Special Olympics Montana (SOMT) is proud to announce Mr. Geof Rohrlach, Family Nurse Practitioner from St. Ignatius as the recipient of the 2023 Local Golisano Health Leadership Award!

The Golisano Health Leadership Awards recognize health champions – leaders and organizations – that are making a significant contribution toward equal access to health, fitness, or wellness for people with intellectual disabilities. The award also promotes awareness for the progress and remarkable efforts toward fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of Special Olympics Health work. This is the highest Special Olympics honor for health partners.

Geof has served as a Special Olympics Montana Healthy Athletes Clinical Director for MedFest screenings since 2018. MedFest was created to offer the physical exam that all athletes need prior to participating in Special Olympics sports programming. It is sometimes the first exposure these athletes have to medical care. As a result, Geof is incredibly detailed when it comes to athlete referrals. He carefully checks over the accuracy of each physical exam form upon completion of the event and notes any issues observed with each athlete. He personally communicates with the athletes’ primary care provider when necessary.

His impact extends beyond Special Olympic athletes! He has worked with resident doctors from the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana during SOMT MedFest events. He trains and oversees these resident doctors during the athlete’s physical exams, providing residents with valuable hands-on experience when treating patients with intellectual disabilities.

Geof’s dedication has produced a more complete exam and referral process and has resulted in better overall care and health of athletes. SOMT believes more athletes are involved in Special Olympics Montana and competitions due to Geof’s support of MedFests in northwestern Montana.     

Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement using sport, health, education, and leadership programs every day, around the world. The focus is to end discrimination and empower people with intellectual disabilities.