American Osteopathic Association Names Ashurst Mentor of the Year
John Ashurst, DO, EdD, MSc, FACOEP was named the 2026 Mentor of the Year at the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) Osteopathic Medical Education Conference over the weekend. The award celebrates his outstanding contributions to medical education and clinical training in addition to his role in guiding the next generation of osteopathic physicians.
Ashurst is the Chief Academic Officer for the Kingman Regional Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education (GME). He also serves as KRMC’s Assistant Designated Institutional Officer (ADIO) and Medical Director of Research.
During the AOA presentation, Ashurst was recognized for his extensive contributions to medical education, academic research, and rural healthcare delivery, including:
- Champion of Rural Healthcare and Underserved Communities: Ashurst has been a vital driver to bringing cutting-edge medicine to rural areas. His efforts focus heavily on researching and addressing rural healthcare gaps, including emergency department operations and regional health access.
- Advancing evidence-based medicine and academic leadership: Ashurst is recognized for his scholarly work and has published more than 100 clinical manuscripts.
- Building structured mentorship through research labs: Ashurst has developed frameworks that support student-led research and works with the KaRE (Kingman Area Research) Lab at KRMC. He also oversees the MIRAGE Lab at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he provides mentorship for medical students, residents and fellows in statistical analysis, research methodology and clinical trial design.
In addition to his work at KRMC, Ashurst serves as a faculty member teaching evidence-based medicine at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.
“It is an honor to be named Mentor of the Year by the American Osteopathic Association,” said Ashurst. “Every generation of physicians has a responsibility to help develop the next, and that commitment is what moves medicine and patient care forward. I am humbled that the AOA has recognized me as one of the physicians helping to shape the future of osteopathic medicine.”
