Cary, NC - John A. LaFata, D.O., of Clyde, NC, has been awarded The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence's (CCME) 2021 T. Reginald Harris, MD, Memorial Award in recognition for his outstanding achievements in health care quality and service to the medical community.

Dr. LaFata practices with Mountain Medical Associates and serves as Medical Director of Silver Bluff Village in western North Carolina. He has been recognized by his colleagues for his pivotal leadership in reducing hospital readmissions and emergency room visit rates. Since being impacted by COVID, Silver Bluff has been aided by Dr. LaFata’s steadfast leadership in conducting a retrospective study of the facility's initial COVID outbreak, obtaining polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specimens, assessing the changing needs of residents, conducting house calls, and providing medical services to the uninsured.

"To receive this award from an organization that is a federally designated Quality Improvement Organization which helps physicians and payors of healthcare to improve the delivery of care is truly a distinguished event in my career," said Dr. LaFata. "I want to thank all the staff of Silverbluff Village ... their hard work as care providers demonstrate teamwork is essential for the delivery of excellent medical care."

"CCME is honored to award Dr. LaFata the Harris Memorial Award for his many years of medical service to North Carolina, and more recently, his steadfast commitment to quality patient care during the COVID pandemic," said John R. Mangum, MD, Chairman of CCME's Board of Directors. “He exemplifies best practices in the medical field that this award represents."

CCME bestows the Harris Memorial Award to physicians in North Carolina demonstrating outstanding achievements in health care and service in the medical community and for residents. It was established in 1999 to honor the life and memory of one of its founding board members, T. Reginald Harris, MD.

For more information about the Harris Memorial Award, please visit Harris Memorial Award - CCME.

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The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME) is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing innovative services and solutions to create healthier communities. CCME focuses on ensuring quality improvements across the entire health care landscape, sharing best-practices and emerging solutions to address population health, and ensuring that private practices and networks of providers have access to the latest technology and data-driven analytics.