Here are the finalists in the 2016 Health Care Heroes Physician category.

Honors a physician whose performance is considered exemplary by patients, peers and other health care providers.
 

Seaborne Blair III

TITLE: Family medicine physician

ORGANIZATION: Island Family Medicine

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Dr. Blaire was a legend on the Outer Banks, where he basically practiced emergency medicine for over a decade, treating everything with minimal resources.

He was a fantastic mentor and teacher to me when I was a medical student 20 years ago and remains a friend and colleague today.
He is a born educator and he makes you want to work as hard as you can. He is a real inspiration to anyone who crosses his path – whether it be a colleague, nurse, patient, friend or just about anyone.

He is one of the few MDs who continues to actually care about his patients. He has saved so many lives both on the banks and on our Southern shores, whether rescuing and reviving a shark attack victim who was dead without his quick response or swimming alone out to a single engine plane crash off the beach to rescue the pilot to the hundreds of myocardial infarctions he has treated.”

-Austin Yeargan III

William McNulty

TITLE: Medical oncologist

ORGANIZATION: NHRMC Physician Group-Cape Fear Cancer Specialists

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Dr. McNulty is very personable when you first meet him. He is also very direct and does not beat around the bush when talking to you about cancer and treatment.

He immediately put me in the hands of another specialist at Chapel Hill to work together on getting me the exact treatment/surgery I will need to fight this disease.

Every visit I have had with him includes a personal conversation about family with me and my husband. It feels like family. He is very uplifting and always has a big smile and Southern greeting when he enters the room.

I recently had an MRI visit to Chapel Hill. Dr. McNulty called me within 10 minutes of my husband and I leaving Chapel Hill to return to Wilmington. He personally called to talk about my good news and to set an appointment for the following week. It is extremely hard to put into words how this man has enriched my life at such a trying time. Dr. McNulty makes me feel successful and that I can make a difference.”

-Valerie Newlin Watkins, patient
 

Radha Putcha

TITLE: Medical director/Hospice and palliative care physician

ORGANIZATION: Lower Cape Fear Hospice

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Dr. Putcha’s clinical skills, problem solving abilities, knowledge base and intelligence are beyond reproach.

However, what makes Dr. Putcha so special is the care, caring and empathy she provides every patient, family member and significant other.

To go on a patient home visit with her is to witness a work of art. She enters homes with a quiet reserve but with a goal to maximize the patient’s quality of life and to learn all she can ... She listens with caring, and to what is not said.

She never hesitates to hold a hand or embrace a distraught family member. Questions are soft and asked with care, and in so doing, illicit answers that provide insight into how to best support the goals of the patient and/or family.

Dr. Putcha is an educator and never hesitates to take time to teach. She is constantly learning and seeking better and more innovative ways to mitigate symptoms, enhance quality of life and ensure the patient’s wishes at the end of life are met. Her focus on patient care motivates all to become the best.”

-Michael Plumer