Haleyville Physician Installed as President for 2017-2018

MONTGOMERY – Boyde Jerome “Jerry” Harrison, a family practitioner from Haleyville, was formally installed as president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama during the 2017 Inauguration, Awards Presentation and 50-Year Physician Recognition Dinner last month.

“From the time I was a boy, my mother wanted me to get an education, so she pushed me towards one,” Dr. Harrison told the crowd of banquet attendees. “Patience, persistence, perspiration, stubbornness…these are a good combination for success. Physicians face challenges every day, and I’m excited to lead the state’s oldest professional medical organization as we navigate these challenges to fight for better health care for our citizens and fewer mandates for our physicians.”

Dr. Harrison is a graduate of the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine and did his internship and residency at Georgia Baptist Medical Center. He’s been in family practice in Haleyville since 1981, and has been very active in the community serving on numerous staff appointments with Burdick-West Memorial Medical Center, Carraway Memorial Medical Center, Lackland Community Hospital, and medical director for Haleyville Healthcare, Hendrix Healthcare and Ridgeview Healthcare, among others.

A long-time member of the American Medical Association, Dr. Harrison has served as Hospital Medical Staff Section Representative, Alternate Delegate and received the Physicians Recognition Award. He has been a member of the Medical Association and Winston County Medical Society since 1982 and has served on the Council of Medical Service, Board of Censors for 10 years before being elected chair, Counselor and Life Counselor. As a member of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, Dr. Harrison has served on the Credentials Committee and chair of the ALBME. He is a member and Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Harrison is also a member and past president of the Alabama Academy of Family Physicians and has served on the board of directors as vice president, president-elect and chair.

Dr. Harrison is also one of the architects of the Medical Association’s Opioid Prescribing Conference. This year marks the ninth year of the course, and by the end of 2017, the Association will have completed 31 courses. So far, the courses have reached almost 5,000 prescribers. Until 2013 Alabama was one of the only states offering an opioid prescribing education course when the FDA developed the blueprint for Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies for producers of controlled substances.