Samuel "Hughes" Melton, a family practice doctor who graduated from the Medical School in 1993, received the national 2011 Family Physician of the Year Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians on Wednesday.
Melton was honored for his primary care treatment of addiction and chronic pain in the Appalachian region of southwest Virginia and for taking an active role in the community in which he practices.
Upon completing his family medicine residency at the University three years after graduating from the Medical School, Melton partnered with Dr. Brian Easton, with whom he shared a common vision. Together, the two founded "C-Health" clinic in 2000.
First practicing out of a small trailer in Lebanon, located in Russell County, Va., Melton and Easton worked with the goal to create a family medicine practice that engages its patients, "not just to have the doors open to treat them but also to become part of the community," Melton said.
Improving the health of rural Virginians was no easy task, however. When they first established C-Health, their constituency was a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area, a designation that recognizes the poor coverage they were receiving.
Melton soon realized that specific health issues were ravaging the community, ranging from obesity to tobacco abuse prevalence and high rates of substance and narcotic abuse.
Through treatments and administrative aid from colleagues from the University, Melton was able to assist his patients with their struggles against illness, pain and addiction. He credits his partners in particular, who were "very supportive in enabling me to treat a subset of our population."
Another notable aspect of C-Health's dedication to its community, Melton said, is its "practice tithe fund," wherein the practice sets aside a percentage of its profits to aid local citizens in various other ways, such as heating bills, medicine they can not afford and past-due rent. Melton takes particular pride in this initiative, as the fund has never run out.
Melton's efforts have not just been appreciated by the citizens of Russell County but also have drawn the attention of the leaders of the medical profession. Janelle Davis, the public relations specialist for the American Academy of Family Physicians, described Melton as "one outstanding family physician who has provided excellent care to patients, to the community, and to other doctors."
During the 10 years of C-Health's history, Russell County is no longer a HPSA, demonstrating the effect that Melton's practice has had on this community. Still, he admits that there remains work to be done, as obesity rates are still high and the Appalachian region is still afflicted by poverty.
Melton also credits the University for the influence it had on his life and his work.
"I spent seven years at U.Va. and it is a big part of who I am and a big part of what the award is all about"
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