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RHAU Rural Provider of
the Year
2023 Awardee: Sabrina Carter, FNP
Sabrina is the founder and owner of Positive Pathways in Price, Utah. Sabrina has been serving Carbon and Emery County as an Advanced Practice Nurse doing medication management for those struggling with mental health disorders. Sabrina has shown unparalleled dedication and resourcefulness to meet the needs of her community.
She has been a consortium member with the Utah Rural Opioids Health Care Consortium (UROHC) for over 5 years. Recently, Sabrina volunteered to participate in a small group of clinics that are working to implement innovative new substance use treatments in rural Utah, including Contingency Management.
Sabrina’s ability to plow through the challenges of a new Contingency Management Clinic and her willingness to be creative in prize management has been outstanding. She has been dedicated to the process and has not missed one meeting. She has continued to push through despite her participants having a less-than-enthusiastic first couple of weeks.
Sabrina embodies the heartful dedication of so many providers who choose to make rural Utah their home. She is very deserving of the 2023 RHAU Rural Health Provider of the Year Award.
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2022 Awardee: Dr. Jeffrey Brown, MD
Dr. Brown served as a rural family practitioner in Sevier, Wayne, and Piute counties for over 30 years. Practicing at Sevier Valley Hospital, Dr. Brown successfully delivered hundreds of babies in the Sevier Valley. He did so while overseeing the Emergency Medical Services in these counties, and his impact on these rural communities as a rural provider throughout his long career is profoundly deep. Dr. Brown recently retired, and now serves as an Area Medical Advisor for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are pleased to recognize Dr. Jeffrey Brown for his tremendous impact as a rural Utah provider.
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2021 Awardee: Senator Evan Vickers
Evan Vickers serves as the State Senator for Senate District 28; he currently serves as Senate Majority Leader. Before serving in the State Senate, he served in the State House of Representatives for four years. During his time in the legislature, he has been chair of both the
Health and Human Services Interim Committee and the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and he currently sits on the Executive Appropriations Committee. Sen. Vickers is a pharmacist and business owner with three family-owned and run pharmacies,
and two retail businesses, in Cedar City and Richfield. He earned his B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Utah in 1977. Evan and his wife Chris are the proud parents of five children, two of which followed in his footsteps to become pharmacists and work for the family business. They also are the adoring grandparents to 14 grandchildren.
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2020 Awardee: Garfield Memorial Hospital
Normally, the Rural Provider of the Year award recognizes one provider who has gone above and beyond for those whom they serve. However, in 2020, RHAU recognized Garfield Memorial Hospital’s entire provider staff with a special “Community Action Award” in recognition of how the team went above and beyond when a bus went off the road and crashed near Bryce Canyon National Park on September 20, 2019. Garfield Memorial Hospital provided initial triage and treatment for the 30 passengers who were injured, and thanks to an experienced and capable emergency team, Garfield Memorial was able to provide care for these individuals and save lives. They are extremely deserving of this recognition.
2024 Awardee: Colten Bracken, MD, Owner/Family Physician, Main Street Family Medicine
Dr. Bracken embodies the very best of rural healthcare. After training at the Mayo Clinic, he had many career opportunities, yet chose to return to Utah to practice primary care. He began his career at Sevier Valley Hospital in Richfield before settling in Enterprise, where he built his practice from the ground up next to his family’s hardware store. Beyond his medical practice, Dr. Bracken is deeply involved in his community, coaching youth sports and supporting local events, while still making time to moonlight at the Sevier Valley Emergency Department.
Driven by a passion for rural health, Dr. Bracken navigated the rigorous process of establishing his clinic as a Rural Health Clinic, and he continues to thrive. Recently, he expanded his practice by welcoming a new provider to better serve his community. He is also helping to build a Rural Health Clinic network across Utah and recently contributed as a subject matter expert for a diabetes care improvement series through Project ECHO. In addition, Dr. Bracken serves as the treasurer for the RHAU Board.
Dr. Bracken's love for rural southern Utah is evident in his dedication to the communities that have embraced him. He balances his professional commitments with being an exceptional husband and father. His tireless service and unwavering dedication make him truly deserving of this recognition.