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December brings the close of another year and a time to pause from the usual news to renew our spirits and consider how we care for those around us.
This month we acknowledge the “good will” that exists but often goes unnoted. It’s the time when ISMA Reports recognizes those members who brighten the days of every month all across the Hoosier state.
The giving spirit of physicians from different areas of Indiana featured in the stories below reflects the goodness of all. In this special time of year, let us allow some inspiring examples to renew us for the coming year.
Don Kerner, M.D., Beech Grove
In 1986, federal and state dollars for drug abuse education hit a low point, and Dr. Kerner saw the results in his family practice. Some young patients got into trouble.
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| Don Kerner, M.D. |
The doctor pondered what to do and remembered a basketball game St. Francis Hospital physicians had played against family medicine residents. He decided to use the idea to raise awareness and funds to help schools fight drug and alcohol abuse.
In 1987, Dr. Kerner introduced the first Docs vs. Jocks vs. Drugs basketball game.
“We’ve done it now for 23 years,” he said. About 20 physicians play each year – more than 120 over the years – against area high school coaches. St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers does the advertising, and its president, Bob Brody, shoots free-throws at halftime for $5-$10 pledges per shot.
Spectators pay at the gate and physicians double that intake through grants and sponsorships they secure. “In the past five years, we have averaged $10,000 to each school where we’ve played and we typically play one school a year,” explained Dr. Kerner, who is now retired and serves as the Docs’ team manager.
Physicians get only their game shirt and the knowledge that they’ve contributed to their communities. Yet, Dr. Kerner has no problem recruiting, and his team often includes residents and medical students. “I believe physicians are not obligated to give back to their communities,” he said, “but they have a responsibility to do so.”
If you’d like to play, call Dr. Kerner “especially if you’re 6’5” or can hit a three-pointer,” he said. He also invited physicians to contact him if interested in starting a version of the game in their communities. E-mail him here.
Michael Wild, M.D., Kokomo
A Vincennes native, Dr. Wild now uses his talents to raise funds for Howard County’s Project Access, which he co-founded with ISMA members Stuart Devaul, M.D., and Martha Hoshaw, M.D. The program cares for the area’s uninsured working population.
“When Dr. Devaul asked me to help with Project Access, I was enthusiastic and involved from the start,” said Dr. Wild, an ophthalmologist. His group, Eye Physicians, Inc., sees about five Project Access patients a week.
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| Michael Wild, M.D. |
“Project Access now helps us care for these patients – and keeps things organized.” He noted how the program provides patients with a system of health care that involves physicians, nurses, social workers, hospitals and others.
“Physicians are able to see how they’ve helped care for a patient, and the patients feel they can count on the program.”
But Dr. Wild also uses his enthusiasm for the program to help keep it funded. A musician since childhood, he was a pivotal force in creating an annual fundraiser, “Docs that Rock.” To date his drumming, combined with the talents of other physician colleagues, has raised $87,000 for the community.
But that’s not all.
An avid pilot, Dr. Wild has auctioned scenic tours by air with proceeds dedicated to Project Access. He and his wife have even opened their home as a site for charitable events. Dr. Wild’s practice participates in Prevent Blindness Indiana, EyeCare America, Lions Clubs and the Salvation Army.
Why does he do it all?
Dr. Wild’s answer: “The personal fulfillment. Nothing beats doing the things that I enjoy to help in the care of others.”
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