Reprinted by permission from Arizona Daily Wildcat

UA Doctor Named Top Indian M.D. in Nation

By Zach Colick
Arizona Daily Wildcat

(Photo courtesy of Evan Caravelli/
Arizona Daily Wildcat)

The Association of American Indian Physicians unanimously named Dr. Yvette Roubideaux Indian Physician of the Year, saying she was long overdue for the award for her tireless research with American Indians suffering from diabetes.

"Giving the award to Dr. Roubideaux was a way for our members to recognize her for her contributions to the improvement of Indian health," said Margaret Knight, executive director of the AAIP.

The award, which has been given out since the inception of the AAIP 33 years ago, is the first received by a UA physician in recent memory, Knight said.

The AAIP is dedicated to pursuing excellence in American Indian health care by promoting education in medical disciplines, honoring traditional healing practices and restoring the balance of mind, body and spirit, according to the AAIP Web site.

"We are very proud of the advances we've made in the lives of Native American communities," Knight said.

Roubideaux, a researcher at the College of Public Health and College of Medicine, said winning the award an also being recognized by her peers in AAIP meant a lot to her as a researcher.

"It's really important to me," she said. "I remember being a medical student and seeing other Indian physicians win this award, thinking, 'Wow that's really great. That would be nice to win someday,'" Roubideaux said.

Roubideaux, who's been part of AAIP for about 15 years, said winning the award was a bit of a shock, but said it was even more special because there are 300 members in the organization across the country.