New Albany resident Dr. Mary Jo Welker is the 2015 recipient of the Family Physician of the Year Award.
Each year, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) honors a doctor “who meets and exceeds the criteria of being an outstanding family physician role model; maintaining high professional standards and service orientations; providing high quality and family-centered, continuing health care; and being active in community, education or other public affairs.”
In her 36 years of practicing medicine, Welker has received several awards for her efforts.
Photo courtesy of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians
She has been given the OSU Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award, the AAFP Robert Graham Award, the Central Ohio Health Care Heroes Manager Award and the American Medical Women’s Association Local Legend Award. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and has also been recognized as one of the “Best Doctors in America” for the past 15 years.
Welker earned her both her bachelor’s degree (in sociology) and M.D. at The Ohio State University. After completing her residency training at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, she went into private practice for 16 years before becoming involved with the medical community at her alma mater.
She now serves as the executive director of the primary care network, associate dean for primary care, and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at OSU.
Welker has held leadership roles with the OAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), OAFP Foundation, Ohio State Medical Association and several OSU College of Medicine committees. She has gone on trips to provide healthcare for people in The Republic of George, Moldova, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Haiti. She also volunteers at a student-run medical clinic.
