James Bryan II, MD, MPH, retired medical internist and former UNC School of Medicine professor, is the recipient of the distinguished 2015 T. Reginald Harris Memorial Award. This year marks the 17th anniversary that the award has been given by The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME) in honor of the life and memory of founding board member, T. Reginald Harris, MD.

The award was presented during the North Carolina Medical Society’s fall meeting on October 23 and accepted by Dr. Bryan’s brother, Dr. Edwin Bryan.

Immediate past chairman of CCME’s board of directors and former NCMS President, John Mangum, MD, presented the award.

“We are very pleased to present this award to Dr. Bryan in recognition of his outstanding achievement in the improvement of quality health care and service to the medical community,” said Dr. Mangum. “He exemplifies the values that Dr. Harris brought to health care and to CCME.”

Described as teacher, physician, role model, leader, pioneer and mentor, Dr. Bryan’s 60-year career included practices in hematology/oncology and primary care geriatrics. He also was  a recognized instructor and research fellow. Dr. Bryan held a dual professorship in the UNC-CH Departments of Medicine and Social and Community Medicine and was an active mentor and adviser to his students.

Dr. Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, a medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Although retired from medicine, Dr. Bryan remains actively involved in his community by volunteering at the free Samaritan Health Center in Durham, the Chapel Hill homeless shelter, the First Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, and the Hospice at UNC.

For more information about the Harris Memorial Award and past recipients, please visit CCME’s Harris Award page at www.thecarolinascenter.org/HarrisAward.