{"id":47427,"date":"1999-05-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1999-05-26T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/1999\/05\/26\/unmc-recognizes-contributions-of-blue-hill-residentruth-koepke-with-j-g-elliott-award\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T10:58:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T15:58:03","slug":"unmc-recognizes-contributions-of-blue-hill-residentruth-koepke-with-j-g-elliott-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/1999\/05\/26\/unmc-recognizes-contributions-of-blue-hill-residentruth-koepke-with-j-g-elliott-award\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMC Recognizes Contributions of Blue Hill Resident,\n\nRuth Koepke, With J.G. Elliott Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/FONT><\/B><\/p>\n

The University of Nebraska Medical Center awarded Ruth Koepke, of Blue<\/p>\n

Hill, the 1999 J.G. Elliott Award. She received the award during UNMCs<\/p>\n

commencement ceremony in Omaha this month.<\/p>\n

The J.G. Elliott Award is given annually by UNMC to recognize an individual<\/p>\n

whose contributions to the state exemplify education, research and improving<\/p>\n

the health status of specific Nebraska communities or populations. Koepke<\/p>\n

was recognized for being a steward to the health of rural Nebraskans. She<\/p>\n

has spent the past 25 years as a community volunteer involved in education,<\/p>\n

economic development and rural health initiatives.<\/p>\n

“I am extremely grateful to be receiving this award. It’s a humbling<\/p>\n

feeling to receive an honor that means so much to UNMC and those in the<\/p>\n

state’s health care industry, Koepke said. I hope to be a good advocate<\/p>\n

of what this award is all about.<\/p>\n

“The J.G. Elliott Award has been given to some tremendous individuals<\/p>\n

who have been major contributors to the health of Nebraska’s citizens.<\/p>\n

I am truly honored to be placed in the same category as people such as<\/p>\n

Dr. Lewis Harris. Dr. Harris is co-founder of Harris Laboratories and recipient<\/p>\n

of the 1998 J.G. Elliott Award.<\/p>\n

A native of Blue Hill, Koepke graduated from the Mary Lanning School<\/p>\n

of Nursing in 1963 and attended Hastings College. She has worked as a registered<\/p>\n

nurse in a rural county hospital, a long-term care facility and a family<\/p>\n

practice clinic.<\/p>\n

In the past, she has worked with the UNMC Rural Health Education Network,<\/p>\n

served on the UNMC Board of Counselors and been a key member of the University<\/p>\n

of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Rural Revitalization and Development.<\/p>\n

She developed the South Central Rural Health Education Network Scholarship<\/p>\n

Assistance Fund for high school juniors to attend UNMC’s Summer Health<\/p>\n

Professions Workshop and continues to work with high school counselors,<\/p>\n

businesses and community leaders to enhance health science student recruitment<\/p>\n

in Nebraska’s high schools.<\/p>\n

Most recently, she has been involved with the South Central Health Alliance,<\/p>\n

which is working to pass legislation that will make it illegal for children<\/p>\n

under 18 to possess or use tobacco products. She also participates in the<\/p>\n

Nebraska Turning Point dialogue on public health.<\/p>\n

Some of Koepke’s past recognitions include the Outstanding Achievement<\/p>\n

in Leadership and Youth Award, the Outstanding Rural Health Achievement<\/p>\n

Award and most recently the Connecting Nebraskans Award from the Nebraska<\/p>\n

Development Network.<\/p>\n

“She has served the health of Nebraskans long and well, and continues<\/p>\n

to do so,” her nominator wrote. “She has been a force in maintaining available<\/p>\n

medical care in Blue Hill and the area.. Ruth’s efforts to serve her Blue<\/p>\n

Hill-Webster County area have contributed to all of Nebraska by helping<\/p>\n

focus attention to the health care needs of greater Nebraska.”<\/p>\n

Koepke and her husband Jerry, a Blue Hill community banker, have been<\/p>\n

married 35 years. They have two sons, David and John, who live in Arizona.<\/p>\n

UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.<\/p>\n

Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has<\/p>\n

established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research<\/p>\n

and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $34 million in<\/p>\n

research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually.<\/p>\n

In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more<\/p>\n

health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.<\/p>\naSeFeP tNwII jAH xAphFfseloeC<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Nebraska Medical Center awarded Ruth Koepke, of Blue Hill, the 1999 J.G. Elliott Award. She received the award during UNMCs commencement ceremony in Omaha this month. The J.G. Elliott Award is given annually by UNMC to recognize an individual whose contributions to the state exemplify education, research and improving the health status […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","department-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\nUNMC Recognizes Contributions of Blue Hill Resident, Ruth Koepke, With J.G. 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