Physician of the Year
Recognizing excellence in medical practice and patient care.
Physician of the Year:
Daniel Fahrenholtz, MD
I grew up on a farm/ranch 30 miles west of Hutchinson, Kansas, and 10 miles south of Sylvia, Kansas, where I graduated high school in a class of twelve. I earned my undergraduate degree from Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas, which included prerequisites for medical school and training as a classical pianist. I then attended Kansas University Medical School and completed my residency at KU Medical Center. Subsequently, I obtained an instrument rating as a pilot and became an Aviation Medical Examiner for the FAA. I practiced full-service Family Medicine in Kingman, Kansas, for 17 years. In 1993 I joined the faculty of the North Colorado Family Medicine Program, where I served as the program director from2000 to 2007. Additionally, I completed an MBA at CSU in 2002 which opened my eyes to the financial chaos of our medical care “system”. I remain active in medical education as part-time faculty at NCFM and, in May, will complete a Harvard Certificate Program - Training to Teach in Medicine. My interests beyond medicine include aviation (I fly a Cessna T210 and have an office at the Greeley airport where I conduct aviation medical exams), music performance, skiing, mountain biking, and restoring a 1972 Datsun 240Z, which I purchased as an intern. Diana and I enjoy spending time in the mountains and hosting the families of our four children and thirteen grandchildren.
Nominate an outstanding physician for NCMS Physician of the Year
Do you know a northern Colorado physician who goes above and beyond? Who provides our community with compassionate and caring medical service in practice, education or research; enhances the quality of his or her community; and/or serves as a credible role model to others?
The NCMS Board of Directors seeks nominations for the Northern Colorado Medical Society Physician of the Year, the society’s highest honor. Deadline: December 31st. The award will be presented at the NCMS Annual Meeting in February.
CRITERIA: The nominee must be a member in good standing of the Northern Colorado Medical Society (graduate, active or emeritus). Unsure of membership? Contact us.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION: Nominate an outstanding physician by December 31st.
Nominate Now
Nominate a deserving physician for the prestigious Physician of the Year award.
Previous Awardees
- 2014: Roger Bermingham, MD, a geriatrician and educator with the Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency Program
- 2015: Patricia Powell, MD, physician and the chief medical officer for Sunrise Community Health (posthumously)
- 2016: Joseph Gregory, MD, a family physician in Johnstown and the regional medical director for primary care for Banner Medical Group Front Range
- 2017: Lesley Brooks, MD, a family physician in Greeley and addiction specialist
- 2018: Edward Norman, MD, a retired internal medicine physician with Banner Health
- 2019: Aaron Hoover, MD, a dermatologist in Greeley
- 2020: Bernard Birnbaum, MD, a family physician and faculty member for the Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency Program
- 2021: Christie Reimer, MD, an internal medicine physician and Assistant Dean of the University of Colorado School of Medicine
- 2022: Jan Gillespie, MD owner of Northern Colorado Pain Management in Greeley, private practice anesthesiologist & pain specialist
- 2023: David Smith, MD Banner North Colorado Family Medical Center residency program faculty director
Legacy Scholars
The NCMS Legacy Scholarship benefits students in both Larimer and Weld counties, and honors NCMS members who have passed away.
Ananya Shah is a dedicated and ambitious individual currently pursuing her medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, with hopes to stay in Colorado to pursue a surgical residency. Ananya has called Colorado home since the age of 2 and is a proud graduate of Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins. She then went on to graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver. Ananya has consistently excelled academically while also engaging in leadership positions, student organizations, research, and community service. She is particularly passionate about working with socioeconomically underserved communities and improving access to mentorship to encourage individuals from underserved populations to pursue a career in medicine. Ananya plans to continue following her passion for surgery while also giving back to the community she has grown up in.
Gio Dumont grew up in Estes Park, Colorado, attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and is now a first year medical student in the Rural Program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He hopes to pursue primary care in rural northern Colorado and is particularly interested in research reducing disparities in cancer care across the state, particularly by increasing access to clinical trials, implementing screening tools suited for remote settings, and improving collaboration between distant specialists and local primary care providers. This coming year, Gio will also serve as one of the AMA Medical Student Section representatives from the University of Colorado. In his free time, Gio enjoys roasting coffee in his bread maker and baking bread (not in his bread maker).
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