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Dr. Warren Skaug, pediatrician on staff at St. Bernards for nearly three decades, was honored by his peers when they selected him to receive the Living the Mission Award Physician for 2009.
The award is given annually to a physician nominated by staff at St. Bernards, and a recipient is selected by a physician vote. The award recognizes exceptional patient care by an individual who exemplifies the formal mission’ of St. Bernards – “providing Christ-like healing through education, treatment and health services.”
Dr. Skaug earned his Medical Degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and served both an internship and a residency in pediatrics at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. He and his wife, Phyllis, also a pediatrician, moved to Jonesboro in 1980 when the both joined The Children’s Clinic.
Among things said of Dr. Skaug by some of those who nominated him for the Living the Mission Award were:
“When I think of him I think of his compassion and his gentle voice and gentle touch.”
“Dr. Skaug’s demeanor is always the same … regardless of whether he is responding to a call during the day or in the middle of the night.”
“He has a unique ability to answer a middle-of-the-night call in such a manner that you think you did him a favor by interrupting his sleep.”
His friends and colleagues use adjectives such as caring, compassionate, empathetic, thorough, hard-working, encouraging and genuine to describe him. A fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics, he has served as president of the Arkansas chapter of that organization and is an assistant clinical professor of medicine for UAMS. He has been named recipient of the “Golden Apple Award” from the Area Health Education Center-Northeast, and he is a deacon at First Baptist church.
The Skaugs have two sons – Eric, 29, who works with Wyatt-Lavender in Little Rock as a computer software developer, and Brian, 29, who is working toward a Medical Degree and Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. They also have a 17-month-old grandson, Colin.
The Living the Mission Physician Award is presented at the annual medical staff meeting in December.