On Nov.11, Timothy Blecha, MD, of Superior, Nebraska, was recognized by the UNMC Department of Family Medicine as the 2022 recipient of the Marion D. and Theodore H. Koefoot, Jr., MD, Outstanding Preceptor in Rural Family Medicine Award.
The award is granted to a rural Nebraska family physician who provides outstanding teaching and mentoring of medical students during their family medicine rural preceptorship and serves as an outstanding community physician. Dr. Blecha was nominated by students who, over the years, have completed medical student rotations with him in Superior.
The Koefoot Award was created in 2005 in memory of Theodore Koefoot, MD. He was a charter preceptor for UNMC’s rural family medicine preceptorship. The award was established through a gift made to the University of Nebraska Foundation by Dr. Koefoot’s wife, Marion, and his daughter, Gretchen Vondrak.
Dr. Blecha was also celebrated by his family, staff and colleagues at the Brodstone Family Medical Center during the luncheon.
Seth Woods, a UNMC student, completed a clerkship with Dr. Blecha at the Brodstone Family Medical Center in 2021. He said Dr. Blecha “showed genuine interest in my career aspirations and is universally trusted and admired by his patients and everyone who works at the hospital.”
Dr. Blecha has served as a preceptor for over 300 students during his career, providing exceptional training and experience for future physicians.