The Paton Award is given in honor of Dr. William Paton, MD an Orthopedic surgeon with the Alaska Native Tribal Consortium. In 2022, AHHA established a new category of recognition in his honor, the Paton Award. This award will recognize physicians with 40 years or greater of medical service to Alaska residents.
Dr. Daniel O'Connell came to Alaska from South Dakota in 1967, fresh out of medical school. He served in several Alaska Native communities as well as Nepal throughout his 55 year career, the majority of which was spent in Bristol Bay, where he delivered over a thousand babies, went on hundreds of village trips, and, early in his career, spent weeks at a time as the only physician available in the region.
Dr. O'Connell has seen countless people, diseases, and industries come and go during his long tenure. But the ephemeral nature of time never caused him to become complacent. He endured a surgical fellowship in the middle of his career - something most Family Medicine doctors wouldn't' dream of doing as it would take them so far out of their comfort zone; and after witnessing a string of devastating outcomes in some of our most remote villages, he worked tirelessly and became instrumental in the creation of ANTHC's Health Aid Program. To this day his relationship with and respect for Health Aides has set the tone for the entire medical staff in Bristol Bay.
He has been a mentor to dozens of medical students, residents, and young physicians who all held themselves to a higher standard after their time spent with him. His focus on the individual person and the importance of the physical exam - both paramount lessons that can be lost in today's culture of telehealth and 15 minute primary care visits - are lessons many of his mentees will never forget.
It needs to be said that Dr. O'Connell has been supported throughout his entire career by his incredible wife, Dee. She has been right by his side during every adventure and we couldn't recognize him without recognizing her and all that she did to support Dr. O'Connell and their 3 industrious children.
Dr. O'Connell is an incredible physician who has the respect of each of his patients and colleagues, and his commitment to the people of Bristol Bay has been exemplary. He is both a healer and an icon within the community who has always modeled healthy, adventurous living and honest hard work. He retired from Kanakanak Hospital reluctantly in 2022 at the age of 85, his passion for his job being just as strong at that time as it was when he began his career all those years ago.
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