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| Deborah McMillan, MD |
Deborah McMillan, M.D., a physician at WellSpan Yorktowne Family Medicine, isn’t the type of person who enjoys being in the spotlight. She prefers to treat patients and be involved in public and community service without any fanfare.
But, as a Jefferson Award winner for 2012, McMillan is receiving a lot of media attention.
Established in 1972, the Jefferson Awards honor individuals for their achievements and contributions through public and community service. WGAL 8 is one of the major sponsors of the awards.
“People don’t volunteer for recognition,” offered McMillan. “They volunteer because they believe in a cause or see a need. It’s rewarding to see that I make a difference, but it never seems like enough. There’s always more to be done.”
McMillan hopes that the media attention on her community efforts will inspire others to get involved. “We all have something to give,” she added.
McMillan, who has been a physician for nearly 30 years, has found time to organize community health fairs, develop the East Side Health Center and coordinate numerous back-to-school giveaway events to ensure students have the proper supplies to begin their year.
She is the founder and coordinator of the African-American Love Fest, held annually every February. As a result, more than 300 adults and youth have been honored for their contributions to the York community.
As a physician, McMillan said she enjoys helping patients meet their health care challenges, educating them and interacting with staff members.
McMillan received her Jefferson Award gold medallion during a banquet at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey on Monday, Nov. 5. She admitted to being nervous before accepting the award.
“I was surprised and humbled to learn that I was one of the Jefferson Award recipients,” she said. “It’s hard to express how I felt. It is definitely an honor.”
WGAL News 8 anchor Kim Lemon has kicked off a series of vignettes profiling the six Jefferson Award winners during consecutive Friday night broadcasts of “News 8 at 5 P.M.”
Other Jefferson Award winners include Pat Ditzler of Lancaster County; Kelly McGinley of Cumberland County; Neil and Nina Rovner of Dauphin County; JoAnn Smith of Adams County; and Bea Brown of Lebanon County.