Dr. Sam Barnes receives Roberson Award

Honoring Dr. Sam Barnes with the annual Fred H. Roberson Award are, from left, Wes and Jessica Roberson; Barnes; Bill Roberson; Cookeville Regional Medical Center CEO Paul Korth; and Bob Bell, CRMC board of trustees vice chairman.

COOKEVILLE – Dr. Sam Barnes, a retired orthopedic surgeon, is the latest recipient of 28th annual Fred H. Roberson Award, Cookeville Regional Medical Center officials announced on Thursday. The award honors Barnes’ commitment and loyalty to the hospital, his betterment of the health care community and years of medical service in the Upper Cumberland.

Barnes – with more than 40 years in the health care field – has been a pillar region, CRMC CEO Paul Korth said. After serving in the U.S. Army medical corps, he established the first orthopedic practice in Cookeville and recruited new orthopedists to the area. After 38 years, that same practice is still serving patients as Tier 1 Orthopedics.

Honoring Dr. Sam Barnes with the annual Fred H. Roberson Award are, from left, Wes and Jessica Roberson; Barnes; Bill Roberson; Cookeville Regional Medical Center CEO Paul Korth; and Bob Bell, CRMC board of trustees vice chairman.
Honoring Dr. Sam Barnes with the annual Fred H. Roberson Award are, from left, Wes and Jessica Roberson; Barnes; Bill Roberson; Cookeville Regional Medical Center CEO Paul Korth; and Bob Bell, CRMC board of trustees vice chairman.

Nominated by fellow physician James McKinney, M.D., who “moved here because of this man’s enthusiasm,” Barnes is described as a “driven” physician who “has invested his professional life toward making Cookeville and the Upper Cumberland a better and healthier place.” Even though he has retired from his practice, Barnes has continued to make his mark as a strong advocate for physician health and as a member of the state’s board of medical examiners. He has been instrumental in fighting against the over prescription of opioids in our community and state. He has been a driving force in advocating for a law to mandate that state agencies coordinate their efforts to identify prescription drug deaths and to identify providers with a pattern of over prescribing opioids that lead to deaths.

Barnes received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1961. He performed an internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland; a general surgery residency at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, California; and an orthopedic residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in Ft. Sam Houston, Texas.

The Roberson Award is named for Mr. Fred Roberson who served on the hospitals’ board of trustees for 27 years. The award is presented annually to the individual who best exemplifies the same dedicated and loyal service to CRMC and its patients. Previous recipients include Dr. Thurman Shipley, H.S. Barnes, Dr. J.T. Moore Jr., Dr. Claude Williams, Eleen Harkins, Jean Davis, Dr. William Francis, Sen. Tommy Burks, Dr. William Taylor, the Rev. Lexie Freeman, Dr. Alex Case, Dr. Katherine Bertram, the CRMC Auxiliary, Linda Crawford, Dr. Walter Derryberry, Dr. J.T. DeBerry, Dr. Charles Womack, Dr. Opless Walker, Dr. Charles Jordan, Linda Buchanan, Dr. David Henson, Dr. Sullivan Smith, Dr. Jeff Crosier, Dr. Lee Ray Crowe, Dr. Glenn Hall and Dr. James Gray.

 

 

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