AWARE Medical Director, Dr. John Tupper is taking his leave at the end of February after serving AWARE for almost 15 years.
We had a nice visit with Dr. Tupper about his time at AWARE.
Recognizing AWARE’s progression since he came on board all of those years ago he said, “I’ve really enjoyed the patients and staff, and it has been cool to be part of it,” Dr. Tupper said. “AWARE is a great organization.”
Dr. Tupper first started working at AWARE in 1996 through a parttime contract. He came back to AWARE in 2009 and became medical director in 2017.
“I was blown away by staff and how caring and dedicated they were all the time,” he said.
While at AWARE, Dr. Tupper has provided care over video, on the phone and in person. He worked with people in the community as well as the group homes AWARE serves in Anaconda, Great Falls and Helena.
Dr. Tupper says that he definitely has mixed feelings about retiring. He recalls many funny, sad, embarrassing, touching and proud moments with staff and clients throughout the state.
However, he will always remember the time he was asked him to speak at Corporate Congress the first year he was medical director.
Dr. Tupper calls it a good lighten up and laugh moment.
Not keen on public speaking and dressed uncomfortably in a suit, “I thought I was doing ok,” he said. “I recall some awkward silences after what I thought were funny one liners, but I’ve never been asked nor volunteered to speak again.”
And he’s ok with that.
First coming to Montana in 1994 as a travel psychiatrist, Dr. Tupper said he loved the Helena area so much that he decided to call it home and eventually got married and raise a family there.
He grew up in Davis, which is near Sacramento, California. Dr. Tupper said in a way he carried on the family tradition of practicing medicine, although his dad was an internal medicine physician.
As he retires, he plans on once again packing his travelling psychiatry bag, this time locating near his 101-year-old-mom to help his sister care for her.
Dr. Tupper, we wish you the best and congratulations on your retirement! Everyone at AWARE was so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with you, you will definitely be missed.
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