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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Friday, October 9, 2009 6:10 PM CDT
Area physicians recognized for excellence in rural health care

SPRINGFIELD — Several area doctors were honored with the Rural Physician of Excellence Award recently, according to a press release from the Illinois Rural Health Association (IRHA).

The award is to recognize rural physicians nominated by their communities for going above and beyond the call of duty to provide health care to rural and underserved residents throughout the state.

Local recipients of the 2009 awards are Dr. Peter Bonutti of Effingham, Dr. Ramon Climaco of Arcola and Dr. Urbano Dauz of Shelbyville.

Dr. Peter Bonutti

Bonutti is an orthopedic surgeon at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham. He was nominated for the IRHA award by Daniel J. Woods, president and CEO of St. Anthony’s.

Bonutti is an inventor, author, professor, consultant and entrepreneur in addition to being an orthopedic surgeon. He is founder of a world class research center in Effingham and has played a major role in the FDA’s approval of ceramic hip replacements.

Patients from great distances travel to the Bonutti Clinic for their surgery. Bonutti averages 960 surgical cases annual at St. Anthony’s, with patients from as far away as California and New York.

Dr. Ramon Climaco

Climaco is a primary physician at Arcola Health Care Center. He was nominated for the IRHA award by Pat Titus, safety and regulatory administrator for Illinois FS.

Climaco comes from a family of physicians: His sister and his twin brother also are doctors, and his father was a physician as well. He came to the United States in 1973 to complete a rotating internship and residency in general surgery and family practice after attending medical school at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.

With the encouragement of a local physician, Climaco set up a practice in Arcola in January of 1979. He developed a policy of reduced fees for non-insured customers.

He also is active in his community. He sponsors a number of organizations, including Arcola Band Boosters, Sports Boosters and the Arcola High School chorus.

Climaco also started a memorial scholarship in 2001 to honor his late father; it is awarded to the Arcola High School salutatorian.

Dr. Urbano Dauz

Dauz is a general practitioner and surgeon in Shelby County. He was nominated by Stephen L. Melega of the Shelby County Health Department.

Dauz has served Shelby County both as a physician and a community leader for three decades. Being a physician in a “Designated Health Professional Shortage Area” as required Dauz to have a large practice, but he is known to maintain an even keep each day and treats each patient as if they were his only concern.

Dauz has served on the Public Health Department IPLAN committee and served for nine years as the chairman of the Tuberculosis Board, which then merged with the Board of Health. He has served on the Shelby County Board of Health since 2002.

He also works to relate to and educate families in the community through his practice.

Dauz’s wife, Dr. Virginia Dauz, M.D., was a recipient of the IRHA award in 2007.

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