The Caldwell doctor - respected by patients, peers and the public - epitomizes what the WWAMI medical program is all about.

On this Wednesday morning, about 10 people sit around a table in a small conference room in the basement of a medical clinic on the backside of West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell. They are all diabetes patients from a variety of doctors. They know each other, because they are about two-thirds of the way through a six-month class to learn more about their condition and how to fight it.

The door opens and an unassuming man in a Hawaiian shirt walks in and greets everyone. This is Dr. Sam Samuel Summers. And you might not realize at first just how important he is to his patients, his community and the state of Idaho.

Hes basically an icon, said West Valley Medical Center CEO Julie Taylor. A lot of people can achieve greatness, but not with the same level of authenticity.

This cheerful 61-year-old has lived in Caldwell most of his life. He grew up here, went to medical school at the University of Washington under the WWAMI program (a regional medical education program for students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho), and then he returned to Caldwell the hometown where his father once owned a stationery store.

Hes on the board of too many organizations to name here. Hes been on some of them for nearly 30 years. How can one man do all this?

Its easy. I dont say no, Summers said.

Its probably not even possible to list all the awards hes received over the years.

Heres a sample: Hes been Physician of the Year, Medical Student Mentor of the Year, Preceptor of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Outstanding Clinician, and a recent winner of the WWAMI Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching, Mentoring, Leadership and Clinical Care, and the HCA First Humanitarian Award for a body of work and activity in the community given in recognition of the caring spirit and philanthropic work.

Yet here he is in this basement working to save the lives of everyday people trying to understand their diabetes. And remember, some of them are not even his patients. Hes got more than 3,000 patients of his own, yet he spends three hours, three times a month, with his diabetes classes, including one-on-one sessions with each patient after every meeting. After five years, close to 200 patients have graduated from this class.

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Living Healthy magazine: ‘Dr. Sam’ brings passion to teaching and caring