Frontline Champion Dr. Mark Bair Wins Prestigious HCA Frist Humanitarian Award

Mark Bair, MD, RPh, a longtime emergency medicine physician, healthcare leader, and clinician advocate, has won the 2026 Frist Humanitarian Award for HCA Healthcare’s Mountain Division, becoming the second CarePoint doctor to win the distinguished award in three years.

Out of HCA’s vast network of care — which includes 44,000 doctors who practice in 190 hospitals across 19 states and the United Kingdom — only 15 physicians were given 2026 Frist Awards, Dr. Bair being one of the elite few. He is now eligible for HCA’s national Healthcare Awards of Distinction.

Created in 1971 and named after HCA cofounder Dr. Thomas F. Frist, the highly prestigious Frist Awards represent the highest national and regional honors bestowed by HCA. These awards honor more than just clinical excellence — they celebrate extraordinary individuals “whose work and lives embody the humanitarian principles upon which HCA Healthcare was founded.”

Dr. Bair joins Susan Ryan, DO, as a Frist Award winner. Dr. Ryan, who practices emergency medicine at HCA HealthONE Rose (Denver), won the award in 2024.

“Dr. Mark Bair is a highly accomplished emergency physician and leader whose humanitarian impact spans clinical care, workforce well-being, and healthcare systems at local, state, and national levels. With decades of experience, he is a strong advocate for healthcare teams and their safety and wellness,” HCA Mountain Division President Evan Ray said. “He fosters a culture of trust and safety through structured debriefings to support staff after traumatic events. His leadership extends into emergency medical systems, policy, and professional organizations, where he has driven meaningful improvements in care delivery and provider support.”

Dr. Bair, who serves as medical director of the Mountain View Hospital Emergency Department (Payson, UT), is the architect behind CarePoint’s Well-Being and Peer Support program. The program utilizes certified peer support specialists — CarePoint clinicians and staff who have undergone weeks of intensive, specialized training — to provide critical emotional and mental support to colleagues facing adverse events or professional stress. Today, CarePoint has 29 CPSSs, and the multispecialty practice’s clinician satisfaction scores stand well above the industry average.

“Medicine is an incredibly rewarding career, but it’s also a very challenging one. The weight of trying shifts and events can accumulate quickly,” Dr. Bair said. “If we don’t actively protect the emotional and mental well-being of our frontline teams, we do them and, ultimately, the patients they care for a disservice. However, when clinicians know they have trusted peers they can turn to at any time for any reason, it transforms the way they practice medicine. Everyone wins.”

Dr. Bair’s humanitarian footprint extends well beyond the doors of CarePoint and emergency rooms. In mid-2024, he was one of just five U.S. leaders invited to attend the first-ever international exchange between the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and China’s equivalent organization, the Chinese College of Emergency Physicians. At the multiday meeting, which took place in Guiyang, China, Dr. Bair gave a presentation titled “Emergency Medicine Current Topics: A Clinician’s Point of View,” during which he discussed U.S. emergency medicine work environments, legislative issues, solutions to combat physician burnout, and many other important topics.

“When we think about the Frist Humanitarian Award and what it represents, we think about individuals who demonstrate an extraordinary level of commitment and caring. Few people embody the spirit of this award quite like Dr. Bair. We are incredibly proud to see his lifetime of service honored on this grand stage.”

- Mark Kozlowski, MD, CarePoint CEO

Domestically, Dr. Bair’s advocacy has shaped the very framework of modern medicine. In addition to his medical director duties at Mountain View, he is the emergency medical services director for seven EMS agencies in Utah and has chaired CarePoint’s Board of Directors for several years.

Previously, he has served as president of the Utah Medical Association, chair of both the AMA Young Physician Section and the AMA Council on Constitution and Bylaws, and a delegate to the AMA from Utah.

The Frist Award serves as an exclamation point on an already storied career for Dr. Bair. His resume also includes the Hero of Emergency Medicine Award (presented by ACEP), the Medical Professional of the Year Award (Utah Association of Emergency Medical Technicians), the Utah Emergency Physician of the Year Award (Utah State Bureau of EMS), the Peak Award (HCA Mountain Division), and the Outstanding Leadership Award in Healthcare (Health 2.0), just to name a few.

A graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine, Dr. Bair completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is board-certified in both emergency medicine and clinical informatics.

“When we think about the Frist Humanitarian Award and what it represents, we think about individuals who demonstrate an extraordinary level of commitment and caring,” CarePoint CEO Mark Kozlowski, MD, said. “Few people embody the spirit of this award quite like Dr. Bair. We are incredibly proud to see his lifetime of service honored on this grand stage.”