ARMC ER Medical Director Receives Honor

ATHENS, TN (October 8, 2009) - TeamHealth, one of the nation's leading providers of emergency medicine staffing and management services, recently named Medical Directors of the Year for each of its regional divisions.

Rick Kalister, DO, medical director of the emergency department at Athens Regional Hospital in Athens, Tennessee, was a recipient of the Medical Director of the Year Award for TeamHealth's Midsouth Division. The Medical Director of the Year awards were announced October 4 at an annual awards dinner held in conjunction with the 2009 Scientific Assembly of the American College of Emergency Physicians in Boston, Massachusetts.

Founded in 1979, TeamHealth is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee.  TeamHealth is affiliated with more than 6,000 healthcare professionals who provide emergency medicine, radiology, hospital medicine, urgent care and pediatric staffing and management services to more than 550 civilian and military hospitals, and clinics and physician groups in 45 states. Athens Regional Medical Center was one of the first hospitals to contract with TeamHealth for emergency services in the early 1980's.

Through the Medical Director of the Year awards, TeamHealth's Medical Advisory Board recognizes medical directors who raise the bar for leadership. Winners from all regions are selected from more than 400 of their peers in hospital emergency departments staffed and managed by TeamHealth nationwide.

Dr. Kalister has served as medical director at Athens Regional Hospital since 2002. "His efforts recently led the emergency department at Athens Regional Medical Center to achieve the top patient satisfaction score for Lifepoint in the country," stated Randal Dabbs, M.D., President of TeamHealth Midsouth. In presenting the award, Dr. Kalister was commended for exceeding expectations in all tasks, building relationships with staff, and exhibiting the characteristics of effective leadership and teamwork.

Dr. Kalister is a former Air Force fighter pilot who also served as a police officer during his college days at East Texas State University. He is a graduate of the Osteopathic School of Medicine at the  University of North Texas located in Fort Worth. He completed a residency program in family practice at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, and is board certified by the American Academy of Family Medicine. In addition, Dr. Kalister is certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). He is married to Betty, and they have two daughters.

Athens Regional CEO, John Workman, was pleased to learn Dr. Kalister had received the honor. "All of us at ARMC congratulate Dr. Kalister for receiving this very significant award. It is certainly well deserved."