Deaconess Memorial names El-Houjairy, Leonard for physician honor

Two Jasper physicians whose work reaches from the hospital floor to the heart clinic earned Deaconess Memorial Medical Center’s top physician honor, a recognition that carries weight in a county where keeping experienced doctors close to home is part of the healthcare equation.

Joseph El-Houjairy, M.D., and Joshua Leonard, M.D., were named the 2026 Little Company of Mary Outstanding Physician Award recipients. Deaconess Memorial said the honor is based on outstanding performance that reflects the hospital’s mission and its core values of Respect for Human Dignity, Compassionate Caring, Stewardship, Quality and Justice.

For Dubois County patients, the recognition points to the kind of care that shapes daily life inside a local health system. El-Houjairy is listed in provider directories as a hospitalist and internist in Jasper with more than 20 years of experience, a role that often means coordinating care for patients who are admitted, monitoring treatment plans and helping families navigate the hospital stay. Leonard is listed by Deaconess as a cardiologist with Deaconess Clinic Heart and Vascular in Jasper, where patients turn for heart-related evaluations, follow-up care and ongoing management of chronic conditions.

Deaconess said this year’s nominees were Aaron Blair, M.D.; Brian Blessinger, M.D.; Joseph El-Houjairy, M.D.; Joshua Leonard, M.D.; Kevin Lusk, M.D.; Erin Marchand, M.D.; Gary Riddle, M.D.; Cassie Robertson, D.O.; and Kyle Schroering, D.O. Nominees had to be active members of the medical staff in good standing for at least 12 months, and the final recipients were selected by a committee from among finalists. That process makes the award a peer-driven measure of trust, not just a ceremonial pat on the back.

The honor also reaches back into the hospital’s identity. Deaconess Memorial traces its history to Memorial Hospital in Jasper, where nine Sisters of the Little Company of Mary were on the original staff. A 45,000-square-foot expansion in 1986 increased bed capacity to 131, and the Little Company of Mary Medical Complex opened in Jasper in 2018. Memorial Hospital officially affiliated with Deaconess Health System on February 1, 2024, deepening a partnership that remains tied to the Catholic healthcare mission that shaped the institution from the start.

That history helps explain why this award matters beyond the hospital walls. In Jasper and across Dubois County, recognition like this signals which physicians their peers believe are helping hold the system together through steady, reliable care. In a market where retention is both a service issue and a business issue, honoring doctors who have earned that confidence sends a message about what Deaconess Memorial wants to keep in place for the long term.