Excellence
Honoring a Legacy
of
{
PART II
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the last issue of THE CATALYST, we introduced
the Fellows of Scott & White Clinic, the highest
honor given to individuals who exemplify service,
dedication, and generosity to the healthcare system.
In
That issue featured Jesse D. Ibarra Jr., MD, one of the three
2012 recipients of the honor. In this issue, we highlight
Kermit Knudsen, MD, another 2012 recipient. n
KERMIT KNUDSEN, MD
Retired gastroenterologist Dr. Kermit
Knudsen embodies the kind of
leadership qualities that have
distinguished Scott & White’s
service in its 115-year history.
During Dr. Knudsen’s tenure as
president of the Scott & White Clinic
from 1979 to 1992, he championed
the development of a regional clinic
system and the creation of the
Scott & White Health Plan and the
medical school.
In 1979 Scott & White had one
hospital, one clinic, and about 150
senior staff physicians. Dr. Knudsen
led the organization through
extraordinary change, including
the growth of its nationally
respected health plan to 80,000
members, 12 regional clinics,
increased pharmacy locations, and
almost 500 physicians. During his
leadership, almost 40 construction
projects were approved or under
development to expand Scott &
White’s ability to provide care
where it was needed most. These
included the six-story Same Day
Surgery Center, a 74,000-squarefoot facility on the Temple campus
that doubled the existing surgical
space. Dr. Knudsen also helped
establish Scott & White as the
primary teaching campus of the
Texas A&M College of Medicine.
Andrejs Avots-Avotins, MD, PhD,
chairman of the Scott & White
Clinic Board of Directors, and a
fellow gastroenterologist, says,
“I grew up with Dr. Knudsen’s
children, and I have always
recognized him as a leader at
Scott & White. He was the one
responsible for getting us truly off
the Temple campus on South 31st
Street, and had the vision of leading
Scott & White into the future.
Dr. Knudsen made significant
contributions that included the
creation of the Scott & White
Health Plan and the regional
clinic system. Toward the end
of his career, he returned to the
Department of Gastroenterology
and actively participated in a
variety of clinical projects that
included advocacy for colon
cancer screening. He was a great
mentor—as a clinician and a
healthcare leader.”
Dr. Knudsen’s successor in
1992, John L. Montgomery, MD,
said at the time: “He has quietly
designed an infrastructure for
our organization that will help us
weather the storms of change
which are inevitable with healthcare
reform… Dr. Knudsen certainly
demonstrated the courage to take
the risk, in spite of adversity, in the
decision to develop a regional clinic
system. This has proven to be one
of the best decisions ever made at
Scott & White. As a result, we are
the envy of many organizations
and are the model they strive
to emulate.”
Dr. Knudsen was instrumental
in helping to shape the nation’s
dialogue on healthcare delivery as
well. As president of the American
Group Practice Association in the
early 1990s, Dr. Knudsen was a
member of the prestigious Jackson
Hole Group, a team of industry
thought leaders that served as a
guiding force in discussions about
future healthcare delivery. As part
of this group, he also served as a
representative for Scott & White.
Content from Patricia K. Benoit’s book Scott & White
Beyond “The Hill” contributed to this article.
32
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