Marianne Hill, president-elect of Soroptimist International of Butler County, presents flowers to Lynn McKinnis, the club's Community Ruby Award recipient. McKinnis will be honored at the group’s Spring Fling on April 20 at Butler Country Club. Submitted photo

Learning the Soroptimist International of Butler County chose her to receive the 2024 Community Ruby Award was a real shot in the arm for Lynn McKinnis.

The award will be bestowed on McKinnis on April 20 at the Soroptimist’s annual Spring Fling at the Butler Country Club.

McKinnis’ steely determination and two years of work to bring the Remote Area Medical clinic to Butler resulted in medical, vision and dental care for those in the county and beyond who have no other way of receiving a medical examination, treatment, glasses, fillings or extractions, all at no cost and without need for identification or paperwork on the part of the patients.

The clinic pulled into the Butler Intermediate High School on Nov. 10 and set up medical exam rooms, dental chairs and equipment, eye exam rooms, and other opportunities for disadvantaged families and individuals to be seen and treated by professionals.

The clinic was available for two days, Nov. 11 and 12.

McKinnis volunteered two years ago for a Remote Area Medical clinic in Ashtabula, Ohio, and the impact it made on the lives of those who came for treatment made a major impression on her.

McKinnis immediately began the process of bringing a Remote Area Medical clinic to Butler with a self-imposed time frame of two years.

Concordia Lutheran Services, where McKinnis works as a physical therapist, immediately pledged financial support and dedicated personnel to the effort.

More than 40 groups, churches, Rotary clubs, businesses and schools were soon on the receiving end of McKinnis’ PowerPoint presentation, which demonstrated what a Remote Area Medical clinic would look like and its impact on the community.

Thanks to these presentations, the Butler County community threw its support behind McKinnis by donating money, food, advertising, hotel rooms and the school venue for the clinic.

In addition, 400 individuals served as volunteers when the Remote Area Medical was in town, all thanks to McKinnis’ belief in, and dedication to the project.

Becky Plymale, chairwoman of the Soroptimist Ruby Award committee, said McKinnis is a fabulous choice for the coveted award because of her tireless work in bringing Remote Area Medical to Butler.

“This project took years of research and collaboration,” Plymale said. “She did an incredible job managing a huge, much-needed community event.”

McKinnis said she is thrilled not only to receive the Ruby Award, but to be recognized by an organization like Soroptimist.

“This group is so wonderful,” she said. “It’s a really nice honor because they are the unsung heroes in educating women, so I’m just honored to be chosen by them for the Ruby Award.”

McKinnis said the success of the Remote Area Medical clinic was due to community buy-in.

“Everyone owns it a little bit, so I think next time we have it, it will be that much easier to pull off,” she said.

McKinnis said 330 people received services at the Butler clinic, with one-third of those being children.

The doctors, therapists, optometrists, dentists, nurses and other medical professionals who volunteered provided $185,000 in services to those who were seen, and 120 pairs of free glasses were made in the mobile shop outside the school’s doors.

“The core of Soroptimists is women at their best helping others to be their best, and Lynn used all her talents and knowledge to help people in our community who need access to medical treatment. We salute her,” said Donna Sybert, who is in her third year as president of the Butler County chapter.

Sybert said the Soroptimist mission is to empower women and girls to succeed over obstacles most have never had to face.

“It’s important to give back, and I value the opportunity to do so with Butler’s Soroptimists,” she said. “I also treasure spending time and working with these smart, caring and fun women.”

In addition to her employment as a physical therapist at Concordia, McKinnis is an author of professional textbooks, teaches diagnostic imaging online for the University of Montana, and is an associate editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.

She presents continuing education courses at state and national conferences as well as for colleagues at Concordia.

McKinnis became the first orthopedic clinical specialist in Pennsylvania in 1989 and is the recipient of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Helen J. Hislop Award for Outstanding Contribution to Professional Literature.

McKinnis graduated in 1977 from Butler Senior High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy in 1981 from St. Louis University and a doctoral degree in physical therapy from the University of Montana.

McKinnis and her husband, Dave, who is a retired Butler Area School District teacher and coach, have two children.