley Medical Center has accomplished much despite the fact that reimbursement demographics in rural areas are challenging. The region has a large migrant worker population and over 50% of the Center’s patients are Medicaid and Medicare. In response to these challenges, the Medical Center’s Compassionate Care program provided in excess of $3 million in free and discounted care in 2007.

Walter Henze, MD
In recognition of his exceptional work as a healer, teacher, leader, and pioneer in rural health, we honor Dr. Walter Henze as an Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner. From the nomination letters for Dr. Henze:
When Walter Henze moved to Tonasket, he probably didn’t realize that he was a pioneer. What he found when he arrived was that he was a bridge between eras. Dr. Henze took the solitary and dedicated medicine practiced by his predecessors and built