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Salsbury Award

In 1939, Dr. Clarence G. Salsbury founded the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA), under the name of the Ariz Hospital Ass’n, and served as the organization’s first president. Dedicated to serving the people of Arizona, he was committed to improving the lives of others by advocating for high- quality healthcare for all Arizonans.

 

Get to know Dr. Salsbury

Dr. Salsbury was a respected missionary physician and hospital administrator. He started out as a Presbyterian Medical Missionary in China for more than a decade before coming to the Navajo Nation. Dr. Salsbury was the founder of Sage Memorial Hospital where he started a nursing school for Native American students. The school trained women from more than twenty tribes and several foreign countries.

In addition to founding AzHHA, he also became the director of the Arizona State Department of Health, and in that role, created minimum health and safety standards. Dr. Salsbury served as a strong advocate for the underserved, particularly our Native American communities.

Dr. Salsbury’s work was featured in a TIME magazine article on Sept. 8, 1947, titled “Medicine: Big Doctor.” Read the story.

 

Honoring Dr. Salsbury’s legacy

In 1968, AzHHA’s Board of Directors established the Salsbury Award, in honor of Dr. Salsbury. The Salsbury Award is the highest honor AzHHA can bestow on an individual who demonstrates outstanding service and unselfish purpose while advancing healthcare and increasing its access in Arizona.

Nominations for outstanding healthcare leaders are accepted each summer. The award is presented in the fall at the annual Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference.

 

Recent award winners

Steve Purves, Valleywise Health
2023

Judy Rich, TMC Health
2022

Brian Turney, Kingman Regional Medical Center
2019

Please note: Awards were not presented in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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