Lowell Morris, PA-C, pictured with Kim McFarlane, PA-C, current President of the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants. McFarlane is a resident of Emery County (Green River) and is employed by Green River Medical Center.
Press Release
At the Annual John Allen Memorial Conference of the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants, the Rural PA of the Year was awarded to Lowell Morris, PA-C. Lowell Morris is an Emery County resident and is employed by Castleview Hospital at Emery Medical Center.
Mark Holyoak, Castleview Hospital CEO, suggested Lowell for the honor in a recommendation letter, highlighting his “impeccable focus on quality and compassionate care.”
“Lowell is also a trusted medical provider to multi-generations of families. He takes great care and consideration for every patient, and even though he sometimes sees over 30 patients a day, he makes every patient feel as if they were his only patient that day,” Holyoak said in the letter. “Lowell left his position at Emery Medical Center a couple years ago to pursue a family business in Florida. To our benefit, he decided to return to our community in 2017. We are so glad he chose to ‘come back home’ and practice in our community where he truly makes a positive difference in many lives.”
Morris spent many of his childhood years in Emery County. Following his high school graduation, he studied athletic training and sports medicine at Brigham Young University. From there, Morris was employed as an athletic trainer for the Dallas Cowboys, working closely with a physician assistant, igniting his desire to leave the team and pursue his goal of becoming a PA.
During his PA internship, Morris took a position at Emery Medical Center, bringing his wife and children to the area. To date, Morris and his wife, Charlotte, along with their five children, have spent 14 years in Emery County, living, working and serving.
“Lowell lives a life of service,” Holyoak explained. “He has dedicated countless hours of service to the youth in Emery County in many capacities.”
This service comes in the form of the youth program at his church as well as assistance in local little league basketball and 4-H.
“He is a trusted friend and leader to people of all ages,” Holyoak said.
Morris has also been a member of Emery County Search and Rescue for 11 years and was a volunteer firefighter for 10. Throughout that time, Morris has not only attend various trainings to better serve as a volunteer, but also served as the medical training officer for the Emery County Sheriff’s Office as well as Search and Rescue. The local PA could also be found at the Emery County Jail in past years, serving as the medical control officer.
To add to his packed resume, Morris spearheaded a program to promote wellness in the workplace.
“Lowell is a man of vision and gumption. In speaking with employers and employees throughout the community, he realized there was a lack of available resources which promoted wellness in the workplace. Consequently, in 2004, he created and launched an occupational medicine service line named WorkPoint,” Holyoak said. “WorkPoint took off like wildfire and quickly became extremely successful.”
The Utah Academy of Physician Assistants found Morris as the prime candidate for Rural PA of the Year, recognizing him at the recent conference for his accomplishments. Kim McFarlane, PA-C, current President of the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants, presented Morris with the award. McFarlane is a fellow resident of Emery County (Green River) and is employed by Green River Medical Center.