Bowen Family Medical Scholarship Awarded

Scholarship Encourages Future Physicians to Practice in Rural Communities 

Today, Carol Bowen, Dr. Joel Schumacher, a family medicine doctor based in Plymouth, and Linda Yoder, Executive Director of the Marshall County Community Foundation, proudly presented Olivia Neese with the 2019 Bowen Family Medical Scholarship. Neese is currently attending medical school at the Indiana University School of Medicine – Terre Haute. 

 

Carol Bowen and the Bowen family established the Bowen Family Medical Scholarship to honor the legacy of care and public service of Dr. Otis Bowen.  Dr. Bowen practiced family medicine in the Bremen community from 1946 through 1972.  He then served as the 44th Governor of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1985 to 1989.

The Bowen Family Medical Scholarship focuses on meeting the health needs of rural communities by supporting medical school students or primary-care residency program medical students who show a passion to practice medicine in under-served rural communities.

“I have lived in Marshall County for 18 years,” said Neese. “The experiences I have had living in a rural community have strongly influenced my decision to return to rural Indiana to practice medicine.”

“Marshall County patients deserve the best health care, and to get that, we need to attract and retain talented primary-care physicians. The Marshall County Community Foundation is grateful to the Bowen family and their leadership in this area,” said Yoder. “The Bowen Family Medical Scholarship is helping meet a pressing need for quality, dedicated physicians to practice in our small towns and communities.”

Upon accepting her ceremonial check for the Scholarship, Neese observed, “There is something unique about life in rural Indiana, and I enjoy living here. I know that many people living locally struggle with access to quality healthcare, and my practicing medicine in Marshall County will hopefully help some of those families.”