By the pen of Governor Kay Ivey, today is Doctors’ Day in Alabama.

The governor signed a proclamation declaring March 30, 2018, Doctors’ Day in Alabama. The proclamation formally recognizes Alabama’s nearly 17,000 licensed physicians serving millions of residents.

Troy Regional Medical Center celebrated Doctors’ Day and honored its doctors with a breakfast in the hospital cafeteria on Thursday.

“Alabama doctors will be recognized and honored statewide on Doctor’s Day in Alabama but we wanted to personally say thank you to our doctors and let them know how much they are appreciated 365 days a year and what a vital part of our community they are,” said Karen Herring, TRMC marketing director.

“At Troy Regional Medical Center, we have 30 physicians and about 70 other credentialed doctors who respond to needs. We are very appreciative that these doctors have chosen TRMC. There is a shortage of doctors all across the country, and especially in rural areas, so we can’t say thank you enough to our doctors for their commitment to TRMC and the Troy and Pike County area.”

Dr. Tom Peurifoy, General Surgery, was early to breakfast and said, emphatically, that TRMC is “just what Troy needs.”

“TRMC provides quality healthcare for the community by offering a wide variety of quality services here at home,” he said. “Residents don’t have to leave home to get outstanding care provided by a staff of dedicated physicians. That means a lot to the patients, their families and their community.”   

Dr. Theodore Morgan, Emergency Services, echoed Peurifoy’s sentiments about TRMC and the services the hospital provides to the community.

“TRMC provides excellent services to this area and the interaction among the staff makes it a great place to work,” Morgan said. “This hospital is on the move. It recently opened a Geriatric Behavioral Center and a Cancer Infusion Center is coming soon. TRMC meets and continues to meet the needs of this community.”

Doctors’ Day in Alabama is sponsored in part by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and is held in conjunction with the 85th Anniversary of National Doctors’ Day.

Mark Jackson, executive director of the Medical Association, said the practice of medicine is a special calling.

“Physicians study and train many years to serve the needs of their communities,” he said. “While first contributing to the overall health of their patients, Alabama’s  physicians also contribute to the overall health of the state through economic factors.”

According to a study by the AMA, each Alabama physician supports an average of 11.7 jobs – contributing to 101,770 jobs statewide, for an average of $1.9 million in positive economic input and a total of $16.7 billion in economic impact statewide.

Donald E. Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, said whether practicing in the community or employed by hospitals, physicians are essential for providing high-quality care to the residents of Alabama.