A Family Medicine physician who has been at JPS Health Network for nearly two decades has received a national award for his leadership in fighting cancer.
Mark Koch, M.D., was presented Monday, July 2, with the American Cancer Society’s highest honor for outstanding community volunteers in recognition of distinguished service to the organization. He is one of just 13 people across the country to receive the St. George National Award and the only recipient in Texas.
Award recipients were chosen based on their continuous leadership, commitment and dedication to supporting the Society’s key initiatives to attack cancer from every angle.
Koch chaired Smoke-Free Fort Worth, an initiative to make Fort Worth a healthier environment by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and encouraging smokers to quit. He also sits on the Tarrant County board of the American Cancer Society. Director of Family Medicine Endoscopy at JPS, Koch shares how colon cancer screening can save lives.
As chair of Smoke-Free Fort Worth, Koch worked closely with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network to ensure Fort Worth joined Texas’ other large cities that have adopted smoke-free ordinances for workplaces. The Fort Worth City Council passed an ordinance in late 2017, which went into effect in March.
“Dr. Koch’s tireless effort and leadership for a smoke-free Fort Worth culminated in a city ordinance that went into effect this year; many lung cancers will be prevented. His national leadership as a primary care endoscopist, performing colonoscopies for many years, has prevented many colon cancers. JPS and Fort Worth are fortunate to have such a gifted, skilled, compassionate and dedicated individual on our staff and in our city,” said Family Medicine Chairman Grant C. Fowler, M.D.
Koch has been at JPS since 2000 and is a faculty member in the Family Medicine Residency Program, the largest program in the nation. JPS Health Network has prohibited use of tobacco products on all property since Jan. 1, 2015.
“As a long-time volunteer leader for the American Cancer Society, Dr. Koch’s efforts have helped the Society make significant steps towards leading the fight to a world free from cancer,” said Jeff Fehlis, executive vice president for the American Cancer Society. “Thanks to his relentless persistence, compassion and expertise residents in Fort Worth can breathe easier.”