02/23/2025
Not everything needs to change……..
All of us have been shaped by old TV. At some point in time, many of us have been fascinated by the intrigue of the Private Eye,……..Magnum PI, Re*****on Steele, Moonlighting, ……or the thrill of the Fire Rescue or Police dramas…..Rescue 911, Hill Street Blues, Chips, Law and Order,……..or the rebel outlaw…..The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazard.
Our lens of history and it’s characters came through shows like……Little House on the Prairie…….and…….The Waltons.
(Obviously I’m an 80’s kid…!!)
Many occupations have been glorified through their portrayal in TV and movies,…….and the classic concept of the family doctor of a small town might as well be part of an old movie for me.
There is a reason that I will watch the whole movie “Field of Dreams” just to see Doc “Moonlight” Graham give up his chance at baseball to help the choking boy.
As an old soul, I get it.
The movies always portrayed small town Docs like that…..a character that was reliable,…….there when you needed them,…….even tempered,…….cool,……calm,……wise, and…….known and vested in their community.
When I graduated residency, I watched all of my peers head into Hospital Practices and join large health conglomerates. That was where the money and prestige could be found.
Meanwhile, I took my Ivy League diploma and headed to small town Ohio.
Now, looking back, I think I’ve been rewarded far more than any of them.
The medical world has changed a lot. Society has made relationships worth a lot less,…..Medical providers today essentially punch in and out, often with little involvement in their community.
People come and go with much less permanence. There is less commitment to a town and the area’s people and more to career and personal life.
I’m not sure how and when it happened, but, somehow, it seems, the small town family doctor disappeared from the landscape of our current reality, existing now only on a movie screen.
Last week, our office received a batch of hand made cards from some of our local students at Kalida Elementary. It reminded me of how blessed I really am. Blessed that I get to do everyday that which I love….so much.
Often, folks talk about “the way things used to be”. It’s usually looked upon with fondness and a little sense of loss.
There are many in the medical community who have these same conversations daily.
I hear the frustrations voiced from medical providers and nurses about the lack of appreciation from Hospitals,…….under-staffing,…….not being able to spend time with patients,……no continuity with providers,………and the invasion into the doctor-patient relationship. There is frustration over more time spent entering data than spent with the people whom you’re taking care of.
I truly feel sorry for all of these medical professionals,……….. however, we’ve worked hard to stay immune from ALL that here.
We know our patients, their family, their friends, the community in which they live, and the events that are going on there. Often, we are part of those events.....and that may be the best part.
Maybe I’ll be the last private practice doing it this way….I really hope not.
However, in the meantime, I’m going to soak up every joy-filled day that I get to spend with my patients and staff. ……..The movies did not let me down. To me, this job is exactly what it was billed to be.
Too bad Kalida is one of the last few places to be able to do it.
Kalida and…..the movies.
Wes Klir, M.D
