The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) is pleased to announce that Samantha Plummer, practice administrator for the OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine Residency Program, will receive its 2022 Friend of Family Medicine Award.
The OAFP presents the Friend of Family Medicine Award to an elected official, member of the media (individual or organization), or community individual who has worked on, been involved with, or reported on issues related to family medicine in Ohio.
Mrs. Plummer began her career in healthcare in 1995, working as a medical assistant for a family practice in Ashland, KY. Her employer, a strong female physician, encouraged her to continue her education. Mrs. Plummer went back to school with the intention of becoming a physician herself, but realized that her passion was for administrative healthcare. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Morehead University in Kentucky, and in 2012, graduated with a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Central Michigan University.
“While I have had the opportunity to work in just about every specialty, my heart belongs to family medicine because I truly believe that it is the backbone of all healthcare,” said Mrs. Plummer. “We don’t get the glory that is often bestowed to trauma, orthopedics, or cardiology, but I truly believe that family physicians are the unsung heroes of healthcare. Being and advocate for my physicians, patients, and staff is my mission and life’s purpose.”
Friend of Family Medicine Award nominator, Roma Amin, MD, explained in her letter of support for Mrs. Plummer that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted all of gaps and inequities in the healthcare system. “Through Mrs. Plummer’s leadership and advocacy, we were one of the only vaccine sites available on the bus lines downtown, we were one of the first family medicine offices to offer monoclonal antibody treatment in our system, and we were able to expand this equity lens for decisions that were made at the system level for the third and fourth surges,” said Dr. Amin.
“I would like to thank Drs. Robert Skully, David Tessier, and Alysia Herzog, and all the faculty at OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine Residency. They have been true partners in the success of this practice, are supportive and collaborative, and as my work family, they make coming to work fun and easy,” said Mrs. Plummer.
Mrs. Plummer lives in South Bloomfield, OH, with her spouse, Brian, and has two children, Kenton and Kason.
To learn more about the Friend of Family Medicine Award, please visit the OAFP website.