Dr. William H. Hayes will be honored and recognized as the 2006 Dr. Clarence C. Butler Service and Leadership Award winner at the Butler Award Dinner on Tuesday, January 10, at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. He will receive the award for exemplifying the same qualities and excellence in patient care that Dr. Butler demonstrated during his many years of service to St. Francis Hospital and the community.

Robert Fulghum, author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, will provide humorous and inspirational entertainment for the gala affair, which is sponsored by the St. Francis Foundation. Sponsorship packages and individual tickets are available by contacting Helen Reinking at 653-9375.

The award was established as a lasting tribute to the revered Dr. Butler, who left a legacy of caring for his patients and this community when he died two years ago. Physicians are nominated by their peers and selected by an award committee. The first recipient, Dr. Harry H. Brill, received the award in January 2005. The beneficiary of the evening will be the residents of this community through the lifesaving programs of the Patrick Heart Institute of St. Francis. Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. For more information, contact the St. Francis Foundation at (706) 653-9375.

About Dr. Hayes

Originally from Carterville, Georgia, but raised in Marietta, Dr. William Hayes earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University in Atlanta and his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He began his medical career as a pathologist at St. Francis Hospital and was later chief pathologist at The Medical Center. In 1975, he opened a private practice in general medicine. According to Betsy Young, Dr. Hayes’ personal assistant for 27 years, his patients loved him and many say that they will never find another doctor as caring.

During his distinguished career, Dr. Hayes served in numerous leadership roles. He was president of the Muscogee County Medical Society, medical examiner for Muscogee County, a consultant at West Central Georgia Regional Hospital and on the Board of Directors for New Horizons. As a member of the first Leadership Harris County class, he and his classmates founded the Harris County Chamber of Commerce of which he was the first president. He was also an elder at his church and chairman of the Missions Committee.

At St. Francis Hospital, he served as chief of the Medical Staff and chair of the Family Practice Department. He was also chairman of the St. Francis Foundation Board of Trustees and co-chair, along with Dr. B. Russell Simmons, of the physician component of St. Francis’ The Caring Continues capital campaign. Under his leadership, funds were raised to help build St. Francis’ new, state-of-the-art Surgical Suite, Emergency Department, and Central Sterile Supply facility.

Since retiring from private practice, Dr. Hayes has continued to serve. He is most passionate about missions work and will be the team leader on his third mission trip to Honduras in February, when he and 20 others will go to Agua Azul to provide care for people from six surrounding villages.