Doctors make car a `family business' and celebrate National Doctors' Day
It may not be as popular or romantic as Valentine's Day, or as festive and celebratory as St. Patrick's Day or Memorial Day, but National Doctors' Day (March 30) in the world of health care is just as important. The annual recognition focuses on the special skills of physicians and their unrelenting commitment to keeping their communities healthy.
At Providence in Humboldt County, the celebration has become a family affair for some doctors. That's because the medical staff at Providence St. Joseph Hospital and Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital have several physicians who are married to other doctors.
According to a recent online article on the American Hospital Association website, approximately 20% of doctor's spouses are physicians, a percentage that is comparable in Humboldt. It makes sense when considering the ages of those in medical school often coincides with the time when individuals are searching for a life partner. In addition, doctor's lives are incredibly busy and many find it hard to meet someone outside of the medical community. Having that shared background and professional passion, often leads to romance. Once married, it also leads to incredibly dynamic family schedules.
“Our lives can be crazy at times! Our family of five has a lot of schedules to juggle,” said Madeleine Ramos, M.D. an allergy and immunology doctor with the Providence Medical Group who is married to Join Luh, M.D., a radiation oncologist who treats cancer patients at The Russel Pardoe Radiation Oncology Center at St. Joseph Hospital.
“It's busy! It's interesting how we learn from each other because we're in different specialties,” echoed Dr. Luh.
That sentiment mirrors the experiences of many physician couples who face the challenge of balancing demanding professional lives with the responsibilities of raising a family. The unique dynamics of a physician couple in a rural community often bring a deeper sense of purpose and connection to their work.
Ellen Mahoney, M.D., medical director of the St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Program, shares “when the children were at home, it was mainly chaotic! I frequently thought of the entertainers who keep plates rotating on the top of long poles in terms of living in the present.”
Despite the frenetic nature of a two-physician household, there are benefits.
“One advantage to having two of us is understanding the feelings and pressures that make us want to stay at the hospital longer because of some situation,” said Mahoney, who is married to surgeon, Luther Cobb, M.D. “It can be explained to the other in shorthand. Since we each have compelling patient care situations, we understand the feelings involved and can support one another.”
The impact of these physician couples in Humboldt County extends beyond their individual roles.
“Being a physician couple in a rural community means our family has double the impact on physician accessibility,” said Dr. Luh.
It also helps with recruitment efforts, explained Dr. Mahoney. “It is fortuitous to interview a candidate only to find they are in a committed relationship with someone in another specialty we need.”
The serendipity of such encounters further strengthens the medical community and helps foster a sense of camaraderie among physicians, many of whom find it difficult to imagine working anywhere else.
“Our rural community is a wonderful and meaningful place to work and to raise our family,” exclaimed Dr. Ramos.
“Our lives can be crazy at times! Our family of five has a lot of schedules to juggle.” — Madeleine Ramos, M.D. an allergy and immunology doctor with the Providence Medical Group