Dr. Naveed Mirza and Dr. Kingsley Bost

Southeastern Missouri Area Health Education Center Honors Two Kneibert Clinic Physicians with Prestigious President's Volunteer Service Award

POPLAR BLUFF, MO – The Southeastern Missouri Area Health Education Center (SEMO AHEC) has awarded two Kneibert Clinic physicians with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national honor offered in recognition of community volunteer service. 

Dr. Kingsley Bost and Dr. Naveed Mirza were honored with Presidential Silver Awards for contributing 250-499 hours of volunteer service from September 2007 through August 2008.

Other physicians from the region received Bronze Awards for 1900-249 hours of service: Dr. Joseph Fernando, Dr. Dorothy Munch, Dr. Philma Opinaldo, Dr. Claudia Preuschoff and Dr. Debra Robertson

Established in 2003, the award is available on an annual basis to individuals, groups and families who have met or exceeded requirements for volunteer service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering.  As one of thousands
of Certifying Organizations participating in the Award program, SEMO AHEC confers the award to recognize the outstanding achievements of its physician volunteers who serve as community-based faculty for medical students in training.

SEMO AHEC has a long history of volunteer service, and more than 100 volunteers perform community service each year on behalf of the organization.  These physician volunteers spend time teaching family medicine, internal medicine, child health, surgery,
OB-GYN, psychiatry, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, pathology, radiology, and a host of other medical specialties to students who will someday return to rural practice sites and provide health care critical for rural and underserved populations.

“In his 2002 State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush created the USA Freedom Corps, and called on every American to make a lifelong commitment to volunteer service.  The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals and families who have answered that call,” said Sherri Hinrichs, Executive Director of SEMO AHEC. 

“America’s volunteers work to make our communities stronger and safer. As a Certifying Organization for the Award program, SEMO AHEC is proud to be aligned with this prestigious volunteer award, and we are especially proud of our community-based clinical faculty who have made volunteer service a central part of their lives.”

The President’s Volunteer Call to Service Award is an award for volunteer service that every American – from every age and every walk of life – can aspire to achieve.  To be eligible to receive the Award, individuals, families and groups submit a record of their annual volunteer service hours to participating Certifying Organizations, such as SEMO AHEC, that will verify the service and deliver the Award. Award eligibility for individuals and groups is based on hour requirements varying by age. 

“These recipients of the President’s Volunteer Call to Service Award are role models for all Americans,” Ms. Hinrichs said.  “Each volunteer hour contributed makes a difference in improving the quality of life for others, and I encourage everyone to contribute to our community by volunteering.  Volunteers bring us closer together as families, as communities and as a Nation, through their commitment.”

The award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group created by President Bush to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our Nation.  Chaired by two-time Super Bowl Champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn as honorary co-chairs, the Council comprises leaders in government, media, entertainment, business, education, nonprofits and volunteer service organizations, and community volunteering.

For more information about volunteering for SEMO AHEC, contact Sherri Hinrichs at 573-785-2444, Ext. 1.

For more information about how to qualify for the President’s Volunteer Service Award and to find out how to identify additional volunteer opportunities in this area, visit www.PresidentialServiceAwards.gov or call 1-866-545-5307.

SEMO AHEC:  Connecting Students to Careers, Professionals to Communities, and Communities to Better Health!

Dr. Naveed Mirza and Dr. Kingsley Bost

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