Joseph L. Garland, a native of Russell County, is the newest practitioner at Aaron Medical Center.

Mr. Garland becomes the latest in a long line of healthcare practitioners at his level at Aaron Medical Center, and his the fourth currently at the Center. In addition to Mr. Garland, the Center has P.A. "Rocky" McDaniels, and Nurse Practitioners Diane Thiery, Sally McGeehan.

Dr. Aaron's father, the late Dr. Oris Aaron, recruited Leslie Strauss from the first P.A. class to graduate at Duke University in 1965. Maybe it was because of her unusual capabilities that Adair County readily embraced the concept of expanded healthcare delivery through Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners.

Perhaps more than any county in the nation, certainly more than any other in Kentucky, Adair County has benefited from their services. Not only has the county had a higher number per capita of nurse practitioners and physicians in the state, but often Adair has even had the highest number of them, at least so far as nurse practitioners are concerned.

Many who have watched the phenomenal growth in Adair County of the healthcare industry-it is now at least the equal of agriculture in terms of dollar volume in the county-trace it's genesis to two factors: 1) The embracing of the concept of Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners by Adair County Physicians and 2) the introduction of the 8 a.m.-to-midnight, 7-days-a-week, every day, 365-days-a-year primary care service pioneered by Dr. Phil Aaron and continuing today to serve the 7-county AMC catchment area

A graduate of Butler program

Mr. Garland is a graduate of the Physician Assistant program at Butler University in Indianapolis. He is also a graduate of Russell County High School and of Western Kentucky University.

Besides the academic work at Butler, Mr. Garland worked at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and with private physician practices at several central Indiana sites.

"I've always wanted to come home to practice," he says. "I have that opportunity at Aaron Medical Center. Many Russell Countians go to Aaron Medical Center, so I'll be able to see many acquaintances from Russell County here."

Dr. Phil Aaron, Medical Director and CEO of Aaron Medical Center said, "We are pleased to have a person of Joe's high accomplishments join us." He commented on Mr. Garland's academic record, noting, "His five semesters on the Dean's List and on the President's List, plus his broad range in clinical studies give him the ideal background for our type of practice."