OU College of Medicine Alumni to Honor Keiths, Albrecht

Oklahoma City (Jan. 17, 2019) – Oklahoma country music singer and philanthropists Toby and Tricia Keith, and OU Medicine trauma surgeon Roxie Albrecht, M.D., will be honored this month for their contributions to the health and well-being of Oklahomans.

They will be recognized at the Evening of Excellence gala, sponsored each year by the OU College of Medicine Alumni Association. In addition to honoring Oklahoma physicians and community members, the event raises funds for early-career researchers at the OU College of Medicine.

This year’s Evening of Excellence will be held Jan. 31 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. It is open to the public.

“We are pleased to honor these individuals for their commitment to our campus and to people throughout Oklahoma,” said Don Wilber, M.D., president of the OU College of Medicine Alumni Association. “Evening of Excellence is our most important event of the year because we not only celebrate achievements, but we raise money for the college’s junior researchers. Those researchers then leverage that funding to obtain larger federal grants.”

The Keiths are being honored for their support of families and children who are undergoing treatment at The Children’s Hospital or other nearby facilities within OU Medicine. One of the most visible components of their charity work is OK Kids Korral, a state-of-the-art lodging facility on the south side of the campus.

The facility, which opened in 2014, provides a free, convenient and comfortable home for pediatric cancer patients and their families. Described as a “place of hope,” OK Kids Korral provides both daytime and overnight lodging, kitchen and dining areas, living areas and a laundry room. The facility is especially important for families who must drive long distances to get to Oklahoma City.

“Many children are sick enough that they need to be close to the hospital, so they can’t go home if they live far away, yet they’re not sick enough that they need to be in the hospital,” said David Crawford, M.D., Ph.D., a physician with the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children. “The Kids Korral allows them to have a home away from home. We’re tremendously grateful for all that the Toby Keith Foundation has done.”

The Keiths will be presented the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Community Service during the Evening of Excellence gala.

As trauma medical director for OU Medical Center, Albrecht is a leader for OU Medicine and is a dedicated educator training the next generation of surgeons. She joined OU in 2001 and was active in the development of the OU Medical Center Level 1 Trauma Center and the trauma system in Oklahoma. She serves as the Adult Safety Medical Director for the OU Physicians clinical practice, and is vice chair of the Department of Surgery in the OU College of Medicine.

During her time in Oklahoma, she has advocated for trauma and injury prevention legislation. She is dedicated to patient safety and quality, and she passes those values along to the surgical residents and students she mentors. She is the faculty sponsor for the College of Medicine’s chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons, and she is one of only four Oklahomans to have served as director of the American Board of Surgery, the most influential surgical organization in the United States.

“Dr. Albrecht has saved lives in multiple ways,” said Barish Edil, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery at the OU College of Medicine. “One of them is developing the trauma system for the state, which has resulted in thousands of lives saved.”

Albrecht will be awarded the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Medical Service.

Evening of Excellence will begin at 6:30 p.m. For information about tickets, call the College of Medicine Alumni Association office at 405-271-2353.