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Lee County is deemed a critically underserved area by the Kentucky Medical Association. The Lee County Medical Scholarship Fund was incorporated by Robert S. Adkins, D.M.D., C. Beach, Jr., Chairman, Peoples Exchange Bank, J.M. Smith, M.D., and other community leaders who were concerned about the future health care of this area. The group's goal is to support professional educational opportunities to committed individuals who will return to the area to provide a broad range of medical services and enhance the quality of life. Its board of directors is composed of professionals who make the ultimate decision on selecting the beneficiaries.

The Lee County Medical Group, Inc. sponsored a scholarship/loan and raised in excess of $70,000 to fund tuition expenses at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine for a native Lee Countian. Peoples Exchange Bank extended an interest free loan to the organization for the first year's tuition. Since that time, bank employees and officers have personally contributed both time and money to perpetuate this worthy organization, and the bank continues to be a major contributor.

The most successful fund raiser has been the annual Lee County Medical Scholarship Celebrity Golf Tournament, organized and implemented by Dr. Robert Adkins and many other volunteers. Charitable foundations such as the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund and other varied fund raising efforts supplement the income from the golf tournament and support the local effort to improve and perpetuate the quality of medical services in our area. It is the ultimate goal that a sufficient number of beneficiaries will successfully complete the program and it will become self-perpetuating and self-supporting.

We are proud to report that our first scholarship recipient graduated with high distinction in May 2001 and is now a practicing board certified Pediatrician serving Lee and surrounding counties through the Children's Clinic and Marcum-Wallace Memorial Hospital. A second beneficiary has completed a medical Encoding and Billing certification program. Currently enrolled in the program is a Pharmacy student seeking a Doctorate Degree in Pharmacy. An applicant is making application for the fall of 2005 to become a Physician's Assistant.