IRVING, TEXAS – Know a great country doctor? The kind of physician who still makes house calls and accepts the occasional apple pie or roast turkey for a fee?

If so, he or she may qualify as the 2011 Country Doctor of the Year. Presented by Staff Care Inc., a national health care staffing firm based in Irving, Texas, the Country Doctor of the Year Award honors the spirit, skill and dedication of America’s rural medical practitioners.

Now in its 19th year, the Country Doctor of the Year Award has been presented to renowned rural physicians such as Dr. Claire Louise Caudill (now deceased), a legendary Kentucky physician who delivered over 10,000 babies in her career, and to Dr. Elton Lehman, of Mount Eaton, Ohio, who is known for his dedicated treatment of Amish patients. Past recipients of the award have been featured in numerous national media outlets, including “USA Today,” “People,” “Parade” and “The Today Show”

As part of the award, Staff Care will provide the 2011 Country Doctor of the Year with a temporary physician for two weeks at no charge, so the award recipient can take time away from his or her practice, a service valued at $10,000. According to Staff Care President Tim Boes, rural doctors often cannot find physicians to cover their practices and so have difficulty taking vacations.

“We hope the award winner enjoys some time off,” noted Mr. Boes,

“But our real intent is to honor

an outstanding country doctor

and to shine a light on the great work that rural physicians continue to do even as their numbers dwindle.”

Nominations for the 2011 Country Doctor of the Year Award will be accepted for physicians who practice in communities of 20,000 or less and who are engaged in such primary care areas as general practice, family practice, internal medicine and pediatrics. Anyone can nominate a physician, including friends, patients, co-workers or family members, and all stories or anecdotes about the physician’s practice are welcomed.

Nomination forms can be downloaded from the Country Doctor of the Year Award website at www.countrydoctoraward.com, or you may call Staff Care for a nomination form at 800-685-2272. Completed nominations must be received no later than October 15.