Dr. Pearson retiring after 30 years
Says Porterville can support two dermatologists
After 30 years in practice and seeing thousands of patients, Dr. Earl Pearson has only one regret.
“It’s been a great 30 years. Being the only dermatologist in Porterville for most of that time has been challenging and rewarding,” Pearson said. “My only regret is that I could not see everyone that wanted an appointment. “A town of this size really needs two fulltime dermatologists,” he said.
And now with Pearson’s office at 573 W. Putnam Ave. officially closed, the town has none.
For how long is not exactly known. Pearson says a new doctor should be in Porterville in early 2017, but without a start date, appointments cannot be made yet.
Sierra View Medical Center has confirmed it is in discussions with Pearson to continue dermatologic clinic services at Pearson’s present location. SVMC also is in discussions with two physicians from outside the local
area who are interested in providing services as a department of the hospital.
“Sierra View Medical Center will be making more statements and providing more information to the community as these plans are put into place,” said Dr. Jeffery Hudson, SVMC vice president for Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive.
Pearson, 67, had hoped for a smoother transition. He hired a company to search for a replacement three years ago and through the process learned doctors in general do not want to run their own business anymore.
“It has come to the point when a doctor cannot stay on top of medicine and stay on top of all the government regulation to run a business,” Pearson said.
Over the last 30 years, the layers and layers of regulation on all businesses have become cumbersome for established owners and deterrents for upstarts, Pearson says.
“Mountainous, and medical regulation on top of that I cannot blame them, I’m not staying on top of it as well as I would like,” Pearson said.
This, Pearson says, is going to make recruiting doctors to rural communities, like Porterville, which already have a hard time bringing in and retaining talent due to the lack of amenities, more difficult.
Some argue that passage of the Affordable Care Act has sped up the migration of doctors from independent to hospital employment and others say this was happening prior to it being signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010.
“The rural communities are going to have a hard time recruiting physicians in the future,” Pearson said. “That is why some hospitals, like Sierra View Medical Center, are starting to take over and manage the business side for doctors.”
Pearson, who is originally from Willows in Northern California, took over for Dr. Janet Tindall in 1986. After earning his doctorate at University of California, Irvine, and meeting his military obligation, Pearson found his way to Porterville after filling in for Tindall while she was on vacation.
Pearson is grateful to his patients and to his staff, who has been with him for more than 20 years. He plans to spend more time at his home in Springville and travel.
“I want to thank all of my patients for their trust and confidence in our office and in the care we have given,” Pearson said.
Pearson says his office will be taking phone calls for at least two weeks and seeing only a few follow-up patients but is no longer taking appointments. For more information or if patients need their records, call 781-1812 and leave a message if no one answers.