Dr. Elam poses with his District 1-2 TB Team, Tammy Bowling, Public Health Nurse Consultant, and Irma Sandoval, Infectious Disease Admin. AssistantDalton, GA – The North Georgia Health District congratulates Dr. Mark Elam for receiving the Sellers-McCroan Award this year at the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA) Conference, held earlier in May at Jekyll Island.

GPHA presents the Sellers-McCroan Award annually to a nominated public health professional who deserves recognition and encouragement for outstanding achievement and service to Georgians in epidemiology and/or laboratory services.

Dr. Elam is certainly deserving of this award in full measure as he compassionately serves the people of north Georgia.

The following is the GPHA award biography that was included in the Sellers-McCroan Award presentation:

Dr. Mark Elam is a well-known name in Public Health in the North and Northeast Georgia Health Districts due to his 26 years of dedicated public health service along with his leadership roles in multiple health care facilities and his inspiring passion for serving the community.

Dr. Elam is a 1986 graduate of the University of Tennessee Medical School and he completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington in 1989. He served in the U.S. Army from 1982-1993 and was discharged with the rank of Major. Dr. Elam worked for seven years in private practice during which time he began volunteering for the Medical Access Clinic at the Whitfield County Health Department. While providing primary care for low-income adults in this clinic, Dr. Elam found his calling to public health.

In 2002, Dr. Elam assGPHA Sellers-McCroan Award Presented to Dr. Elamumed the role as Medical Director for both the Medical Access Clinic at the health department and for the District 1-2 HIV Living Bridge Clinic. From there, he added the duties of District 1-2 Tuberculosis Program Medical Consultant in 2008 and Medical Director for the District 1-1 HIV Clinic and District 1-2 Travel Clinic Medical Consultant in 2014.

Over the years, Dr. Elam has served as the President of Georgia Medical Directors (2004-2006), Chairman of the NW Georgia Healthcare Partnership (2006-2008), Board Member of Hamilton Health Care Systems (2001-2007) and Medical Director of multiple nursing homes and hospice facilities (2004-2021). In July 2019, Dr. Elam was appointed as a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Medical College of Georgia, training upcoming physicians at Hamilton Medical Center.

Dr. Elam has been married to his lovely wife, Ellen, for 38 years and has two daughters and two grandchildren. In his spare time, Dr. Elam enjoys traveling, running, cheering on the UT Vols and spending time with his family and friends.