MAFP Request for Nominations Form
Physicians of the Year (Past & Present)

Susan Gallo, M.D.
Dr. Susan Gallo, a beloved and steadfast figure in Montana's healthcare landscape, has been nominated for the prestigious 2025 Dennis Salisbury Family Physician of the Year Award by the Montana Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP).
With over 25 years of practice and a reputation for delivering compassionate, multigenerational care, Dr. Gallo's impact spans from the delivery room to the far reaches of Eastern Montana's rural clinics. She is credited with delivering over 1,000 babies throughout her career and has cared for families across five generations—an achievement that speaks not only to her endurance, but her enduring connection to the lives of her patients.
"She's the kind of doctor who gets stopped at the farmer's market every five feet for a warm hello from patients," wrote Dr. Marjorie Albers, who submitted the nomination on behalf of Gallo. "Her presence in the community is a living testament to the values of family medicine."
Dr. Gallo's influence extends beyond patient care. She has served as a clinical instructor for the University of Washington's TRUST and WRITE programs for over a decade, mentoring medical students and encouraging a new wave of physicians to serve in underserved and rural communities. Her leadership, steady guidance, and late-night support for younger colleagues have made her a go-to mentor in Miles City and beyond.
Her contributions to medical education, leadership within the Montana medical community, and advocacy for family medicine have earned her numerous honors, including serving as MAFP President in 2004 and being named a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2007.
Whether speaking at the Montana WWAMI Foundations campus or chairing critical hospital committees, Dr. Gallo continues to lead with poise, passion, and a profound sense of purpose.
"She is more than deserving of recognition," Albers emphasized. "Her work enriches our profession and the lives of everyone around her."
~2025 (Current)


His mentorship of advanced practice providers and inexperience physicians has helped develop skilled clinicians, and he has been involved with medical education of medical students and residents. He works with WWAMI on medical student clinical rotations. As the point person for the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana in Browning, he has helped develop a meaningful residency rural rotation. He is a great example of a full spectrum family medicine physician, doing everything from delivering babies, to managing blood pressure, to putting in chest tubes.

Her practice is full time patient care and teaching. She provides family medicine with a special emphasis on adolescent health and has the largest adolescent practice in the Butte community and has been a true physician and mentor for many young people. Dr. Brewer's true calling is as a teacher, and she is dedicated to providing limitless teaching hours to the students that have chosen medicine as a future. She has developed a network of preceptors in Butte to provide students with a longitudinal and diverse experience when they attend clinical rotations from WWAMI.
Dr. Brewer loves taking care of families, and she embodies the legacy of Family Medicine in the Butte community and works tirelessly to ensure its future.





She has helped give the residents perspective with a wisdom that comes from her variety of patient experiences, and she is able to offer cultural perspective with descriptions of maternity care practices of native peoples during her time as a family physician In rural Alaska. She emphasizes a team work ethic, encouraging good relationships and communication with specialists, nurses and other staff, all the while promoting the idea that these relationships improve patient safety and quality of care.

Dr. Marks has become an institution in Ennis and volunteers for local youth camps teaching wilderness medicine and providing medical support. He volunteers his time for local charities and is always willing to speak at local events, both health care related and otherwise. Dr. Marks is the epitome of what it means to be a small town country doctor. He is a pillar of the Ennis community and a leader at their hospital .


Dr. Marks has become an institution in Ennis and volunteers for local youth camps teaching wilderness medicine and providing medical support. He volunteers his time for local charities and is always willing to speak at local events, both health care related and otherwise. Dr. Marks is the epitome of what it means to be a small town country doctor. He is a pillar of the Ennis community and a leader at their hospital .

Dr. Upchurch has served as American Heart Association ACLS Regional and National faculty for Montana and currently represents Montana on the Council of State EMS Medical Directors of the National Association of State EMS Officials. He has also served on the Montana Board of Medical Examiners where he is starting his third term.

Doctor Rice has been active in all aspects of healthcare in the South Lincoln County area,. He continues to have an active practice which includes obstetrics with C-sections. He has served as the Chief of Staff of St. John's Hospital several times over his tenure.

Dr. Sargent has been in private practice in Helena, Montana for since 1991 and chairman of Quality Assurance for six of those years. He is married and has three children.

Doctor Michels was instrumental in the development of West Grand Family Medicine, a well respected family practice clinic in the St. Vincent Healthcare system. He continues to practice at West Grand and advocate for high quality, high touch family practice and obstetric care for all patients.


