Photo of Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH faculty physician with UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health

Two Family Medicine Employees Receive Honor of Receiving an "Oscar of the Gulf Coast"

After weeks of nominations and another year of record votes, Galveston.com is thrilled to present the Winners of the 2025 BEST OF THE ISLAND AWARDS, “the Oscars of the Gulf Coast” according to The Houston Chronicle.

During the months of September and October, 2025, thousands of Galveston.com visitors took part in nominating a host of Island businesses, organizations, and people for the annual Best of the Island Awards. From those nominees, the Top Five vote-receivers in each category then continued to the Voting Phase, which continued during the months of November and December. Once the number of votes was counted? The top vote-receiver in each category was crowned the Best of the Island in January of 2026

Dr. Laura Porterfield, faculty physician at the Family Medicine & Community Health Clinic Island East received the honor of Best Physician 2025 and Lanita Burton Edwards, Nurse Clinician at the the same clinic was honored with Best Nurse 2025.  Congratulations to both of our Family Medicine & Community Health providers on their awards! 

Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH, Faculty Physician at UTMB Health's Family Medicine & Community Health Clinic - Island East     Photo of LaNita Burton Edwards Nurse Clinician at the UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health Clinic - Island East