The American Medical Association on Tuesday presented former Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and the state's former surgeon general, Joe Thompson, with awards.
Beebe and Thompson are two of seven honorees chosen this year to receive the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service, the medical association said. The award is named for the founding father of the association.
Beebe was selected to receive the association's top government service award for his leadership in expanding health care coverage to uninsured Arkansans as well as for his leadership in creating "a robust funding effort" to help establish a statewide trauma system through an increase in the state's tobacco tax enacted in 2009, the association said.
The association said Thompson was selected for his contribution to vastly expanding health insurance coverage in Arkansas and halting an escalating childhood obesity crisis in the state.
Beebe and Thompson worked with the Republican-controlled Legislature to enact the private option program, which uses federal Medicaid dollars to purchase private health insurance for low-income Arkansans. More than 195,000 Arkansans have enrolled for health insurance through the private option.
Metro on 02/25/2015