Dr Phyllis Prekopa, recipient of the Medical Professional of the Year Award, is a highly intelligent and compassionate professional with a depth of understanding, empathy, and willingness to help those in the throes of addiction. She not only makes contribution in her daily role as a provider for patients and their families, she is also a role model and mentor to her peers and disseminates addiction counseling information to other medical professionals and the public.
Because of her positive disposition, her reflective way of operating, and her willingness to go above and beyond her role, she has touched the lives of many people. As an educator, Prekopa never leaves a question unanswered and always helps those experiencing addiction discover that addiction is not just about the drug of choice but rather about behavior and making choices.
Prekopa has co-owned Drugcheck Consulting, a specialized drug testing company, since 2001. She has spent the last 10 years as a fascilitator to sever peer support groups through Recovery and Monitoring Program (RAMP). She also worked as a Nurse Manager of medical detox unit for four yeras and as a Director of Nursing and Family Counselor for two years prior to that. Her many years of working in the addiction field, both psychologically as a counselor and medically as a nurse, has earned her professional recognition and respect as a knowledgable colleague and specialist in her fields of expertise. She has been working with impaired nurses for over 10 years and recently was involved in initiating special mental health groups for nurses with co-occuring diagnoses through her work with RAMP.
Prekopa has always been an innovator in her practice, in her business, and in RAMP. She is the only facilitator with numerous meetings spread over weekdays and weekends to allow for the convenience of participants, and these meetings give participants the feeling of hope instead of despair, and allow them to know that they will have a good chance of being able to return to their beloved professions.