Pardee retired doctor Radford receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News
·2 min read
Surrounded by family, friends and former colleagues, retired Dr. James Radford receives the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Jan. 9 at Pardee UNC Health Care's Cancer Center.
Surrounded by family, friends and former colleagues, retired Dr. James Radford receives the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Jan. 9 at Pardee UNC Health Care's Cancer Center.

HENDERSONVILLE - On Jan. 9 at a private ceremony at the Pardee UNC Health Care Cancer Center, retired Dr. James Radford was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest award for state service granted each year by the Office of the Governor.

Radford, who retired in 2021 from Pardee after more than 20 years of service, was surrounded at the ceremony by his family, close friends and also former Cancer Center colleagues, according to a news release.

Pardee UNC Health Care retired doctor James Radford poses with his wife, Heidi, after he received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Jan. 9 at the Pardee Cancer Center.
Pardee UNC Health Care retired doctor James Radford poses with his wife, Heidi, after he received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Jan. 9 at the Pardee Cancer Center.

"“This is a tremendous personal honor, but it really reflects the skill, commitment and compassion of all the staff of what is really a wonderful Cancer Center," Radford said.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine honors those with more than 30 years of service to North Carolina and who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments, the release said.

Radford began his medical career in academic medicine, serving on the faculty at Wake Forest University and the University of Minnesota. When he decided to pursue another field of medicine, he chose to be closer to family in Western North Carolina and moved to Hendersonville. Once in Hendersonville and practicing with Pardee, Dr. Radford developed the Pardee Cancer Research Program and remained the principal investigator for more than 22 years, Pardee said in the release.

The clinical trials program at Pardee, through which patients can access a large number of national and international clinical trials of new cancer therapies, began in 1999 with only Dr. Radford and one research nurse. The program has since grown to four researchers while maintaining 50-55 open studies continuously since the program began. Under Dr. Radford’s leadership, Pardee Cancer Research Program has allowed people in Henderson County and the surrounding areas to be enrolled in clinical studies among more than 20 community cancer centers all over the country.

Through his work for more than two decades, thousands of patients have recovered from cancer and lives have been saved, the release said.

“I am grateful to Dr. Radford for his innovation and leadership over the years,” said Pardee President and CEO Jay Kirby in the release. “His work has truly transformed cancer care for the community and I can think of no other recognition more appropriate for Dr. Radford than The Order of the Longleaf Pine. We are delighted for him and congratulate him on this outstanding honor.”

According to the website longleafpinesociety.org, the award was created in 1963. Upon being named to The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the honoree receives a certificate by which the Governor confers upon the recipient “…the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary privileged to enjoy fully all rights granted to members of this exalted order among which is the special privilege to propose the following North Carolina Toast in select company anywhere in the free world."

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Pardee retired doctor Radford receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine