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M.N. (NewsDakota.com) Dr. James Buhr of Valley City has received the Concordia College of Moorhead, Minnesota Alumni Achievement Award. 

The 1967 graduate recently received the college’s highest honor, which is conferred upon alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and service to others, by living Concordia’s mission—to influence the affairs of the world by sending into society thoughtful and informed men and women dedicated to the Christian life.

Buhr has been a family practice physician for more than 40 years at Sanford Health in Valley City (formerly Merit Care Clinic) and has also served in Africa.

After graduating from Concordia College, Buhr attended the University of Minnesota medical school, and then completed a one year internship at Lutheran General in Chicago.  He and his wife, Sharon, then served for four years at two Lutheran Hospitals in Zululand, South Africa.  Buhr, along with two other physicians, were responsible for their own trauma surgery, C-sections, and delivered over 1500 births a year.

On returning to the U.S. Buhr completed a family practice residency at the University of Minnesota, and practiced for two years with the Maplewood Family Practice Clinic in Minneapolis-St. Paul.  In 1980 he began practice at the Valley City Clinic (now Sanford Health).

Buhr has taken time to return to Africa spending 6 months in Liberia and 3 months in Cameroon.  Seeing the enormous need in Africa, Buhr became a board member of Global Health Ministries and began studying how to make a hospital a reality in Central African Republic (CAR), virtually the poorest county in Africa.  In 2006 he led a study group of North Dakotans to Gallo, CAR to evaluate the need first hand, and based on that information the study group recommended to Global Health Ministries that a hospital and clinic should be constructed.

Buhr led the fundraising efforts to build the hospital and in 2010 the hospital and clinic opened its doors.  In 2011 Buhr returned to CAR to evaluate how the hospital was functioning and while there taught them a skin grafting.  The 16 bed hospital was found to be always full, and often with more patients sleeping under the beds.  

In Valley City Buhr has been the county health officer/medical director for the City County Health District since 1990 (and continues in that position today), coroner for 10 years, and worked to establish hospice in Valley City.  Buhr is the primary physician (and has been for the past 30 years) for the over 100 individuals at the Open Door Center, and continues to work part time at Sanford Health Clinic in Valley City.