Memphis-area Pediatrician, State’s First Pediatric Otolaryngologist to Receive Award of Service

Noted pediatricians and good friends Dr. Harry Phillips III, left, and Dr. J. Mark Reed will receive the Award of Service at MC’s Homecoming.

A pair of Mississippi College classmates, longtime friends, and members of the MC Medical/Dental Alumni Association Board who have each carved out impressive careers caring for the health of children, will receive the Award of Service at MC’s Homecoming.

Dr. Harry Phillips III, a Memphis-area pediatrician who has been voted Best Physician in DeSoto County, Mississippi, by the “DeSoto Times Tribune” on numerous occasions, and Dr. J. Mark Reed, the first pediatric otolaryngologist in the state of Mississippi, have both maintained close ties to their alma mater.

Jim Turcotte, vice president and executive director of Alumni Affairs at MC, said it is fitting that both healthcare giants receive the Award of Service, which recognizes alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary service to MC students. Selected by members of the Mississippi College Alumni Board, the recipients are best known for their love of and support for students.

“The award, as it is written, is a perfect description of who these gentlemen are,” Turcotte said. “The Award of Service is for individuals who love MC, support MC, and promote MC. They are active in the Medical/Dental Alumni Association, they frequently come back to campus, and their family members attended MC.

“We are very proud to recognize them both. It is even more special that two good friends are receiving this award together.”

Each had family connections to Mississippi College that contributed to their decision to attend the small Christian university. Phillips’ parents were both members of the Class of 1954, and several members of his family, including two uncles, an aunt, two siblings, and numerous cousins, attended MC. Reed’s grandfather graduated from MC in 1929, and both of his parents are alumni, as are two of his siblings.

Family ties weren’t the only consideration, however.

“My decision to pursue a career in medicine was made my senior year in high school, and that was one of the factors in my decision to attend MC, knowing its impressive reputation for medical school preparation,” Phillips said.

“I knew that I wanted to be a doctor since the second grade, and sought out the best place for my pre-medical training,” Reed said. “My search was a short one, since MC had the best reputation and program.

“It was a God-directed decision that has influenced my life to this day.”

They each credit MC for setting them on a path to success in the medical profession – and life in general.

“My time at MC was one of the most enjoyable and enriching times of my life,” Phillips said. “While I was focused on academics, I was still able to be an active member of the Civitan men’s service organization, serving as chaplain my senior year.

“My most memorable moments as a student at MC were the times I spent with my classmates. Lifelong friendships with brothers were born at MC. These friends not only encouraged me to be the best student I could be, but they also inspired me in my growth as a Christian.”

Reed said he enjoyed a similar experience.

“I loved my student life at MC, and met most of my lifelong friends here,” he said. “I was blown away by the fact that all our professors cared for us in a very personal way and sought our best while immensely challenging us. Friendships continued to deepen as time went on, and we developed great confidence knowing that our world-class training prepared us for the next step. It’s always about the people – that’s the best part about MC.”

The bond Phillips and Reed share remained despite going their separate ways after graduation.

A native of Memphis, Phillips obtained his M.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, where he is now a part-time clinical assistant professor. He completed his pediatric training at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and E.H. Crump Women’s Hospital in Memphis, and joined the Memphis Children’s Clinic in 1991. He practices full-time with the group.

He has served as a past president of the Mid-South Pediatric Society and serves on the board of the Network of International Christian Schools. Married to Robbie (Coleman) Phillips, the couple has two daughters, Gracie Stevenson and Rebecca Hajek, both MC graduates. Their husbands, Tyler Stevenson and Blake Hajek, also are MC alumni.

“One of the most rewarding involvements that I’ve had with MC since my graduation is to have both our daughters and sons-in-law graduate from MC and to see how well-prepared they were and the lifelong friends they made,” Phillips said.

Reed, a Jackson native, finished his medical education at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and received the Louisiana-Mississippi Ophthalmological-Otolaryngological Society Award and the Merck Book Award. He completed residency training in otolaryngology at UMMC and a subspecialty fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He returned to UMMC to serve as chief of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology. He has great interest and expertise in the diagnosis and management of airway abnormalities and other diverse head and neck problems in children. A member of several medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, and the American College of Surgeons, he is a past president of the Central Mississippi Pediatrics Society. He and his wife, Cathy, have three daughters: two are MC graduates, and one is currently a junior.

Both physicians remain involved with MC as avid recruiters of students.

“As a pediatrician, I encourage my high school patients to look at MC and to keep it on their short list of colleges to visit, especially if they are interested in the pre-medical or health-related fields,” Phillips said. “I have been privileged to participate in medical missions with the MC Medical/Dental Alumni Association, I serve on the advisory board for the Physician Assistants Program and am currently a preceptor for PA students during their pediatric rotation. I also participate in the shadowing program, which allows MC students to gain valuable experience in the clinical setting.”

Reed remains so involved at MC that he said, in some respects, he feels like he never left the Clinton campus.

“Starting in med school and residency, I tried to stay involved in the MC Pre-medical Society,” he said. “I was fortunate to be involved in the founding of the MC Medical/Dental Alumni Association Board. Through this board, we developed the Clinical Lectureship Series featuring an outstanding clinician each spring and fall. We wanted to give the students a taste of what it means to be a ‘real doctor’ and let them know that what they are learning now will be the foundation for everything that follows.

“The board also established the Student Shadowing Program, pairing eligible students with MC alumni physicians and dentists across Mississippi. I have had the pleasure of shadowing multiple students through the years, and I always find it to be a fantastic opportunity for me as well.

“We sponsored the first MC international medical missions trip, and I have the privilege to periodically join students taking the gross anatomy lab course during the head and neck dissection. As a pediatric otolaryngologist, I love to give clinical correlations for the incredibly complex anatomy of my specialty’s region.”

With such close association with their alma mater, receiving the Award of Service has special meaning to both physicians.

“I am sincerely honored and humbled to receive the award,” Phillips said. “I am still quite overwhelmed. The greatest honor I have received from MC is the opportunity and privilege to serve and hopefully provide a return on the investment that my professors and classmates made in my life while I was at MC.

“Receiving this award with Dr. Mark Reed is an additional honor, as he is one of those classmates that inspired me academically and spiritually, and he continues to do so to this day.”

Reed said he was shocked to learn he had been selected for the award.

“I feel utterly undeserving of this honor,” Reed said. “The truth is that ‘service’ sounds like a lot of work, but if you are doing something that you absolutely love, there is no effort at all.

“I love MC and all that this institution has invested in me. Mississippi College served me first, and I consider it an honor to remain a small part of it.”

They are each looking forward to reconnecting with friends and faculty at Homecoming. Phillips said he is looking forward to seeing one special alum in particular.

“I look forward to having my family attend, visiting with my professors, and seeing some of my dearest friends,” he said. “My sweet 90-year-old mother is planning on attending. She was the first president of the Swannanoa Tribe and will be honored at their Homecoming Tea this year.”

Phillips and Reed will receive the Award of Service during the Homecoming Brunch, scheduled from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in Anderson Hall on the second floor of the B.C. Rogers Student Center. Tickets to the brunch cost $25 apiece, and RSVP is required. For more information, visit mc.edu/homecoming/.