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  Dr. Kevin Murray accepts the 2012 'Family Medicine Educator of the Year' award. (Photo courtesy of Washington Academy of Family Physicians)

  Dr. Kevin Murray awarded 'Family Medicine Educator of the Year'

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  Kevin Murray, MD, was honored as the 2012 “Family Medicine Educator of the Year” by the Washington Academy of Family Physicians.

  Dr. Murray is Medical Vice President of Primary Care for MultiCare Health System.

  “The secret of his success is his genuine concern for all parties in every interaction, whether with students, residents, colleagues or national organizations,” WAFP said in an announcement about the award. “His idealistic brainstorming combined with his ceaseless dedication and strategic mind has made him a gift locally, regionally and nationally to family medicine.”

  Dr. Murray was Program Director at MultiCare's Tacoma Family Medicine since 2000 before he accepted the role of Director of Medical Education for MultiCare.

  Tacoma Family Medicine is a family practice clinic with two purposes: to serve as a residency program affiliated with the University of Washington Medical School, and to provide quality health care to patients who come primarily from underserved or at-risk populations.

  In addition to Dr. Murray's award, WAFP presented Dr. John McCarthy of Spokane with the “2012 Family Physician of the Year” award. Both Dr. Murray and Dr. McCarthy began their careers as residents at Tacoma Family Medicine. 

  WAFP highlighted Dr. Murray’s work in an announcement released Aug. 13:
  
  

  Dr. Murray has a distinguished record of achievement in family medicine as an educator, clinician, and advocate. Through innovation and leadership, Dr. Murray has improved family medicine residency education in Washington and influenced the careers of family physicians across our nation. Noteworthy for his enthusiasm and vision, one major outcome of Dr. Murray’s leadership is the Educational Health Center Initiative, an ongoing collaboration between the Department of Family Medicine and the Northwest Primary Care Association.

  His leadership role in the UW Family Medicine Residency Network deserves special emphasis. As Network President, he led conversations about educating residents in Community Health Centers, an important initiative aimed at transforming residency education AND meeting the workforce shortages. The conversation has now expanded to the national stage. Thanks to Dr. Murray’s dedication, the development of the “Teaching Health Center” was included as an initiative in President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Washington State is already seeing the benefits of this program through Central Washington Family Medicine’s new training track in Ellensburg, and a new program at the Puyallup Tribal Clinic. Interest in these collaborations is also growing in Everett, Tacoma, Wenatchee and Vancouver

  Dr. Murray earned his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1978 and completed residency training at Tacoma Family Medicine in 1981. He first entered private practice serving the small communities of Snoqualmie and North Bend. He began his career as a professional educator at Family Medicine Spokane in 1984. In 1989 he returned to the Puget Sound region, and later to residency teaching in 1991 where he served as Associate Director and Acting Program Director at the (then) Providence Family Medicine Residency Program. He served as Program Director of the Tacoma Family Medicine Residency in 2000, and continued to lead the program for over a decade. He currently holds the triple job title of Vice President of Primary Care, Vice President of the Academic Division and the DIO for MultiCare Health System.

  With more than 3,000 members, the WAFP is the largest medical specialty professional organization in Washington. It is composed of physicians, residents and students who specialize in Family Medicine. The organization works to influence the development of health care policy that will provide optimal health care for all citizens of Washington State.

  Posted on Aug 20, 2012 in Trophy Case, Tacoma