Harlan Mark Guidry, MD, of Texas, was awarded the Public Health Award by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians during the organization’s 2016 Annual Session and Primary Care Summit in Dallas Nov. 5. The award recognizes individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to the public health of Texas.

Guidry retired and moved to the Cane River area, home of his heritage, last year. He’s been President of the St. Augustine Historical Society since 2013, which preserves the history and heritage of the rural Creole community south of Natchitoches. He is also co-author of “Natchitoches and Louisiana’s Timeless Cane River” with Phillip Gould, the late Bobby DeBlieux and Rick Seal. Guidry is currently Chief of Staff at Alexandria VA System in Pineville, serving veterans in a 19 parish area.

Dr. Guidry has over 20 years of experience as a local and regional health authority at the city, state, county, and regional levels. As the Executive Director and District Health Authority for Galveston District for more than 12 years, he has successfully addressed and prevented illness in various situations such as childhood lead poisoning concerns, infectious disease outbreaks, and Hurricane Ike.

He has also contributed to several state and local public health policy forums and served as Vice Chair of the Texas Public Health Funding and Policy Committee which made recommendations to the legislator on the improvement of public health in Texas.

Guidry received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and holds a master’s in public health from the University of Texas, School of Public Health, Houston.

Family physicians like Guidry are qualified to work in all major medical areas and trained to treat more than 90 percent of all cases they encounter. Family physicians care for patients of all ages.