Dr. Adewale Troutman, Director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and Associate Professor in the SPHIS Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences was presented with the Physician of the Year Award at the first annual MediStar Awards Gala, Friday, March 23, at the Louisville Palace Theater.

The award is presented to the physician who has demonstrated outstanding leadership on a local, state or national level to improve accessibility, affordability and quality of healthcare in our region. Since becoming the director of the Louisville Metro Department of Health and Wellness in January 2004, Dr. Troutman has raised public health to a

new level of awareness, particularly with regard to chronic conditions and the need for a more active life style and for healthier eating habits and the awareness of racial and economic disparities in health.

The MediStar Awards were created by Sandy Wensley, publisher of Medical News, a monthly publication dedicated to healthcare professionals.  The awards honor outstanding healthcare professionals and organizations in Kentucky, southern Indiana and southwest Ohio who are committed to the advancement of healthcare in the region.