Matthew Dunn, M.D., has been named Flagstaff Medical Center’s 2014 Nathan Avery Physician of the Year. Dunn was honored during FMC’s celebration of National Doctors’ Day. He is the 21st physician to be recognized by FMC for exemplifying the organization’s mission, vision and values and working in partnership with the hospital to provide excellence to patients and the community.
Dunn was selected by a committee of previous Physician of the Year winners. The committee considered nominations from FMC staff, volunteers, board members and physicians, as well as physicians’ contributions to the organization to determine this year’s awardee.
As a hospitalist with board certifications in internal medicine and pediatrics, Dunn works throughout the hospital caring for patients of all ages. He joined FMC in 2011 to care for adult inpatients, with the goal of helping the hospital establish a pediatric hospitalist program. Hospitalists are physicians who care for hospitalized patients and then transition their care to patients’ primary care physicians upon discharge. Dunn expanded his role to include children when FMC’s pediatric hospitalist program was launched in July 2012.
Dunn’s commitment to patient- and family- centered care was key to his selection as the 2014 Physician of the Year. Nomination forms came from staff and physicians throughout the hospital, and recognized Dunn for his compassion and respect for patients and his commitment to interdisciplinary teamwork.
“I have seen Dr. Dunn caring for patients in several hospital units,” said Andrea MacIntosh, patient care technician. “He treats all his patients, families and colleagues with the highest level of respect and care. He makes everyone he comes in contact with feel like they are a friend or member of his family.”
Pediatric nurse Carrie Fisher echoed MacIntosh’s comments. “Dr. Dunn values the input of all members of the medical care team,” Fisher said. “He always requests input from other staff and family members before making decisions on the plan of care. He is responsive and willing to do what is best for his patients.”
Prior to becoming a physician, Dunn worked as an emergency and intensive care nurse. His desire to be a lifelong learner eventually took him to medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Having been born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, Dunn turned down the offer of a professorship at a prestigious university medical school following his residency to join FMC and raise his family in a western mountain town.
Dunn says he is honored by the recognition of his peers and is thankful for the opportunity to have played an instrumental role in establishing the pediatric hospitalist program because of his commitment to children. “We have been very successful in creating a top quality unit and are excited about the future possibilities,” he said. “I continue to treat adults, and believe that seeing adults makes me a better pediatrician. But seeing kids makes me a happy internist.”
Previous Physician of the Year recipients include Andrew Aldridge, M.D; Nathan Avery, M.D.; Tamara Johnson-Baack, M.D.; Alice Berger, M.D.; Jeffrey Christenson, M.D.; Edgar Clark, M.D.; Mark Donnelly, M.D.; John Durham, M.D.; Theodore Lewis, M.D.; Cindy Martin, M.D.; Jerry Mohr, M.D.; John Mougin, M.D.; Richard Neff, M.D.; Brad Noblett, M.D.; Mark Peterson, D.O.; Stephen Ritland, M.D.; Kenneth Salce, M.D.; Harnath Singh, M.D.; John Steenbarger, M.D.; and Dan Wesche, M.D. FBN