Dr. Allison honored with Koefoot Award

From left: Michael Sitorius, M.D., chairman of UNMC Family Medicine, Lynnelle Allison, Jay Allison, M.D., Gretchen Vondrak and UNMC College of Medicine Dean John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Allison recently received the Theodore H. Koefoot Jr., M.D., Outstanding Preceptor in Rural Family Medicine Award from UNMC. Dr. Koefoot’s daughter, Gretchen, was on hand to congratulate Dr. Allison and his wife, Lynnelle.

Jay Allison, M.D., does more than treat patients at his O’Neill clinic.

The 1995 UNMC graduate is helping train future physicians by granting students a wide range of supervised, hands-on experiences from providing patient care to assisting with surgical procedures and deliveries.

Dr. Allison received the second Theodore H. Koefoot Jr., M.D., Outstanding Preceptor in Rural Family Medicine Award on Tuesday at UNMC. The annual award recognizes outstanding teaching and mentoring by a UNMC family medicine volunteer community preceptor.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the students and a great privilege and calling to educate them, not only about medicine, but also about life,” Dr. Allison said. “Dr. Koefoot’s daughter (Gretchen Vondrak of Hastings) understands very well the life of a small town family doc … both the variety of work and the relationships you build with patients and their families.”

A native of Bassett, Neb., Dr. Allison practices at the O’Neill Family Practice in O’Neill, where he provides hands-on training for medical students.

Who was Dr. Koefoot? Theodore H. Koefoot Jr., was a family practice physician in Broken Bow, Neb., for 30 years. A 1943 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, he served as an assistant professor of family practice and on the UNMC Admissions Committee. Dr. Koefoot also was a charter member of the American College of Family Physicians and a member of the American Academy of Family Practice. The Theodore H. Koefoot Jr., M.D., Outstanding Preceptor in Rural Family Medicine Award was established in 2005 through a gift made to the University of Nebraska Foundation by Marion Koefoot, his wife, and his family, Nick and Gretchen Vondrak, Sarah and Gary Gernhart, Nicholas and Stephanie Vondrak and Suzanne and Brett Balak. Memorial gifts given by friends and patients following Dr. Koefoot’s death also contributed to the establishment of the award.

“Dr. Allison is very good about explaining how skills should be done, as well as being extremely patient while you are learning how to perform them,” his nominator said. “I wish every student was able to have this experience because not only will he make me a better physician, but he also made me a better person.”

Dr. Allison completed his residency at Siouxland Medical Education Foundation, in Sioux City, Iowa. He has been a rural preceptor for UNMC since moving to O’Neill nine years ago.

Dr. Allison’s nominator praised him for the time spent with students.

“While I was an undergraduate, he allowed me to come in during the summer and over my breaks to follow him around and gain clinical experience before attending medical school.”

Dr. Allison “is such a great teacher because he believes that in order to learn, the students must be allowed to perform and participate during clinic, at the hospital, and during procedures,” his nominator said.

As a result, the student nominator participated in wide range of supervised patient experiences including surgical and obstetric procedures.

Last year, Dr. Allison was honored with the Alpha Omega Alpha Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award.

He and his wife Lynnelle, have two sons, Dane and Luke, and a daughter, Angelyn.