Community Hospital-Fairfax will say good-bye to Dr. James K. Hunter
Community Hospital-Fairfax will say good-bye to Dr. James K. Hunter at the end of
July. Since opening his practice 28 years ago, Dr. Hunter has touched the lives
of many patients and families.
Melvin Rogers, who served on the Doctors Search Committee when Dr. Hunter was hired,
knew from the start he was the perfect fit for Fairfax when he moved back to his
hometown to practice medicine.
“It was so important for us to find a doctor for our community. What we got was
what we dreamed,” Rogers said.
Rogers commended Dr. Hunter for being interested in the community and concerned
for his patients.
Dr. Hunter began his private practice in Fairfax in August 1980 after completing
his residency in family medicine at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, IL.
He graduated from St. Louis University Medical School. In 1994, his practice
was joined with Community Hospital-Fairfax.
He is the third “Dr. Hunter” to practice medicine in Fairfax. His great grandfather,
James A. Hunter practiced in Milton, Mo. and came to Fairfax in 1882. Dr. Hunter’s
great uncle Owen practiced in Fairfax in the 1890’s.
In the July 24, 1980 edition of the Fairfax Forum, Dr. Hunter was quoted, saying
“I knew I wanted to be a doctor while in high school here and it was in my sophomore
year of med school when I decided I wanted to come home to Fairfax to practice medicine.”
During his practice he has served patients from the surrounding area,
delivered numerous babies and cared for families of all ages. He is a board certified
family physician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He has served as President and Past
President of Northwest Missouri Medical Society, as well as Chief of Staff at Community
Hospital-Fairfax as well as Director of Emergency Department Services, Medical Director
of Home Health, Physician Supervisor of Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic, Finance Committee
Member and Past Director of Board of Directors at Community Hospital-Fairfax. Dr.
Hunter volunteered as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Atchison County
Public Health Department for over 10 years.
He has been selected as an outstanding employee and volunteer at the hospital. In 2005, he celebrated practicing medicine
for 25 years in this area.
Dr. Hunter and his wife Janet, are moving to the Springfield, Mo. area. He begins
practicing in the emergency department of Cox Monnett Hospital in Monnett, Mo. on
August. 15.
To celebrate the difference he has made in the community, a reception has been planned
in his honor on July 30, 2008 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Community Hospital-Fairfax’s
cafeteria. The public is invited to attend.