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Dr. Michael R. Wilcox, North Branch Area High School Class of 1964 was on hand to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Branch Alumni Association on Friday, July 8 at North Branch High School.

Education and Honors include:
• NBAHS Class of 1964 - Valedictorian, Class President, participated in virtually all sports and was a team captain for many of them. Band and chorus. Homecoming King
• Academic awards in science, math, legion award, General Motors scholarship (4 years), Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America.

• University of Minnesota 1964-68, BA in College of Biological Sciences, Phi Beta Kappa (Academic Excellence)

• University of Minnesota Medical School, 1972, multiple awards and scholarships. Residency in Internal Medicine at the Hennepin County Medical Center (1972-73) Board Certification in Family Medicine (1976).

Medical Career, Honors and Achievements
• Distinguished 46 year career, initially in Family Practice in New Prague’s Queen of Peace hospital where he was wildly successful and popular and rose to Medical Director.
• From the mid 80s, he became an Emergency Room Physician, developing methods and training that added to the quality of emergency medicine by his unique ability to define unmet medical needs, especially in rural regions and then develop a solution.

• Developed the CALS (Comprehensive Advanced Life Support) Program, a unique emergency medical care course to specifically meet the needs of rural regions. Many years of EMS training and development, followed with recognition from throughout the state of Minnesota and across the United States. This program is used in 15 states, by US State Department embassy medical personnel in 260 countries and the United Nations International Organization of Migration (IOM) medical staff.

• Developed the Community Paramedic Program where paramedics are educated in expanded rolls in their communities. Dr. Wilcox has provided endless  leadership and medical directorship in numerous ambulance squads to upgrade the quality of pre-hospital care in rural communities.

• He is recognized as a leader and policy influencer throughout the state. This leadership has been especially impactful during the COVID pandemic where the ever-changing needs or pre-hospital providers has been supported by Mike’s consultation, education and hands on supervision of COVID vaccination programs.

• Dr. Wilcox’s long career of Family Practice and Emergency Medicine has included countless awards, honors and appointments to influential boards throughout Minnesota and beyond.

• Dr. Wilcox has been a generous philanthropist and advocate for students entering the medical field.

Personal Tributes
John L. Hick, MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Minnesota - “Mike has a true passion for service and for patient care. It is his calling to teach and to create systems that improve emergency medical services. He became one of the first EMS medical directors in the state in 1973 and has served on innumerable state committees and championed innovations in EMS, particularly in service to rural communities.”

Darrell L. Carter, MD, CALS Program Director - “Mike has contributed to the well-being of so many emergency room patients which resulted in either their surviving serious illness or trauma or added comfort to their lives. This was often accomplished in a rural emergency care setting in the most challenging situations which lacked advanced modern equipment or the availability of specialists.”

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