Dr. Steven C. Meek's care and attention to patients has netted him a "best doctor" recognition from the health magazine "Pre-ven-tion."
But the Layton gynecologist/obstetrician says the letter nominating him for the honor meant more to him than having his picture in the November publication. The magazine has a circulation of 3.2 million in the United States and Canada. Meek was one of 23 doctors who was recognized.
Deborah W. Beck, a Davis County woman who nominated Meek, is quoted in the magazine as saying, "Major surgery is scary and painful. Dr. Steven Meek made it a positive experience for me."
Meek, 36, who was reared in Salt Lake City, practiced in Brigham City and now does most of his work at Davis Hospital and Medical Center in Layton. When contacted by the Deseret News, Dr. Meek said, "I've been trying to reach her (Beck). I had no idea (about the nomination)."
Beck said she had a painful, non-cancerous fibroid tumor of the uterus that "went untreated for about 41/2 to five years" before I found Meek.
"I felt a genuine caring, something I have never felt with a doctor before. I'm thrilled he got the recognition. He is a wonderful doctor. There are so few doctors like him," Beck said.
Beck's letter to the magazine read: "Never before had I encountered a doctor who treated me so completely. Mind, body and soul. Throughout it all, he listened, was compassionate, nurturing. A rarity. Unhurried, he answered questions, alleviated fears. In the operating room he held my hand and comforted me! This man is like Jesus . . . "
Meek's colleagues say the doctor personally calls each of his patients to find out how they are doing for a few days after surgery or delivery of a baby. The doctor's associates say many patients praise his care and attention.
The physician received his medical degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine in 1984 and did his residency at William Beaumont Hospital in Roy Oak, Mich.
Meek and his wife, Shauna, have six children, ranging in age from 1 to 12 years. The doctor enjoys playing racquetball and basketball.
In addition to his family responsibilities and medical practice, Meek, a former missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina, is a counselor in a ward bishopric. He makes periodic trips, along with other doctors and other medical personnel, to give free medical care to people living near Chihuahua, Mexico, through Project CHOICE, which stands for for Humanitarian Outreach and Inter-Cultural Exchange.
By Douglas Palmer, Deseret News staff writer.