(7/26/12) – Dr. F. Richard "Rick" Ervin, Medical Director of Informatics for McLeod Health, has received the 2012 William Stead Clinician Award from the National TB Controllers Association (NTCA). This honor recognizes outstanding commitment and performance by a clinician providing tuberculosis care, leadership, or mentoring. Dr. Ervin is only the third recipient of this honor since its inception.

"On behalf of the McLeod Health family, we congratulate Dr. Ervin on this prestigious award. He has been a tremendous asset in the development and success of the Epidemiology and Infection Prevention program at McLeod, which was the catalyst for other similar programs throughout the state," said Rob Colones, President of McLeod Health. "Dr. Ervin was also the founder of this Infection Prevention work at McLeod. As a result of his efforts, McLeod became one of the first in the state to initiate innovative processes to prevent harm during patient care."

Nominations for the William Stead Clinician Award are submitted from across the United States. The officers of the National Society of TB Clinicians (NSTC) review and select the nominee to receive the award. NSTC is a section of the National TB Controllers Association, specifically for the TB medical clinicians across the United States.

Dr. Ervin was nominated for this award by Shea Rabley, RN, MN, Director of the Tuberculosis Control Division with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC).

According to Rabley, Dr. Ervin functions as the State TB Medical Consultant for South Carolina as well as the TB medical clinician for Region 4 & 6, covering 13 of the 46 counties in South Carolina. He specializes in infectious diseases and has spent more than 31 years in the field of Tuberculosis and caring for tuberculosis patients in South Carolina. In addition, Dr. Ervin is well known in South Carolina for his TB expertise and provides consultation on tuberculosis to private physicians, hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the state.

"Dr. Ervin maintains offices both in Columbia as well as Florence," said Rabley. "By functioning in both roles, he is able to keep in touch with the realities of working in the field of tuberculosis while he works with our team and the Consultant staff to provide overall guidance for the TB Program in South Carolina.

"He is also very dedicated to his patients," explained Rabley. "He meets with patients at their request as well as makes home visits with the TB public health nurse whenever there is concern about the status or progress of the patient. Dr. Ervin’s philosophy is ‘If you just listen to the patient, they will tell you what is wrong with them’."

Rabley added, "Dr. Ervin is one of those rare individuals who is of high intelligence level, yet can easily discuss tuberculosis with persons of any educational level, all the while being most respectful. His knowledge and expertise helps to guide the activities in our TB Program. He has been and continues to be a valuable asset to the TB Program in South Carolina."

A past Director of Medical Education for McLeod Regional Medical Center and in that capacity, chair of the South Carolina AHEC Council, Dr. Ervin was previously recognized for his service to public health in 2008 when DHEC named him Physician of the Year. At that time, Dr. Ervin was recognized for nearly 30 years of service to tuberculosis patients as the region’s clinic physician.

Credentialed as a member of the McLeod Medical Staff (in infectious diseases) on May 7, 1977, Dr. Ervin, affectionately called "Dr. Rick," was the first Vice President of Medical Staff Services as McLeod sought to have additional physician input on the leadership team in 1987. He has served as Director of Medical Education, Director of the McLeod Infection Control Program, Chairman of the Infectious Control Committee at McLeod, Vice President of Medical Services and most recently as Medical Director of Informatics for the past ten years. Dr. Ervin was also the driving force behind Clinical Effectiveness, credited for the start up of that program in 1994, prior to the organization of Clinical Effectiveness Department in 1998. In addition, he served as Chief of Staff for McLeod Regional Medical Center in 1986 and 1987.

A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dr. Ervin received his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia in 1971. He completed his residency at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey. Dr. Ervin also completed a Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Kentucky in Lexington in 1975. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Medical Microbiology, Tropical Medicine, and Geriatrics.

Dr. Ervin and his wife Diane reside in Florence. They have two sons and five grandchildren.