John D. Ferguson's military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Order of Medical Military Merit, three Army Commendation Medals and the Order of Medical Military Merit.
TUSCALOOSA, AL, September 18, 2018, Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present John D. Ferguson, MD, Ph.D., with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Ferguson celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Since 1983, Dr. Ferguson has been a practicing physician at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL. Initially he was a practicing cardiovascular surgeon for 27 years, but this role was prematurely ended in 2010 due to an unexpected stroke. Also at this hospital, he served on the medical staff board as chief of staff, president of the professional activities committee and served 2 terms as chief of surgery. He also spent time as Chairman of the patient care committee and intensive care committee. Additionally, he was an assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences engaged in the clinical training of medical students and served as the president of the North America Trauma Association 2009 and 2010. He was Assistant Medical Director for Caring Hands Hospice 2011-2013.
When he was a child, his father passed away as a result of a brain tumor. Living alone with his mother and two younger siblings, he worked on the farm, at a service station and as a school bus driver for additional income. Through odd jobs and various scholarships, he was able to attend college as a dormitory counselor, laboratory assistant (biology, chemistry and physics) and was a member of Alpha Chi honor society. He began his academic pursuits at Oklahoma Christian College in Oklahoma City, OK, where he graduated in 1968 magna cum laude, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He continued his studies at the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health as a National Institutes of Health pre-doctoral fellow from 1969 to 1972, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in human parasitology from the Department of Preventative Medicine and Public Health under Drs. Michael Ivey and Gilbert Castro. He earned a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Oklahoma's College of Medicine in 1976, receiving financial assistance via a rural heath scholarship from the State Medical Association.
His clinical training as a physician began with a rotating internship at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City from 1976 to 1977. There he was encouraged to pursue a career in surgery by Dr. John Ingle, a member of the St. Anthony surgical staff, and Dr. Richard Marshall, medical director of St. Anthony Hospital. He began his surgical residency at the University of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City from 1977 to 1979 in Dr. Rainey Williams' surgery department and followed at St. Anthony Hospital from 1979 to 1981where he completed his general surgery training serving as Chief of Surgery. During this time he worked diligently with the entire local cardiovascular surgery group of Drs. Allen Greer, John Carey, Nazih Zuhdi, William Hawley, James Hartsuck and Daryl Fisher, assisting in urgent situations while developing intricate surgical skills when other surgeons were unavailable. Ultimately he completed a cardiovascular surgery training fellowship at St. Louis University from 1981 to 1983 under Drs. Val Willman, George Kaiser, Hendrick Barner and Glen Pennington.
Beyond his work in education, Dr. Ferguson is a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and served for 34 years in both the Alabama and Oklahoma Army National Guards, being qualified in both infantry and medical branches completing qualifications in officer basic, advanced and command/general staff college. Dr. Ferguson is a retired Colonel of the Alabama Army National Guard, served as 109th Evacuation Hospital Commander in Operation Desert Storm deploying to Saudi Arabia and served as chairman of the Army National Guard Medical Advisory Council improving medical mobilization within the armed forces. He considers these two accomplishments to be the highlight of his military career. He is grateful for his time in the military as it gave him opportunity to explore medicine in a new way, teaching him leadership qualities and gaining strategic planning skills.
Dr. Ferguson's civic involvement has been extensive over the years. He has served on the board of directors for the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, the DCH Foundation, Indian Hills Country Club, and Northriver Yacht Club. In Tuscaloosa, he serves on the local advisory board for both Regions Bank and Morgan Stanley. First Presbyterian Church activities include serving as a moderator of the board of deacons, serving on both the mission and long range planning committees, has been team leader on 2 medical missionary trips to Tumutumu Hospital in Kenya, Africa. Dr. Ferguson served two terms on the county board of health and has been community advisor for the local American Heart Association. Moreover he is a donor to the University of Alabama School of Nursing Scholarship program, awarding an annual scholarship to nursing students with specific interests in cardiac care.
As an active member of the medical community, Dr. Ferguson holds membership in a myriad of organizations. He was a fellow of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, North American Trauma Association, American Medical Association, life counselor for the Alabama State Medical Association and served two five-year terms on the Tuscaloosa county medical society board. Other organizations include American case management Association, American Society of Parasitologists, and Association of Military Surgeons of the United States.
National medical journal and research publications include volume 225 of the American Journal of Physiology, volume 45A of Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology, and volume 59 of the Journal of Parasitology, all in 1973. Dr. Ferguson has been awarded for his many accomplishments throughout his career with honors such as being an inductee into the Oklahoma Army National Guard Hall of Fame in 1998, and an honor graduate of the Oklahoma National Guard Officer Candidate School in 1972 receiving the Erickson Trophy.
Additionally, Dr. Ferguson's military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Order of Medical Military Merit, three Army Commendation Medals, Alabama Distinguished Service Medal, Oklahoma Distinguished Service Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster Other awards include the Oklahoma and Alabama Commendation Medals, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Operation Desert Storm Medal, Army Achievement Medal. Southwest Asia Service Medal and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He has previously been featured in Who's Who in America. He desires his legacy of life be remembered as a servant to the Lord, his country, his community and his family.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, John D. Ferguson, MD, Ph.D., has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
# # #