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Editorial
by David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics) – Chief Executive Officer
Joy What is your score on the D.N.J.Q.? No it is not a standardized patient questionnaire. It’s Dave’s Non-Standardized Joy Quotient test that I self-administer periodically. Among the questions I ask are, “Do I feel harried and marginless? Do I dread returning calls? Am I indecisive or do I rush to make decisions to mark them off my mental to do list? Am I irritable with those that care for me? Do I have insufficient time for any hobbies? Am I withdrawing from friends or usually enjoyable events? Am I feeling like I need to escape?” I had a particular joyless time when I was selling books door-to-door 75+ hours a week during a summer break from college. Doors were slammed in my face, dogs chased me, and some days I had Mormons give me more books than I sold! My escape was to go park in the middle of a cemetery to eat my lunch sandwich. Dead peace . . . until I had to go knock on the next door. Maybe these days, sitting in the cemetery sounds like a delightful pastime to you! You’re fed up with intrusive paperwork and the increasingly complex business of medicine. You’re working harder, longer, and seeing more patients but have, at best, a superficial relationship with most of them. You’re sick – sick of contract negotiations, unfair reimbursement schemes, worthless regulations, and a constantly shifting healthcare landscape. You’re tired of swimming against the undertow of financial incentives dragging at you to withhold necessary treatments, shun the very sick, and not serve the elderly. Hippocratic medicine is under attack and you feel like the dartboard. Life is punching holes in your bottle of joy and it is draining away. There are no quick transfusions that will cure joynemia. You can’t just work harder or more efficiently. You can’t run a marathon for long at a sprint speed. Buying new toys or taking an expensive vacation won’t bring lasting satisfaction. So-called escapes – pornography, affairs, divorce, overeating, alcohol, and drugs – just imprison you. They squeeze a fleeting ecstasy from the bottle and then leave you worse off than ever. Maybe you need a joynemia workup – a comprehensive life exam. Here’s how. Set a time to get away and involve your spouse or a trusted friend. Turn off the phone and forget
about e-mail. Get some rest and exercise before you get under the microscope. Start with a time of concerted prayer that God will give you clarity and wisdom. First examine what produces joy in your life. What is really important to you in the long run? Have you been prioritizing those things? Conceptualize a God-honoring ideal life personally and for your family and practice. Say it and write it down. Next examine what is lyzing your joy. What stresses you the most? What is least enjoyable and not really important? What things are you doing that only you can do? What things are you doing that others could do as well? Where do you need more margin? Next, write a mission statement for yourself, your family, and your practice. Write down your values (what will guide you as your pursue your mission) and the key result areas that will able you to accomplish your mission. Prioritize that list of goals and put them on a realistic time line. You didn’t get joynemic in a day and it takes time to fill the bottle back up. Don’t try to do it all at one time. Instead, start with the most important things first. Blend reducing joylytics and adding joy producers. Then review your progress periodically with someone you trust to give honest feedback. I’m not advocating selfishness but self-care. Get your relationship with God in order. Joy seeds are planted in good heart-soil (see Psalms 97:11). Only God can provide the strength and wisdom you need. Reaffirm you calling. Knowing God is in charge eases your burden. Prioritize nurturing at least a few close friendships with people with whom you can be completely honest. Joy comes in community. Develop a sense of humor and learn to laugh at yourself. Make time to regularly participate in one hobby that you love to do. Simplify your life. The less you have to take care of, the more joy you will have. Lower your expectations. Joylessness is generated by unmet expectations. Learn to deal with problems, not tolerate them, and firmly establish your ethical principles and follow them against all onslaughts. Joynemia is a serious, chronic disease that can bring on many other pathologies. That is why we have devoted this whole issue of TCD to dealing with this issue. By understanding your purpose, and with proper planning, you can understand God’s life-map for you . . . which always leads to JOY. ✝ I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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table of
CONTENTS
V OLUME 3 9 , N O. 1
Spring 2008
The Christian Medical & Dental Associations®–Changing Hearts in Healthcare–since 1931.
Features
14 Restoring Health to Medical Marriages by Beth Myers This medical couple, whose marriage was restored, shares what they’ve learned
18 Life Dance
One doctor’s journey from perfectionism into grace
21 Restoring The Joy – Through Surrender
by Irene Thomas Thevatheril, MD, with Dianne Masters How this doctor renewed her sense of joy by choosing His way instead of her own
23 Knowing Who You Work For Makes All The Difference by Matthew Montgomery, MD This surgeon moved from futility to fulfillment during a short-term mission experience
25 Joy Cometh In The Morning by Andrew M. Seddon, MD A malpractice suit will test your limits, but it could also strengthen your faith – one doctor’s story
28 Should Physicians Take Life? (Apologetics Series - Part 5) by Robert W. Martin III, MD, MAR
Departments 7 30 6
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Progress Notes Advertising Section
Editor: David B. Biebel, DMin Editorial Committee: Gregg Albers, MD, Elizabeth Buchinsky, MD, John Crouch, MD, William C. Forbes, DDS, Curtis E. Harris, MD, JD, Rebecca Klint-Townsend, MD, Bruce MacFadyen, MD, Samuel E. Molind, DMD, Robert D. Orr, MD, Matthew L. Rice, ThM, DO, Richard A. Swenson, MD Vice President for Communications: Margie Shealy Classified Ad Sales: Margie Shealy 423-844-1000 Display Ad Sales: Margie Shealy 423-844-1000 Design & Printing: Pulp Printhouse CMDA is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). TODAY’S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR ®, registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ISSN 0009-546X, Spring 2008 Volume XXXIX, No. 1. Printed in the United States of America. Published four times each year by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations ® at 2604 Highway 421, Bristol, TN 37620. Copyright© 2008, Christian Medical & Dental Associations ®. All Rights Reserved. Distributed free to CMDA members. Non-doctors (U.S.) are welcome to subscribe at a rate of $35 per year ($40 per year, international). Standard presort postage paid at Bristol, Tenn. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Christian Medical & Dental Associations, P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500. Scripture references marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture references marked (KJV) are taken from King James Version. Scripture references marked Living Bible are from The Living Bible© 1971, Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved. Undesignated biblical references are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Other versions used are noted in the text.
For membership information, contact the Christian Medical & Dental Associations at: PO Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500; Telephone: 423-844-1000, or toll -free, 1-888-230-2637; Fax: 423-844-1005; E-mail: memberservices@cmda.org; Website: http://www.joincmda.org. Articles and letters published represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Acceptance of paid advertising from any source does not necessarily imply the endorsement of a particular program, product, or service by CMDA. Any technical information, advice or instruction provided in this publication is for the benefit of our readers, without any guarantee with respect to results they may experience with regard to the same. Implementation of the same is the decision of the reader and at his or her own risk. CMDA cannot be responsible for any untoward results experienced as a result of following or attempting to follow said information, advice, or instruction.
Dr. Nduati Recognized by ICMDA Dr. Ruth Nduati has been awarded the ICMDA HIV Initiative 2007 Dignity and Right to Health Award. Prof. Ruth Nduati is Associate Professor of Paediatrics, Epidemiologist and consultant Paediatrician in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi. Her special teaching interests are prevention of HIV, treatment of HIV-infected children and infant feeding. Her current research focuses on Prevention of mother-tochild transmission of HIV/AIDS, paediatric AIDS and Child Health, and Operational research on implementation of PMTCT and Dr. Nduati along with her daughter, Njeri paediatric HIV treatment programs. Her research on infant feeding and paediatric HIV is recognized by the WHO and UN. Locally she is managing a grant that is integrating PMTCT into 338 government health facilities. As a Christian, Ruth sees her role as a special grace from God to be able to serve His people. She does not do private practice because she is committed to serving in this God-given public duty. Ruth supports church training programs for their workers and “trainers of trainers.”
Balancing Faith, Family, and Practice April 10-12, 2008 CMDA is pleased to participate with Focus on The Family as they bring to medical professionals and spouses a three-day conference, “Balancing Faith, Family and Practice,” April 10-12, 2008. In the beautiful setting of Colorado Springs, speakers such as Dr. James Dobson, Henry Blackaby, Dr. Gene Rudd, Dr. Jean Wright, and Dr. John Patrick will address thought-provoking topics relevant to your role as a physician. Twenty-four workshops provide up to thirteen hours of CME. Focus on the Family is offering a limited number of scholarships for medical professionals and spouses. The Maddie Beck Scholarship and the Elizabeth Livoni Scholarship are available to assist couples with one or more special-needs children. The Focus on the Family Scholarships for Physician Residents are available to assist couples in which one or both spouses have obtained the MD or DO degree, but are still in the process of completing their residency. Each scholarship will cover complete registration fees, but not CME fees. To register for the conference or to find out more about these scholarships, visit: www.focusmedicalconference.org, or call: 1-800-A-FAMILY. I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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Book Review A Minute of Margin: Restoring Balance to Busy Lives by Richard A. Swenson, MD The usual style of having 365 readings in a devotional book has been abandoned in favor of 180 reflections in this delightful book by your favorite futurist and margin guru – Dick Swenson. Now you won’t feel you’ve fallen behind if you don’t read it every day of the year! Dr. Swenson has written this thoughtful volume based on principles that will dissolve stress and foment peace if you put them into practice in your life. Each reflection is sandwiched between a cogent quote and an equally apt proverb from another country. The SPECIAL OFFER: A FREE 2008 subscription to Ethics and Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics to the FIRST 100 CMDA members who request it. Others may take advantage of this offer: First-time subscribers, 1 Year/$40; specify CMDA Offer. Addressing issues from a Judeo-
meat in this delicious feast is paired with a follow-up prescription that suggests changes to aid in implementation of the main thought. All this is fit nicely onto two small (5” x 7”) pages with adequate font size and sufficient (you guessed it!) margin. Hardcover. 360 pages. Available from Life & Health Resources 888-231-2637 for $16.99. Do you have more time to read? Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives will give you even more ideas to chew on. Paperback. 233 pages. $14.99 Christian viewpoint, E&M explores situations and ethical dilemmas related to Aging, Cloning, Stem-Cell Research, Reproductive Technologies, Contraception, and the Physician-Patient Relationship, along with Biotechnology, Genetics, Nursing, and Pharmaceutical Ethics. To request this resource, go to www.bioethicspress.com and click on the special offer.
The new CMDA Website is adding information every day to motivate, educate, and equip you. Our latest addition is a weekly devotion. Upon registration you will receive a weekly e-mail to encourage you in your daily walk with the Lord. By logging in, members now have access to edit their personal information, pay dues, register for events, purchase products, join e-communities, and obtain restricted information. We hope you will take advantage of our new system, reviewing your data and updating it as needed. Any time you see a red key, this is restricted information for members only and you will need to log-in to access it. We have made our log-in easier by allowing you to use your e-mail address. If you do not have e-mail, you will use your membership ID number. Of course, if we do not have your e-mail address, you will need to contact our Membership Services Department toll-free at 1-888-230-2637, or by e-mail at memberservices@cmda.org, and allow us to help you begin the process. As we seek to support you and your ministry, we will continue to look for ways to improve our Website. 8
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Snapshot – a Month of Ministry by David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics) - CEO
Campus/Community Ministry – In January, we hit the ground running on 231 campus ministries. We made visits to Jackson and Houston. Rough drafts of the new Student Ministry Manual chapters have been submitted. We took the first steps to establishing retired doctors and emergency medicine specialty sections. A survey tool was sent to local council leaders to help them evaluate their head field staff. The first meeting of a dentistry leadership team was held, with some great new ideas for new dental resources/services.
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Service – Global Health Outreach: We sent six teams in January alone Orthopedics, Dermatology, and five general teams to Nicaragua, Mexico, Guyana, Ecuador, and Ethiopia (with a pastors’ conference). We selected a much better “Volunteer Travel Insurance” program with better protection in dangerous countries. We are working on a blanket malpractice insurance policy. We located a better source of low-cost medicines for teams. Center for Medical Missions: We posted many mission hospital staff needs on our Website. A quarterly resource letter, Your Call, full of ideas and encouragement was sent to 683 students, all called to career missions. Seven more mission executives are coming to the April summit to plan the future of medical missions. Medical Education International: A process for online trip registration and payment was initiated. Updated and expanded goals have been completed. We held meetings with a number of organizations to partner in restarting Liberia’s medical school. A new site development in Siberia is underway. Equipping – MEI’s Mongolia video was completed and distributed. Our first e-mail video attachment was sent to Washington members – a call to action to defeat a physician-assisted suicide (PAS) referendum. Four new videos were put on our Website. Christian Doctor’s Digest (CDD) and Life Support are now podcast to a wider audience on the iTunes Website. A Marriage Enrichment Weekend conference was held in Utah. Voice – PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE (PAS) - CMA VP for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody presented strategies on countering legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide to the Senate Value Action Team, produced a concise resource distributed to WI, WA, and OR members and other pro-life groups, published op-eds in Oregonian and Seattle PostIntelligencer, and submitted a commentary to Milwaukee SentinelJournal. CONSCIENCE – Imbody briefed Washing-ton pro-life leaders on the ACOG/ABOG assault on conscience, prepared an executive summary on the issue, and submitted commentary to the Indianapolis Star. ABORTION – A draft strategy for greater abortion clinic regulations was completed. Commentary was submitted to the LA Times. HUMAN TRAFFICKING – Attended various meetings with groups on national summit. I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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Where Is The Joy? Bruce MacFadyen, MD President - CMDA
Everyone seems to be busier now than ten years ago. It seems that there is never enough time to accomplish all we want and need to do between spending time with family, patient responsibilities, administrative duties, as well as church and ministry activities. This increased pace along with the goal of doing it all well can cause us to lose the contentment, the peace, and the joy that we know should be our daily experience as we seek to follow Jesus Christ. No matter what our age or what stage of life we are in or how long we have
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been a believer we must come back to the same questions: Are we listening to Him? Are we obeying Him? Is He working through us by His Spirit to bear fruit? Are our daily efforts in so many directions truly fruitful and bringing us real joy? John 21 describes an event that happened after the resurrection. The narrative describes a fishing trip during which several of the disciples fished all night and caught nothing. Many of them had been career fishermen before leaving their nets to follow Jesus. They knew all about fishing. They were well-acquainted with the Sea of Galilee. They were in their own territory where they should be able to succeed through their own resources. They had not been particularly successful in the weeks before the crucifixion, either. Jesus had told them He would die and rise again in three days. They did not remember that prediction, although His enemies did, and they secured the tomb where Jesus was buried. When Jesus asked His disciples to pray in the Garden, they fell asleep instead. All but Peter fled when the soldiers took Jesus, and Peter distanced himself and then denied three times he even knew the Lord. These same disciples were now failing in their own profession. After fishing all night, they had caught nothing. Then someone on the shore told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. They obeyed, resulting in a catch of 153 large fish. Peter immediately recognized that the person on the shore was Jesus. With his characteristic “act fast” approach, he jumped into the water and swam to shore. He knew Jesus had intervened and had made all the difference. After the others arrived, Jesus served them breakfast. Then He
singled Peter out for a dialogue that brought forgiveness, healing, and purpose to Peter’s life. Peter became a man of direction and fruitfulness. He had learned that listening to Jesus and obeying Him brought a success he could never have achieved with all the knowledge and experience in the world. At the ascension, Jesus told His followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel – an amazing command for fishermen from a small village. He commanded His followers to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and this time Peter obeyed. He was waiting in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit filled the 120 people waiting there. Then Peter, the man of action, now filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed the crowd that had gathered, and 3,000 people believed. Peter had listened and obeyed. He was still an active person, but now he was effective, because the Spirit was working though his life. These men who had failed so much, these unsuccessful fishermen, changed the world. In the midst of life’s demands, we need to focus on renewing our relationship with Christ. It is He who will expand our vision, focus our calling, and transform us into the person He wants us to be. It is He who can make us fruitful in what He has called us to do with our lives. It is His Spirit working through us that makes our lives fruitful. Fruitfulness is Jesus’ theme in John 15:11, where He says, “I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Through the Holy Spirit working in us and our obedience to His Word, God will give us joy every day.
President, CMDA
Medical Education International (MEI)
Lessons From Central Asia by Shari Falkenheimer, MD Director, MEI
Most of us go on mission trips in hopes of sharing the gospel. In the case of MEI, we share with faculty and students, often in places with only a handful of believers and missionaries. Colleagues often ask why we come and whether we are Christians. We can then tell them, “Yes, we are Christians, and we came to share our professional knowledge and the love and care God has given us.” But we often receive as well as give.
A young MEI team member to a remote Central Asian city recently described the lessons God had taught him on the trip. “We always have to be flexible,” he wrote. “So I always remind myself that this trip is to serve the people and not myself. I always have to remember their needs.” Like many in academia, he was surprised that God could use him in missions, even though he was in basic science research. His perspective was challenged by meeting long-term missionaries. “I was so touched to see people willing to sacrifice so much,” he said, “their well-paid careers, comfortable lifestyles, health, family, and friends. I believe it will help me to have a clearer picture of what I want to do with the remaining (years) of my life on this earth.”
FO R I NFORMATION ABOUT MEI OPPORTUNITIES
Our colleague’s example and cultural practices also taught him an important lesson. “They spend so much time with their family,” he said. “This is something valuable to bring back to North America. Often we spend too much time on our job or school and not enough time with our own family. Many of us could benefit from these lessons – I know I can!”
Dr. York Hunt
SEE WWW .CMDA.O R G/G O/MEI
Regional Ministries Midwest Region CMDA Midwest Attn: Allan J. Harmer, ThM 9595 Whitley Dr., Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN 46240 Office: 317-566-9040 • Fax: 317-566-9042 cmdamw@sbcglobal.net
Western Region Michael J. McLaughlin, MDiv PO Box 2169 Clackamas, OR 97015 Office/Cell: 503-522-1950 michaelm@cmdawest.com
Northeast Region Scott Boyles, MDiv P.O. Box 7500 • Bristol, TN 37621 Office: 423-844-1092 Cell: 609-502-2078 Fax: 423-844-1017 scott.boyles@cmda.org
Central Region Douglas S. Hornok, ThM 13402 S 123rd East Place Broken Arrow, OK 74011 Office/Cell: 918-625-3827 cmdacentral@cs.com
Southeast Region William D. Gunnels, MDiv 106 Fern Drive • Covington, LA 70433 Office/Cell: 985-502-4645 wdgunnels@charter.net
I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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Global Health Outreach (GHO)
What Is Your Soul’s Desire? The heartbeat of GHO for its participants is to serve Christ, share Christ, and grow in Christ. In other words, the opportunity is not just to serve those in need, but to fulfill our soul’s desire to grow to be more like the Lord. Perhaps, as one GHO participant wrote, your involvement on a GHO team will be life-changing: “I had no idea what going to Nicaragua on a mission trip would be like. My husband and I were invited by our son and daughter-in-law, both
Family Practice Residents. I did not think that I would be accepted for the trip because I have been a stay-athome mom and am now a stay-athome grandma (former part-time RN). After being accepted, thoughts of doubt came into my mind. What could I do? At least, I thought, I can tell lost people about Jesus and what He did for them. “It was not long before I realized the magnitude of work involved for GHO and the leadership for this trip. It was apparent that there was much prayer and dependence on God! Because of the godly leadership and godly teammates, I learned about loving people on a different level. My eyes were opened as I was privileged to go on a home visit. This opportunity had the greatest impact.
FO R I NFORMATION ABOUT GHO OPPORTUNITIES
“The trip to Masachapa, Nicaragua, has been the best experience of my life. Because of prayer, God’s Word and the godly leadership, my life will not be the same. The testimonies of our teammates were sincere and moving. I learned something from each one of them. The Lord impressed on my heart to show more kindness to others and to be less critical.”
Many Nicaraguan children need our help
SEE WWW .CMDA.O R G/G O/GHO
Washington Bureau Update CMA Urges USAID to Engage Faith-Based Organizations
CMA’s Presentation to President’s Council on Bioethics
June 13, 2007 – The Christian Medical Association today urged the new head of the U.S. Agency for International Development to take specific steps to facilitate funding of faith-based organizations, which are providing much of the healthcare in underserved regions around the world. CMA Trustee Dr. Clydette Powell and CMA Vice President for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody, along with representatives from several other faithbased organizations, met with the new Acting Administrator of USAID, Under-Secretary Henrietta Fore, to discuss policies and programs that would assist smaller faith-based organizations in partnering with USAID to achieve health outcomes. Clydette Powell, MD, MPH
November 9, 2007 – CMA urged the President’s Council on Bioethics, chaired by a noted physician, Edmund Pellegrino, MD, to view a physician’s free exercise of conscience rights as integral to the delivery of healthcare. CMA’s Vice President for Government Relations, Jonathan Imbody, made a presentation to the Council critiquing The American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists’ recent statement on limiting the conscience rights of physicians. CMA noted in its critique, “According to ACOG, physicians who see abortion as killing a developing baby have a duty to refer patients to a doctor who will do the deed. ACOG’s rules also would actually require a pro-life physician to relocate his or her practice to be close to an abortion facility. Besides the fact that this drastic requirement would only be imposed on pro-life doctors, it would also have the practical impact of removing desperately needed doctors from underserved areas.”
FOR M ORE I NFORMATION R EGARDING T HE WORK O F O UR WASHINGTON B UREAU, VISIT WWW .CMDA.ORG/PUBLICPOLICY/WASHINGTONOFFICE 12
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*Note: The first phase of this gift-giving outreach is designed to reach physicians. Other groups will be included in future phases.
Now you can give a gift to your Christian physician colleagues that helps them integrate their faith and practice and save on CMDA membership. The Christian Medical & Dental Associations is launching a new outreach plan that allows you to give your Christian physician* colleagues, at no cost to you: • A complimentary copy of a dynamic new resource, Practice by the Book – offering practical, biblical guidance on how to integrate our personal faith with our medical profession • Included within the book is information on joining the Christian Medical & Dental Associations
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A CMDA membership gift discount for your colleague of 25% off first-year dues – a savings of over $80!
To order the free gift books and gift coupons: Visit www.joincmda.org OR Call 1-888-230-2637 OR mail or FAX your request to: Join CMDA, PO Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621 FAX: 423-844-1005
As we daily face the secular Goliath, I believe that the Christian Medical Association places important stones in our sling to enable us to provide healthcare with compassion and grace.” -Carl Wierks, MD
Simply include your name and address, note the number of colleagues you want to share gift books with, and we will ship them to you at no charge. Special thank you: For each of your colleagues who joins CMDA and notes your referral, we will provide you with a $25 thank-you coupon – which you can use for dues, CMDA resources and logo wear and CMDA meeting registration fees!
Restoring Health to Medical Marriages by Beth Myers
Reconciling Differences in Intimacy Needs Between Husbands and Wives
How one medical couple restored their marriage, with tips for restoring the passion in yours
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I walked out of the school where I was teaching third grade, got into my car, and the tears began to flow. As my husband’s hurtful words played over and over in my head, all the pent up hurt and pain from our troubled marriage gave way to a desperate prayer: “God, if you don’t do something, this marriage is not going to survive.” Steve was in his fourth year of surgical residency. He was exhausted and completely oblivious to the fact that there were problems in our marriage. The Bible indicates that God had designed marriage to be a place of refuge, a place that renews us and brings us strength. But instead, our marriage merely compounded the stress in our lives and made us feel even more drained. And, to make matters worse, we seemed incapable of communicating at anything above a superficial level. I felt trapped and alone. It dawned on me during Steve’s chief year of residency that the light at the end of the tunnel was just a mirage. I concluded that this is what life would be like even after residency. Depression struck. My love bank was not only depleted, but the pattern of hurtful words declared to me a single message: Our marriage was bankrupt. Later, as Steve was busy setting up his practice in Ohio, a process that consumed all his time and energy, I remember thinking after yet another argument: It’s got to be better to live apart than with all this strife. Ironically, the little church we were attending asked us to teach a Sunday school class on marriage to younger couples. I thought: If they only knew how bad ours was, they would have never asked us. We took up the challenge anyway, bought several books on the subject of marriage, and starting working together to develop a curriculum. While in the process of helping to “save” other people’s marriages, Steve and I discovered that the marriage God wanted to work on was our own. I considered this to be the answer to my desperate prayer three years earlier. I never dreamed in all my wildest imagination that our marriage would end up so close and intimate. This is the story of how it happened.
Through the process of preparing to teach others, Steve and I woke up to the fact that we were clueless about how to bring passion back into our marriage and how to express love to each other. Our first breakthrough came from a video series on marriage by Dr. Richard Dobbins of Akron, Ohio. He encouraged us to ask each other the simple question, “How would you like to be loved?” He instructed us to write down three ways in which we would like our spouse to express love to us. Here we encountered for the first time the drastic differences in intimacy needs between husbands and wives.
As Steve made out his list, he wrote down sex as number one. Later he admitted he was hard pressed to think of another love need. He was tempted to write down the same answer three times. He did think of another one, however: take a nap so you have energy for me at night. We exchanged lists. Steve was surprised and disappointed to find that his all-encompassing need was not even on my list: bring me flowers, spend time with our children, and talk to me on a deeper level. Years later Steve surprised me by taking me to London for a long weekend to celebrate our 29th anniversary. As we traveled, I read to him from the book, The Power That Women Have, by Christopher Johnson.1 I paused for a moment, inspired by something I read, and asked Steve how he had felt during the years when I either tolerated or rejected his desire for sex. His reply shocked me. He answered very slowly and thoughtfully, “I felt hurt, rejected, used, and unloved.” I was stunned. He went on to explain the depth of pain he felt. Part of my surprise was the fact that those were the same adjectives I used to describe the pain I felt because of our lack of emotional intimacy. I would cry myself to sleep at night wondering why he wouldn’t come hold me, talk with me, and show me tenderness. He was just a few feet away, watching television, afraid of rejection. We were so close and yet we might as well have been miles away. We were each enveloped in our own type of pain, and we were paralyzed by it.
As we continued to study, the differences between the genders became clearer. For example, men are vulnerable to unfaithfulness in the absence of physical connection, while women are vulnerable to unfaithfulness in the absence of emotional connection. Dr. Willard Harley explains to wives the nature of their husbands’ need for sex in his book, His Needs/Her Needs: “When a man chooses a wife, he promises to remain faithful to her for life. This means that he believes his wife will be his only sexual partner ‘until death do us part.’ He makes this commitment because he trusts her to be sexually available to him whenever he needs to make love and to meet all his sexual needs, just as she trusts him to meet her emotional needs. Unfortunately in many marriages the man finds that putting his trust in this woman has turned into one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He has agreed to limit his sexual experience to a wife who is unwilling to meet that vital need. He finds himself up the proverbial creek without a paddle. If his religious or moral convictions are strong, he may try to make the best of it. Some husbands tough it out, but many cannot. They find sex elsewhere.”2 This was helpful, but I never truly understood a husbands “need” for sex, until I read about the physiological basis for this in Dr. Gary Chapman’s book, Five Signs of a Loving Family: “The male sexual drive is rooted in his anatomy. The gonads are continually producing sperm cells. These are stored along with seminal fluid in the seminal vesicles. When the seminal vesicles are full, there is a physical push for release. This creates the heightened male sex drive. Her desire for sexual intimacy is far more rooted in her emotions. When she feels emotionally loved and close to her husband, she is far more likely to want to be sexually intimate. But when she does not feel loved and cared for, she may have little interest in the sexual part of marriage. . . .”3
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Restoring Health to Medical Marriages
Understanding the Differences in Intimacy Needs
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Hopefully this will help wives to reconcile their husband’s perspective of their need for intimacy and love in marriage. But now, husbands please listen carefully – your wife’s needs are just as real, though they are different. Dr. Harley helps husbands by defining and describing the two key elements of the wife’s need for intimacy and love: affection and intimate conversation. “The need for affection,” Dr. Harley states, “is a craving for the expression of care in words, hugs, kisses, cards, gifts, and courtesies. The need for intimate conversation is a craving to talk about events of the day, personal feelings, problems, and plans for the future.”4
Steps Toward Restoring the Passion What happened to the passion in your marriage? Do you remember when you were first in love – when you couldn’t wait to be together? You would talk for hours sharing your dreams, desires, and future. If things have changed, there’s hope for renewal by applying biblical principles.
How can we restore the passion to our marriages? We can start by recognizing the inherent differences in the intimacy needs of husbands and wives. Next, we should review the differences in the roles of husband and wife as articulated by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:22-33. Since marriage ultimately serves as a reflection of the union between Christ, the Bridegroom, and His church, the Bride, the roles of husbands and wives are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. These roles reflect the loving relationship between Christ and the church, such that husbands are to exercise headship in ways that display the caring, sacrificial love of Christ, and wives are to respect their husbands in a way that models the love of the church for her Lord. We should also look at the steps Christ prescribed for the Church to restore her passion for Him in Revelation chapter two. First note how Christ commends the church: “I know your deeds, your hard 16
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CMDA’s Marriage Enrichment Conferences CMDA sponsors five Marriage Enrichment Conferences annually. The remaining 2008 programs will occur March 14-16 (Williamsburg, VA), September 26-28 (Colorado Springs, CO), and October 24-26 (San Antonio, TX). A CMDA Marriage Enrichment Conference will help you to: have a healthier marriage; improve communication; develop spiritual intimacy; achieve balanced priorities; and, rekindle romance. Details can be obtained via the CMDA Website.
work and your perseverance” (verse 2). Here we should recognize and express appreciation for our spouse’s hard work on behalf of the marriage and family. Next, Christ puts His finger on the pulse of the problem in the church. “Yet I hold this against you, you have forsaken your first love” (verse 4). He then goes on to explain the steps she can take to restore her passion for their relationship: 1. Remember. “Remember the height from which you have fallen” (verse 5a). You and your spouse need to remember the intimacy and passion you enjoyed when you were first in love. Stop a moment and remember together what attracted you to each other, a favorite date you had, and why you choose to marry each other. 2. Repent. “Repent and do the things you did at first” (verse 5b). How do we apply this directive to our marriage? Ask your spouse to forgive you for not making your marriage a priority. Be willing, by faith, to change in ways that will honor God by selflessly serving your spouse in an understanding way. 3. Take Action. “. . . do the things you did at first.” Think about the things you did for your spouse at first, and do it again. Your wife fell in love with you because you met certain love needs that she had; you talked to her, shared your dreams with her, gave her flowers, gifts, kissed her, and treated her with tenderness. Your husband fell in love with you, ladies, because he saw in your eyes that you believed in him, respected him, rubbed his back when he was tired from studying or working long hours, had fun watching football with him, and you were playful and fun.
Restoring Health to Physician Marriages Physicians live in a world of constant stress – busy schedules, long hours, and the ever-present potential of a malpractice claim. But according to research on 700 marriages, these issues are not the basis of physician burn out. Research shows that physicians suffer exhaustion “when their relationships with the people they work
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Why settle for less? What will you do this week to bring refreshment into your life through intimacy in your marriage? Start today by expressing love to your mate in the way your spouse will receive and benefit from it. ✝ Bibliography Johnson, Christopher. The Power that Women Have. Indianapolis: Fishnet Publications, 1998.
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2
Harley, Willard. His Needs, Her Needs. Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, 2001, 49-50.
Chapman, Gary, Five Signs of a Functional Family. Chicago: Northfield Publishing, 1997, 198-199.
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Harley, Willard. I Promise You. Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 2006, 30-33.
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Sotile, Wayne and Mary. Beat Stress Together. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1999.
Dillow, Joseph and Linda; Pintux, Peter and Lorraine. Intimacy Ignited. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2004, 55-56.
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Beth Myers lives with her husband, Steve, a general surgeon, in Columbus, Ohio. Steve has been a member of CMDA for about twenty years. They have participated in several short-term missions. Beth has led or taught many women’s Bible study groups. Together they conduct “Restoring the Passion” marriage retreats, most recently in conjunction with the Columbus CMDA chapter. Beth may be reached at 419-571-5338, or by e-mail at: bethmyers510@gmail.com.
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with and live with fill with conflict, causing tension, feelings of inadequacy, obsessive worry, or social anxiety.”6 Instead, for believers empowered by biblical truth and God-enabled grace, as we work on our marriages they can become a refuge for those who live amidst the stresses of physician life. The book, Intimacy Ignited 7 describes this refuge as En Gedi – a beautiful and verdant oasis in Israel, watered by a refreshing spring. It is located in the middle of a dessert filled with rocks and dry ground symbolizing the areas of difficulty: bills that need paying, charts that need finishing, the demands, the long hours. En Gedi is a retreat, a place where you are filled and strengthened and renewed so you are able to give again. Intimacy within your marriage is one of the ways God provides us with En Gedi, the refreshment we need in the midst of the difficulties of a medical practice.
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Life Dance
by a Physician Who Wishes to Remain Anonymous
Once upon a time there was a little girl whose daddy was a preacher in a great, big church. He had a lot to do and a lot of people to take care of . . . and it was important that they know that he was a good Christian. Otherwise, they might not have wanted his help or advice. So he spent a great deal of time with them and he made sure that they saw that his family was always well-dressed . . . and acting godly. He always gave the little girl a lot of presents – especially when he missed her school events because he had to help someone at the church. He didn’t really know the little girl’s hopes and dreams – especially the ones that he would not have agreed with. But he knew that she acted right all the time, and he loved her. Once upon a time in another country, there was a little boy whose daddy was a missionary who told people about Jesus. That daddy also had a lot to do, and there were so very many people who needed to hear the gospel. It was extremely important that these people know that he was a good Christian because he was a foreigner and he and his family could easily be the only “Bible” these people ever read. This was a very big responsibility. So he spent a great deal of time with them and he made sure that they saw that his family was always welldressed . . . and acting godly. He never gave the little boy presents, because they didn’t have any money. But he knew the little boy would understand because they were doing God’s work. He knew some of the little boy’s hopes and dreams, and he put a quick stop to the ones he didn’t agree with. But he knew that the boy acted right all the time, and he loved him. The little girl and boy grew up and acted right and did just what they had been told to do. And eventually they got married to each other. Two years later, they had a little girl of their own. They knew immediately that this little girl was perfect. She was the smartest, most 18
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beautiful, most athletic, most interpersonally gifted, most bound-to-be-successful child who had ever been born. And they told her so. They wanted to be sure that she reached her full potential, so when she didn’t act right, or when she got ideas about things that weren’t in her best interest, they were careful to set her straight and make sure that she continued down the right path. Sometimes she disagreed with them, and they got angry with her – because they wanted what was best for her, and they needed her cooperation in order to make sure things turned out right in her life. This little girl understood what was expected of her, and she worked hard to succeed at it. But she wondered what would happen, if, all of a sudden, she weren’t the smartest, most beautiful, most athletic, most interpersonally gifted, most bound-to-be-successful child who had ever been born. Who would she be then? And what would her parents think about her?
Unable to process this uncertainty, she began to dance as fast as she could to keep up the front. She did excel at most things, and complied with her parents’ wishes most of the time. Eventually, she went on to become a doctor and married a wonderful Christian boy. Then she had two wonderful children of her own. And she kept dancing . . . until one day she suddenly felt very, very tired. Her legs slowed their pace, and even though she tried to make
How one physician learned to dance the dance of grace, instead of the dance of perfectionism.
are all relative in My view, you know!) I don’t want you to dance anymore. I want you to rest. I want you to sleep in My rocking hand and feel how much I love you. And then . . . ONLY THEN . . . I want you to go back up to land and let other people see what your life looks like when you’re dancing for Me, and not for them.” So the little girl rested. And she cried some more . . . but now just for the sheer joy and amazement of it. When she got back to land, sometimes her feet wanted to dance the old dance. After all, they had been dancing it for so many years and it was hard for them to understand the new rhythm. They had to learn new steps, and they were awkward at first. But the little girl found that mistakes in the new dance were easily overcome, much more so than in the old one. And she found that whenever her feet needed a rest, she had only to let them stop, and she found that the hand had been there holding her all the while.
Life Dance
them keep dancing, finally they stopped. And she began to fall . . . past the dancing floor and down, down, down into the depths of the earth, until she thought she would suffocate if she fell any further. And all the while, she kept willing her legs to dance. “Take me back up to land,” she commanded. “Save me from this fall. What about the honor, the glory, the approval? They’re all in the dance.” But her legs wouldn’t cooperate. So she cursed her legs and told them they were bad. Then she cursed herself and told herself she was bad. And then she cursed everyone around her, whose fault the whole thing must have been in the first place. And she told them they were bad. But she kept falling. There was nothing she could do to make it stop. So she cried. She cried as she had never cried before. She sobbed for the pain and weariness of dancing all day and all night for thirty years. She grieved because there were parts of the dance she didn’t even like and hadn’t even wanted to do in the first place. She cried because she felt sorry for herself. She cried because she felt sorry for everyone else, whom she knew she was letting down. Once she started crying, she could not stop. And as she cried, her legs hung lifeless. The dance was over. Finally, she cried to God. She said, “I can’t dance any more. There’s no way. I’ve done all I can do. There’s absolutely nothing left. I’m sorry. I have let You down.” And even as she spoke the words, she suddenly stopped falling. At the pace she had been traveling, the stop felt rather abrupt. She had failed, and she expected to fall forever into oblivion. She had been exposed for what she really was, and she deserved her fate. Yet, somehow, knowing as she did that she had failed, expecting as she did to continue to fall, she sensed that she had been caught, and she was being held, even cradled. And then a hand reached out and rocked her and gave her rest. And a voice said, “I never asked you to do that dance. I love you whether you can dance or not. I made you just the way you are – a reasonably intelligent, completely un-athletic, moderately interpersonally gifted child who isn’t better than anyone else, but who is created so uniquely that no one can replace her. (By the way, looks and success
R
By now you have probably figured out that this is a fictionalized version of my own story. In a book called The Prodigal Brother, Sue Thompson sums up the central struggle of my life more clearly than I can write it myself: “I wanted to love the Lord with all my heart and soul and strength, whatever I thought that might entail. The problem was that I had a natural inclination to work in order to be seen and appreciated, and I translated pleasing the Lord into working to be perfect. . . . I became a performer, needing to show the Lord how truly I believed by trying to be perfect. I found myself falling down over and over, getting up each time more determined to get it right, thinking that somehow the horrible stain of my inadequacies would be hidden by the color of my perfect conduct. I may have been saved by grace, but by golly, grace was going to have nothing to do with my daily walk! I was going to prove I was spiritual by keeping every law on the books.” This really describes the way many of us live our lives as Christians. We work hard to earn God’s favor and the favor of others – especially our Christian brothers and sisters. In Richard III, Shakespeare described this human tendency: “O momentary grace of mortal men, which we more hunt for than the grace of God.” It’s a false world of control that we think guarantees us belonging and love, when in reality, all it does is help us feel more in control. It has little to do with human belonging and love, and nothing to do with God’s belonging and love. I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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And belonging and love are not even the primary things that we need. We need a completely new heart, the freedom of being a new creature. And that comes only through the grace of God. That’s hard to accept in human terms. Philip Yancey said that “the gospel is not at all what we would come up with on our own.” Because IT’S NOT ABOUT US. It’s about God and His completely undeserved compassion toward us. The message of Scripture is not about our performance, but about God’s sufficiency in the face of our failures. Paul says in 2 Cor. 12:9-10, “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses . . . for when I am weak, then I am strong.” God does not tell us that we must pull ourselves up by our boot straps and do a better job next time. On the contrary, He tells that it’s hopeless to think that we can succeed of our own efforts. He tells us that He has done the work for us and made us new creatures completely: “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:17-19, NASB). Once we experience this true relationship – once the grace of God pierces our hearts in a real way – we can never go back. We would never want to go back. As George Herbert wrote, “But can he want the grape, who hath the wine?” We surrender the grapes of our own performance and self-sufficiency for the heady wine of God’s grace that saves us, and His sovereign love that pours into us and through us out into the world. And when we get to this point, we realize that no matter how
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painful the journey was, the destination is worth all that it took to get here. The result of God’s grace impacting your heart is a treasure of more value than gold. It is only in this way that you can know for the first time that you are not responsible. You are not responsible for your own salvation. You are not responsible for mending all the hurts that your parents, spouse, or friends have experienced in their lives. You are not responsible for being the best and the brightest. You are not responsible for singlehandedly and self-sufficiently carrying the torch of Christianity to the world. You are not responsible for keeping a happy smile on your face so that you don’t give Jesus a bad name. And you are not responsible for dancing to the world’s beat. You are responsible only for living out each and every day in the palm of your Creator and dancing the steps that He orders. When you fulfill this responsibility in your human frailty and brokenness, He takes care of everything else in His sovereignty and power. And He carries you along and lets you be a part of the dance of grace. ✝
Restoring the Joy - Through Surrender by Irene Thomas Thevatheril, MD, with Dianne Masters It has never made sense to me from a human perspective why the Lord called me to Cornerstone Family Health as a new mother. In my mind, He should have done this either before I had children or after they were grown up, when I would have had more time. I knew that to be the solo provider of a start-up clinic that sees all who walk through its doors with so few resources would be very demanding. I also knew how ill-qualified I was in undertaking a task like this. Like Moses, who told God that he was not competent to talk to Pharaoh, I repeatedly told God that He had picked the wrong person. But His response was that I should look to Him, and that His grace was sufficient. Early in 2003, a colleague who was leaving the country contacted me to see if I would be interested in taking over her very small practice. I was not anxious to pursue this opportunity because of my sense of calling to medical missions and to serve the poor from a young age. I had always thought that God would call me to serve Him abroad or to the inner city, where I saw the most need. Never would I have thought that He would call me to be part of a private practice in the suburbs. While it seemed obvious to me that taking over this practice could not be part of God’s plan, my husband and I started praying, as we wanted to make sure that we had sought His will on our knees. Surprisingly, many things fell into place. My husband was supportive of acquiring the office. There seemed to be a flexibility that would allow me to work part-time and still be a mother of my then two-week old daughter. Most of all, I sensed the Lord
Spiritual care and prayer is offered at every visit
This doctor learned that trusting is better than trying harder; surrender is better than striving, even when the goal is to serve others well.
(l. to r.) Peggy Janes, FNP, Stephanie Brown, practice manager, and Irene Thomas Thevatheril, MD
was calling me not to merely open up a private practice with my name on it. The office was to be His: His doing, His people at work, His people being served. Thus, following the Lord’s leading, Cornerstone opened its doors on May 12, 2003, centered on Ephesians 2:20: “built . . . with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” The clinic would serve in the name and love of Jesus, serving all who walked through its doors – rich or poor, insured, underinsured, or uninsured. Seeds would be planted for the kingdom. Bibles and tracts would be available. Prayer would be offered to those in need. Local churches would join in this ministry of outreach. Once Cornerstone opened, I gave it my all to make it a place of excellence for God’s glory. The goal was to provide patients with the personal, compassionate, quality care that any small private practice would strive to provide. But in retrospect, perhaps it was His intention for me to trust Him to make it the clinic and ministry He wanted it to be, instead of my working so hard at it in my own strength.
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Over time, I began to feel torn. Each morning, I would pray for our children and ask the Lord if He really wanted me at Cornerstone when He knew I had children at home to care for. I shed many tears as I left home in the morning while they were asleep or as I came home at night, only to find them asleep. As I sought His will, I knew that He wanted me to continue at Cornerstone, and that to leave would be disobedience.
Volunteers and prayer coordinators at Cornerstone
One morning, during my first year at Cornerstone, I began to weep while driving to work. I was struggling deeply with leaving my daughter who was only a few months old at that time. She would cry so hard and long when I would leave in the morning that it would break my heart. I was wrestling with the Lord, trying to convince Him why I needed to be at home to care for her and raise her in His ways. That morning, the radio speaker was talking about the importance of being in the center of God’s will. He stated that there was no better place to be than where God wanted you that day. He said that often, He asks us to sacrifice and leave good things, but we had to trust the Lord to take care of those things. This message struck such a deep cord in me. I sensed the Lord telling me to leave my daughter to Him, that He loved her, and that it was He, not me, who would bring her to Himself. That was 2003, when we had only one child. By the end of 2006, God had blessed us with three children, so the need for me to stay at home had increased. Yet, the burden to keep Cornerstone going as the solo doctor weighed heavily on me, also. We had searched hard for a physician to join us, but had no success because of our limited resources, and the sacrifice it would take to join Cornerstone. I had convinced myself that until the Lord brought another physician, it was my job to keep it going. After all, many patients had come to experience Jesus through this ministry, and so many of our uninsured and Public Aid patients would not have a doctor if we closed our doors. T o d a y ’s C h r i s t i a n D o c t o r
So I just worked harder, in the process losing my focus on trusting Him to provide what He wanted and to take us where He wanted us to go, in His good time. As a result, discouragement, doubt, and a lack of joy overcame me. Today my joy is returning because the Lord has changed my focus. As I began to sense that He was calling me to spend more at home, I realized that I had to trust Him to keep the doors of Cornerstone open. In recent months, I have cut down on evening and Saturday hours. I take a full day off, and no longer provide acute care hours on a daily basis. I knew that these steps were bad business decisions in terms of our finances, but they were taken in faith and the Lord has honored them. Once I reaffirmed my trust that God would do what He wanted to do, when, and how He wished, He miraculously provided a practice manager and a nurse practitioner. In addition to these new partners in ministry, we still need to increase our base of support and prayer, and are still seeking a physician to continue the ministry of Cornerstone. While only God knows the future of Cornerstone and whether or not we will be able to keep our doors open after May 2008, I am deeply grateful for what He has taught me these past years. I never could have grown so much and learned to trust Him so implicitly had I not gone through the “furnace” of this experience. Had Cornerstone Family Health been an easy ministry to establish, with all the resources and personnel in place from the start, I would not have been on my knees nearly as much and I might have wrongly assumed that its accomplishments were somehow due to my expertise and talents. Through the process, the Lord has truly become my Cornerstone, blessing me with the joy that comes with complete surrender. ✝
Irene Thomas Thevatheril, MD, is a solo Family Physician at Cornerstone Family Health in Hinsdale, IL, and a graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. She completed her Family Medicine residency at Rush University, Chicago, IL, and a Faculty Development fellowship at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL. She serves as an Associate Director at the Adventist La Grange Family Medicine Residency, La Grange, IL, and is on the local Chicago CMDA Council. She is praying that God would bring a physician to continue the ministry of Cornerstone. She can be contacted at cornerstonefamilyhealth@yahoo.com or at 630-915-9242.
Sometimes using your skills in a different setting can bring a new perspective on your typical day-to-day search for meaning, fulfillment, and joy.
Knowing Who You Work For Makes All The Difference by Matthew Montgomery, MD
Each night, after another day of repairing hernias and removing gall bladders, I would drive my fancy car home to my big, perfectly landscaped house to slouch down into my sofa. I would sit and blankly stare at my big screen TV. Sometimes I wouldn’t even bother to turn the TV on. I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted from the stress of long hours, never-ending patient demands, and crushing lawsuits. I was painfully realizing that lots of money and possessions did not bring the joy I had anticipated. I was once again falling into a deep depression. Even my spiritual life had diminished down to nothing but a monthly church service (where I usually fell asleep anyway). My life and career were as empty and meaningless as could be. During these dark times I struggled with two perplexing questions: 1. For whom was I practicing medicine? The patients didn’t appreciate my work; it seemed as though they were lining up to sue me. My wife thought I would be happier if I quit. I certainly wasn’t doing it for me; I was miserable. 2. Why did I even have my medical knowledge and skills? They weren’t helping me any, nor my patients, nor my wife. Why bother having them? I was ready to give them up. I was at the end of my rope. Fortunately, it was coming up on the time for my annual two-week medical mission trip to Ecuador with CMDA’s Global Health Outreach (GHO). Without a doubt, these two weeks were the highlight of my year. I longed for the chance to join with GHO and serve the
Preoperative surgery evaluation of a patient in Ecuador
The Andes mountain village of Vilcabamba, Ecuador – site of GHO’s medical mission trip
needs of the truly needy. I also longed to share fellowship, teamwork, and camaraderie with our medical team, including morning devotions and worship time - all in the name of furthering God’s kingdom, and this in the almost heaven-like natural beauty of Ecuador. I always returned home from these trips with a whole new perspective on life. I had looked at several other organizations to do medical missions with, but I definitely wanted the evangelical basis for serving that GHO offers. Before my very first mission trip, I had been understandably nervous. My prayers centered on not being eaten by a cannibal, dying of malaria, or killing any of the patients I would treat in the jungle. However, the upcoming trip would be different, and truly life-changing. With more confidence heading into this upcoming trip, my main prayer was, “God, awaken me spiritually.” Little did I know what I was in for. About halfway through our trip, while in the dining area of our “hotel” high in the Andes Mountains, God answered my prayers, and I mean literally. For the first and only time in my life I heard God speak to me, just as if He was in the chair next to me. He said, “Matt, thank you for coming to Ecuador to serve Me. I do appreciate it. But, Matt, the reason I gave you your surgical skills and abilities is to serve Me every day . . . right where you live. You don’t have to travel to a different continent to serve Me.” I was astonished. The proverbial light bulb went on. That’s it! I thought. My questions are answered! God gave me my abilities and talents to SERVE HIM! But how? I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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Villagers registering to be seen by our medical mission brigade
I remembered reading an article in Today’s Christian Doctor about an oncologist who offered to pray with his patients. At the time I found it fascinating, but knew that I could never do that in a secular group practice. My partners wouldn’t stand for it. Well, right then and there, even though I knew it could cause a problem in my group back home, I decided I would try it. After I returned home, I began to offer prayer to every patient I saw, whether in the office, in the ER, or the OR. I was definitely on to something. I saw a light. Very quickly, however, the problem of making this work in my secular practice was solved. Within two weeks of my return, I was, shall we say, released from the practice in which I had been so low and miserable. I left that meeting and kicked my heels together in joy. I had no idea where I was going to practice or live, but I knew I was going to serve the Lord and make my new practice a ministry for Jesus. In the next few months, God practically “parted the Red Sea” in knocking down barriers and obstacles in
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facilitating the founding of my new solo general surgery practice, Cornerstone Surgical. I didn’t exactly know how to make my practice a ministry. So I turned to CMDA and used some of their resources, including “The Saline Solution” course and Practice by the Book by Drs. Al Weir and Gene Rudd. From the cross on the front door and business cards, to the Christian art and Scripture on the waiting room walls, to my offering prayer to ALL my patients, patients can tell my practice is different. Since I started this practice in 2004, my outlook has done a 180 degree turnaround. I now know that the reason I work long hours and endure the stress of surgery practice is to bring glory to Jesus. I’ve found new meaning in a life where I use my skills and abilities to serve God by serving others and pointing them to the Lord. God has blessed me and my practice beyond what I thought possible. My emptiness has been replaced with purpose and fulfillment. I serve Him out of deep gratitude for all He has done. It doesn’t get much better than that. ✝
Matthew Montgomery, MD, was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He went to medical school and trained in Philadelphia. He currently practices general surgery as founder of a Christian surgery practice, “Cornerstone Surgical,” in Hanover, PA, where he resides with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Mindy.
Joy Cometh in the
Morning
Sandia Peak, where we were caught unprepared after dark in a snowstorm. Whenever we face a life crisis now, we call it a “Sandia moment.”
by Andrew M. Seddon, MD
One doctor's journey through shock, self-doubt, anger, anxiety, frustration, and depression due to a malpractice suit . . . to joy again
The letter came on a gray November Monday, a busy day in the urgent care department where I work. It bore the blue and white logo of the Montana Medical Legal Panel, the official state body composed of three lawyers and three physicians that assesses the merits of malpractice cases. I opened it without concern, thinking that I was being asked to serve on the panel. Instead, I was shocked to learn that I had been named in a malpractice suit. I still don’t know how I made it through the remainder of the day, or how my shaking hands were able to suture the next patient’s laceration. Instantly, the joy was gone from my life. For the next six months, until my case was heard, I was in the grip of the most intense, unrelenting anxiety I had ever known. Nothing – not the stress of medical school, not the pressures of residency – could even come close. And there was no way to relieve it. It wasn’t a bad dream from which I knew I would awake in the morning. I couldn’t wish it away. The reassurances of my clinic’s risk managers and defense lawyer couldn’t alleviate the constant gnawing. The facts of the case were simple. Years earlier, on one occasion, I had seen a teenage girl with a known history of anxiety for the same complaint. Some thirteen months later - during which she had seen other physicians for different complaints and received sports physicals from her pediatrician – she was found dead on her couch. When her cousin died in a similar manner two weeks later, Long QT Syndrome – a disorder affecting the electrical conductivity of the heart – was suspected. Even though the most common presenting symptom of Long QT Syndrome is sudden death, her mother blamed me for not detecting it. For six months, I suffered. And my wife suffered with me. I was a poor husband. Work was an agony. I slept poorly. I hated every day. I was full of doubts - about my abilities, my competence, my calling, my worth or lack thereof. I was full of questions – Why me? Why was God allowing this? Didn’t He care? Why didn’t He protect me – wasn’t that His duty as the Great Physician toward a junior physician? I was angry. Not at the bereaved mother, but at the lawyer who was pressing the case and the system which allowed it. I was anxious, angry, frustrated, and depressed. I could well understand why some physicians left the medical profession after such an event. And the anxiety didn’t end with the Montana Medical Legal Panel hearing. Even though the panel ruled unanimously in my favor, the statute of limitations still had a I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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Joy Cometh in the Morning
year to run . . . another year of torment, waiting to see whether the plaintiff’s attorney would decide to pursue the case (in the end, he didn’t). More than once, I came close to throwing in the towel. I desperately wanted to hand in my resignation and never see another patient. I didn’t want to risk another lawsuit. But I didn’t throw in the towel. I wasn’t a quitter. I didn’t want to give up. I had survived all the abuses that medical school had thrown at me, and I wasn’t going to yield now, especially when I knew I had done nothing wrong. My wife, Olivia, was a tower of strength. She provided unfailing inspiration. She was endlessly creative in efforts to ameliorate my mood – taking me sledding, on overnight trips, baking cakes, and introducing me to running (an activity that would pay benefits later).
Finzi and I have done a lot of hiking together.
God’s ways of working were not always immediately evident. He provided no instant answers or relief. There were no miracles, no sudden revelations, no quick cures. There were times when it didn’t even seem as if He were present. And yet He was active behind the scenes, utilizing a variety of methods to bring me through this particular “valley of shadow.” Only hindsight makes the picture clear. As I compare my life now with how it was at the start of the process, I can see the differences God has made. He used the instrument of prayer. Even though there were times when I thought no one was listening, God was. When I didn’t have the words to say, Olivia came to my rescue, interceding for me, as did my parents. He used my love of writing. At first, I simply chronicled my feelings and the events that transpired, searching for relief, for understanding, for help. But then the prayers and the writing began to coalesce. Bible passages, sermon fragments, pieces of music, glimpses of nature, phrases from books; all seemed to contain messages from God – expressions of comfort, reassurances, summonses to obedience, exhortations to
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strength. I wrote them into a series of devotionals so that they could speak to me again, and that their messages would not be lost. The following is excerpted from the “diary” that resulted: VINDICATION I heard a physician caution against expecting vindication at the conclusion of the malpractice process. “At the end,” he said, “all you’ll walk away with is the love of your wife.” In other words, there will be no restitution for us, no recompense for our anguish of heart and soul, no expressions of regret. Nothing. The system is cold and uncaring. Any victory will feel hollow. Malpractice suits are to be survived, not won. Mind you, the love of your spouse is not to be despised. I would never have been able to cope with the experience but for the love and support of Olivia, who was always at my side. But there is also the love of God, whose everlasting arms eternally hold us up, bear our burdens, comfort our afflictions, heal our wounds. In comparison, all human loves are but shadows and foretastes. Ultimately we will find our only vindication through the love of God in Christ Jesus. Whatever is done for Him and His service will receive its reward. It is He who will clear us. He is the only Judge whose sentence matters. It is this ultimate vindication that matters, not the world’s judgment. “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior” (Ps. 24:3-5). This is the life to which we are called. I am neither a perfect physician nor a perfect human being. Neither is anybody else. We are all fallible. Sometimes our failings cause harm, sometimes not. Sometimes our failings are discovered, sometimes not. But we don’t set out deliberately to fail. We do the best we can with the talents, training, and judgment that God has granted us. If we serve with a willing, obedient heart, we will be vindicated even if, by medical – or the world’s – standards, we fail.
Andrew M. Seddon, MD, a native of England, is a staff physician at the Billings Clinic, Billings, Montana. He has published over one hundred articles and short stories, the novels Red Planet Rising, Imperial Legions, and Iron Scepter, and a devotional, Walking With the Celtic Saints. With his wife, Olivia, and black German Shepherd, Finzi, he enjoys hiking, travel, and running.
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He used music to reach me on a different level. I found particular comfort in the works of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, a self-described “Christian agnostic” who expressed his questing yet unrealized spirituality in musical terms. His setting of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and the heavenly vision of the Fifth Symphony, the slow movement of which bore a quotation from Bunyan – “Upon that place there stood a cross, and a little below a sepulcher . . . then he said, ‘He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death’” – particularly ministered to my soul. Gerald Finzi’s Cello Concerto (written when he learned he had incurable leukemia) and his cantata Intimations of Immortality, Bach’s B-Minor Mass and Edward Elgar’s oratorio The Kingdom helped to put my own situation into perspective. I set myself to learn to play Busoni’s piano transcription of Bach’s Chaconne. God used long walks in the mountains with our black German Shepherd, Finzi, to remind me that He is the author of creation, and that everything belongs to Him. And He used time, that great healer. Some things will never be the same. There will always be a shadow over medical practice, a nagging fear of another lawsuit. Anxiety resurfaces whenever an envelope with a blue and white logo arrives. On the positive side, Olivia and I are closer than we have ever been – the stress welded us into a tighter team. Our spiritual lives have deepened – we have grown in worship, in Bible study, and in prayer. We have developed a greater desire to perform works of charity, assisting those less fortunate than ourselves – this, combined with Olivia’s insight that running could be therapeutic led us to run the 2007 New York Marathon for charity. And we have developed a great appreciation for the manifold blessings of God. As Olivia reminded me during the darkest hours, “Spring will come again.” It is a different spring – because God is opening new paths and new Olivia and me just after finishing the NY Marathon, opportunities of service ahead which we ran for charity for us – but it is truly spring.
David wrote, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5 KJV). And more recently, “The greatest joy and exaltation are born only of suffering,” wrote Pope Pius XII, “hence we should rejoice if we partake of the sufferings of Christ, that when His glory shall be revealed we may also be glad with exceeding joy.” Morning. Springtime. Joy. By God’s grace, they do come again. ✝
Joy Cometh in the Morning
Clean hands and a pure heart; a soul unstained by idolatry; personal integrity. No malpractice lawyer in the world can touch these. No storm of life can sweep them away. No judge can rule against them. They are what counts.
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APOLOGETICS SERIES
Should Physicians Take Life? by Robert W. Martin III, MD, MAR Note: This is our fifth article in this series on apologetics. The pages are designed for ease in copying for personal study, discussion in a group setting, or for distribution to colleagues and staff. Installment six is scheduled to appear in our Fall 2008 issue.
I. Introduction “No one should force their morals on anyone else. It’s my body. Euthanasia is the most merciful alternative. Legislating morality involves religion, a violation of the separation of church and state.” Modern physicians frequently face moral dilemmas involving conflicts between what is legal and what is morally right. Resolving these dilemmas requires that, in the public arena, Christian physicians attractively and compelling justify a common morality compatible with their Christian beliefs. Because our post-modern society rejects the authority of Scripture, apologetics can overcome obstacles by meeting people where they are and getting them to the Scripture as soon as possible.
II. Addressing Moral Issues in the Public Forum Christian physicians must involve themselves in public debates related to life and death legislation. There is no need to be defensive about charges of being judgmental, since your opponents are also being judgmental. Love people, but don’t accept their false ideas as true or their evil behavior as moral. Emphasize unity more than diversity, since the Moral Law is impressed on everyone in his or her reactions rather than by their actions. The Moral Law is not always the standard by which we treat others, but it is the standard by which we expect others to treat us. Religious freedom and expression are good things; but this implies that Christians should have equal representation. Being tolerant of other views does not necessitate agreement. All laws legislate morality, the question is – whose morality will be legislated? Finally, learn to turn your opponent’s argument on itself by asking rhetorical questions such as, “If we should tolerate everything, why are you intolerant of my position? If we are not to judge others, why are you judging me and if we can’t judge, why are we debating this issue?” “You can’t legislate morality!” he may say. To which you reply, “Legislating morality is unavoidable. All laws declare one behavior is right and its opposite wrong. Therefore, all laws legislate morality. At issue is whose morality will be legislated?” “Don’t cram your morals down my throat!” she may protest. “Since all laws declare one behavior to be right and another
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to be wrong, those who are against ‘legislating morality’ are trying to impose their position on others.” “We are consenting adults!” he says. “Allowing consenting adults to do as they please imposes negative effects on others. Consent doesn’t turn a moral wrong into a moral right. Laws should not be based on what people want to do, but on what is right as defined by the Moral Law.” “What about tolerance?” she asks. “Tolerance may be a virtue, but love is a greater one. We must love people by seeking to minimize the behavior that is destroying them. Tolerating harmful behavior is unloving.”
III. Abortion The Moral Law impresses on everyone that innocent human life should not be taken. Pro-abortionists do not believe the baby is human. Women who get abortions are not murderers but victims themselves! Medically and scientifically, abortion ends the life of an innocent human being. “Women must have the freedom to choose!” he says. “No one has the moral right to choose anything that directly ends the life of another innocent human being. If the ‘freedom to choose’ were really pro-abortionists’ highest value, they would not condemn racists, rapists, or companies for choosing to discriminate or pollute.” “It’s my body! Abortion is a matter of privacy!” she says. “The baby is not a part of its mother’s body, but a distinct human being who resides there (i.e., half are male; many have a different blood type; and, all have unique genetics)! The developmental requirements of the baby in the womb are exactly those of babies outside the womb: time, air, water, and food. Even if a mother has the right to control her body, she does not have the right to destroy someone else’s body in the process.” “Abortion helps advance women’s careers,” he claims. “More than two thousand aborted baby girls’ careers are ended every day.” “Abortion is a constitutional right!” she insists. “The Court has been wrong on many issues.” “Abortion is appropriate for unwanted babies, those with birth defects, or being born into poverty,” he says. “The baby is a human being! How does being unwanted nullify a person’s humanness? There are unwanted two-year-olds and even some unwanted teenagers!” “Abortion relieves overpopulation,” he says. “Murdering a portion of the population is not the solution to overpopulation. The end doesn’t justify the means. In America there are more couples wanting to adopt children than there are abortions.” “Abortion avoids child abuse,” she says. “Murder is the worst kind of child abuse. It is illogical to kill children because they might be abused in the future.”
“Without legal abortions women will die from back alley abortions!” he says. “Nothing morally wrong is ever politically right, especially when lives are at stake. The unborn child is a 100 percent human being. Why should we keep crime safe and legal?” “Some women get pregnant by rape or incest,” she says. “This is an emotional smoke screen. Ask pro-abortionists if they would support a law banning all abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. While the crime was horrible, the product is an innocent human being. Punish the guilty rapist, but do not kill the innocent baby. Sometimes the moral thing to do is not the most pleasant. Furthermore, if removing emotional distress is justification for aborting babies of rape, then so is killing children already born who are products of rape. Finally, there is evidence that abortion adds emotional, psychological, and even physical distress. These rare cases should not be the basis of our nation’s abortion laws.” “The fetus is tiny, undeveloped, and unconscious,” he says. “Underlying this justification is the view that only ‘normal’ life is worth protecting. Size, development, or consciousness has nothing to do with essential humanness.” “Abortion is acceptable before viability,” she says. “Viability is an arbitrary measure of what someone can do, not what someone is. A two-month-old is not viable if left alone.” “I’m personally opposed to abortion, but we shouldn’t impose our values on others,” he says. “Apply this logic to racism, murder, or rape! The objection assumes that all values are merely a matter of taste or opinion and there is no objective right or wrong. But again, all laws impose values. We just need to decide whose values are going to be imposed.”
IV. Euthanasia “Euthanasia” intentionally and directly causes a patient’s death. Taking a life intentionally is murder. This is not the same as allowing death naturally. Withholding burdensome artificial life-sustaining means from terminally ill patients or unintentionally hastening death through treatments aimed at controlling symptoms does not constitute either euthanasia or assisted suicide. “Don’t judge unless you’ve been there!” some object. You reply, “Experience does not determine right and wrong; the Moral Law does. The morality of the act exists independently of our experience with the act. The best time to assess moral issues is when you’re thinking clearly and not hampered by emotional/physical distress.” “Euthanasia shows mercy by avoiding needless suffering,” others may say. “Euthanasia is not merciful - it destroys the sufferer. This argument assumes there is no value in suffering. Ninety-four percent of patients requesting physician-assisted suicide have a mental illness. Human beings don’t lose their value when they lose their health.” “Euthanasia ensures patient autonomy, respects the wishes of the dying and enables people to ‘die with dignity,’” some claim. “Euthanasia ends patient autonomy. Intentionally induced death is not an act of freedom because it destroys all
freedom. Life should be respected. Suicide and euthanasia take away the irreplaceable gift of life. The dignity of life does not take precedence over life itself. It is illogical to claim one is affirming life by eliminating it.” “Euthanasia is in the best interest of the patient,” some argue. “Euthanasia ends all ‘interests’ of the patient. Even if a painless state is a good state, it is still morally wrong to accomplish a good end by an evil means.” “Euthanasia relieves the family’s financial burden,” say some. “This argument values money more than life, and is based on the faulty premise that we should protect and preserve life only if we can afford to do so. The fact that not everyone can afford the best treatment does not mean that no one should get it. Euthanasia would likely become a penalty for being too sick, isolated, or poor. Euthanasia also assumes that terminally ill persons do not have meaningful existences and that death ends suffering. Euthanasia violates the Hippocratic Oath and would further erode trust, devalue life, and add to the growing decay of moral values in America. Despite the inconvenience, we have a duty to love and care for those who are dying. We are dealing with a human life that we did not create and that we have no right to take.”
V. Conclusion The Moral Law teaches us that it is morally wrong to take the life of another human being, even if they request it. We know what is right; the question is whether or not we have the will to do what’s right. Proponents of giving physicians the right to kill have suppressed the Moral Law, primarily because they value autonomy and convenience above all else. When this happens in any society, the ultimate virtue in that culture has become selfishness rather than love.
Bibliography Geilser, Norman L. and Frank Turek. Legislating Morality. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1998. NOTE: CMDA’s official positions on the issues discussed in this article are posted on the CMDA Website.
Robert W. Martin III, MD, MAR, lives in Lafayette, Indiana, where he practices Dermatology and Dermato-pathology. He is married, with four children. He has served on the faculty of Johns Hopkins, Case Western Reserve, and now Indiana University and Purdue Pharmacy School. He has a Masters in Religion from Southern Evangelical Seminary. His Just Add Water (Volume 3.1: Apologetics for the Health Professional), available via CMDA’s Website, utilizes Norman Geisler’s twelve-point “Classical Apologetic” approach fashioned after Paul’s apologetic in Acts 17. Dr. Martin may be reached by e-mail at: martinr@arnett.com.
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Positions Open Dentist – General Dentist position available in Newport News, VA, associateship leading to partnership. Excellent location, near Williamsburg, an hour from the beach and three hours from Washington, D.C. Progressive practice offers implants, cosmetic services and CEREC restorations in modern facility complete with digital radiography, cosmetic imaging and computers in treatment rooms. Owner is a member of CMDA Dental Advisory Council. For more information, visit: www.dentalcare4u.com. E-mail resumes to wgriffin14@cox.net. Dermatologist – Exceptional opportunity in beautiful Asheville, NC. Busy solo derm in well-established practice recruiting for BE/BC general dermatologist as well as cosmetic. Moh’s would be a plus. Great area to raise a family with many outdoor opportunities. Competitive compensation package including salary guarantee and incentive and benefits. E-mail: CV/cover to horner@charter.net.
Psychiatrist – Private Christian Counseling Practice and Day Treatment Clinic in Roanoke, VA seeking Psychiatrist interested in building a practice. Submit resume via fax: 540-989-8092 or E-mail: psycyou@msn.com. Urologist – Busy practice in beautiful Western North Carolina seeks BC/BE Urologist with goal toward partnership. Call 1:3. Medical Economics magazine named Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital as one of “America’s Best Places to Practice.” Abundant recreational opportunities, scenic beauty, and small town charm make Hendersonville a popular vacation, relocation, and retirement area. No Visa sponsorships. Contact Lilly Bonetti: 828-694-7728; lilly.bonetti@pardeehospital.org.
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Orthopedist – Well-established practice of three orthopedists committed to providing orthopedic care with compassion as well as excellence. Time off for short-term missions. Would like to talk with general and sub-specialty orthopedists about the possibility of joining us in practice. On-site surgery center; local hospital within walking distance. Located in a family-oriented city where many recreational and cultural activities are available. Less than 10-minute commute from any area of the city. Low malpractice rates and cost of living. Vacation in the mountains or at the beach; live here and enjoy all four seasons. Please contact our Medical Director, Dr. Chris Wilkinson at 308-865-1403 or cwilkinson@kearneyortho.com. Our clinic manager, Vicki Aten, can be reached at 308-865-2512 or vaten@kearneyortho.com. Pediatrician – North Carolina-Burlington. Private Practice seeking BC/BE pediatrician proficient in Spanish. Full-service practice, neonatology coverage. Call 1:4. Competitive salary and benefits. Two hours from coast/mountains. Accepting H1B Visa. Contact Dr. Stein: 336-570-0010 Fax: 336-570-0012 E-mail: infamclin@bellsouth.net. Primary Care Physicians, Office Managers, & LPN’s – Needed for outpatient clinics opening in Birmingham, Mobile, & Atlanta. M-F 8:30 am - 5 pm. Physician starting salary $100/hr. www.regionalrecruitersonline.com for details & contact information. Psychiatrist – Cornerstone Family Counseling Center is seeking full-time Christian psychiatrist for high need area. Approved national health corp site. Contact: Dr. Judd Swihart - Director, 1408 Poyntz, Manhatten, KS 66502 or E-mail: kscornerstone@sbcglobal.net. Psychiatrist – A Christian private psychiatric and counseling practice in Columbia, SC is looking for two additional practioners to join the practice. Any interested psychologist or psychiatrist please contact Daniel Shoultz, M.Div., Ph.D at 803-254-9767 or palmettoassc@bellsouth.net. I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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Toll Free: 1-888-690-9054 Fax: 423-844-1005 E-mail: Placement@cmda.org Website: www.cmda.org/placement
Placement Services Orthopaedic Surgery Allen Vicars Family Medicine allen.vicars@cmda.org
Donna Fitzgerald Cardiology Dermatology Emergency Medicine Endocrinology Gastroenterology Hematology/Oncology Internal Medicine donna.fitzgerald@cmda.org
Rose Courtney Med/Peds Nurse Practitioner OB/GYN Ophthalmology Pediatrics rose@placedocs.com
Cathy Morefield General Surgery Anesthesia Orthopaedic Vascular Surgery Cardio-Thoracic Dentistry cathy.morefield@cmda.org
CO – OS-157 Independent practice seeking FT or PT surgeon with an interest in spine, foot or ankle surgery. Call schedule is shared. Average number of patients seen per day is 30 with eight exam rooms. Great hospital! Small community in valley by Grand Mesa. ID – MS-392 Hospital-owned multi-specialty practice. Currently three Family Practice physicians and one General Surgeon. VA – MS-563 Two great Orthopaedic groups are seeking BC/BE Orthopaedic Surgeons to partner with their groups. Opportunities will be busy from the beginning. Start date is negotiable. Sign-on-bonus and relocation assistance available. Hospital currently has 135 beds. A new hospital will be completed in three to four years. Join these two different groups in a quaint historical town located in beautiful Southwest Virginia. Population approximately 10,000 with a draw of over 80,000+.
Hospitalist NC – MS-513 Independent practice of eight doctors. Family friendly with ample time off. Missions encouraged. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns. NY – MS-541 Well-established, growing practice seeking Hospitalist/ Nursing Home provider. Admit, care for patients Mon-Fri. Close to NYC in a quaint, warm, friendly village.
General Surgery CA – SG-265 Independent, single-specialty Christian group of two physicians is searching for a Surgeon with laparoscopic training. Both physicians are evangelical Christians who view their practice as a gift & ministry God has given them. Excellent benefits and compensation. IL – SG-276 Breast Center established two years ago is searching for a fellowship-trained Breast Surgeon to join him. There are no fellowship-trained breast surgeons south of Springfield, Illinois and no female breast surgeons in the greater Metro/St. Louis East area of approximately 300,000 people. IN – SG-266 Located 50 minutes from Indianapolis & two hrs from Chicago. Independent, MS practice is seeking a General Surgeon. Skills desired are laparoscopy & gastroenterology. Currently five physicians on staff with call 1:5. MO – SG-275 A 45-year-old, independent, single-specialty surgical group is seeking a Surgical Oncologist. The current staff consists of seven surgeons & 25 support staff. Average number of patients varies by day and doctor. The practice has 15 exam rooms. They average 500-600 surgeries per year. Located in the fifth largest city in Missouri. MT – SG-272 Independent Christian group of five physicians. Practice is 13-years-old. They are looking for someone with vascular skills as well. They admit to one hospital of 110 licensed beds. WI – SG-277 Independent, single-specialty group is seeking to add a fellowship-trained Breast Surgeon. This practice is exclusively a “breast practice.” Practice is 25 years old. Located 1.5 hours from Chicago.
OB/Gyn IL – OB-298 Independent, single-specialty, inpatient/outpatient practice is seeking an OB/Gyn provider.
This section represents a small portion of our opportunities. To view a complete listing, go to the Placement Section on our Website: www.cmda.org.
MA – OB-251 Single-specialty, independent practice of one OB/Gyn seeking to add another physician to expand practice. Call will be 1:6 with new physician. MI – MS-101 Mission-oriented group with numerous clinics located in southwestern Michigan searching for an OB/Gyn. MI – MS-542 A 21-year-old practice seeking an OB/Gyn provider. They are committed to impacting the health of the medically underserved in their community. NC – OB-259 Group of five OB/Gyns searching for the sixth. Call would be 1:6. Their four midwives deliver 30-50% of their OB patients. OH – OB-276 Independent, single-specialty OB/Gyn group of two physicians, seeking third.
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Toll Free: 1-888-690-9054 Fax: 423-844-1005 E-mail: Placement@cmda.org Website: www.cmda.org/placement
Placement Services Pediatrics AR – PD-248 An independent, single-specialty practice seeking a pediatric provider. Currently there are two other physicians and one APN on staff. PA – PD-247 A single-specialty, inpatient/outpatient practice seeking a Pediatric provider. Currently four physicians staff this facility. TX – PD-246 Practice for sale. This is an independent, inpatient/outpatient pediatric practice. Current physician is leaving to go to the mission field full-time and is looking for someone to buy his practice. TX – PD-249 An independent, single specialty, inpatient/outpatient group is seeking a part-time pediatric provider.
Med/Peds WA – MS-198 Group of six Internists, four Family Practitioners and one Med/Peds searching for another Med/Peds physician. Highest quality medical care is emphasized. Market-based compensation and excellent benefits.
Internal Medicine AL – IM-285 Hospital-owned, SS, traditional IM practice in the heart of southern AL. Practice consists of several Christians located in a wonderful community. CA – MS-562 Independent, MS group located in the Los Angeles suburbs seeking provider. In/outpatient. Call is 1:7. Partnership track. FL – MS-547 Florida Hospital seeking IM physicians to staff urgent care clinics throughout Orlando area. Must be BE/BC. No call schedule, no hospital work. FT or PT. GA – MS-214 MS group. Call 1:5. Ninety miles northeast of Atlanta. Wide variety of cultural and entertainment options. MN – MS-561 Nationally recognized 400+ physicians, MS group comprised of 17 clinic locations and four hospitals. Great salary, benefits. Located in the heart of northern MN. VA – MS-249 Internists needed in not-for-profit hospital-owned SS practice. No weeknight call. Good benefits and relocation expenses covered. SW VA. WA – MS-560 Independent, MS group. Outpatient only. Income guarantee. FT or PT. 25 miles north of Seattle.
Dentistry OH – DT-221 Independent practice looking for one additional dentist. Practice consists of two dentists, five dental assistants and four dental hygienists. Practice has two locations with doctors rotating schedule to both locations. MI – DT-273 An independent, 37-year-old dental practice is seeking a fulltime General Dentist. Procedures performed in office consist of general dentistry, cosmetic, and implant dentistry, as well as prosthetics, crown, and bridge. Truly the Crossroads of Michigan.
Anesthesia VA – MS-563 A private Anesthesiologist group that provides services for a 135-bed hospital is searching for a BC/BE Anesthesiologist. Located in a quaint historical town in Southwest Virginia. Population approximately 10,000 with a draw of over 80,000+.
Family Medicine FL – MS-547 FPs, no OB, to staff urgent care clinics in Orlando, FL area. Must be BE/BC. No call schedule. Will consider full- or part-time physicians. Mission – to extend the healing ministry of Christ. Vision – to be a global pacesetter delivering preeminent faith-based health care. IA – MS-187 Clinics in south central Iowa seeking family physicians, OB optional. Inpatient/outpatient required with call schedule of 1:12. Excellent compensation and benefits, possible loan repayment. Short-term missions encouraged. IN – FP-1040 Practice north of Indianapolis seeking FP, OB optional. Practice consists of one physician, one mid-level, and counselor. Inpatient/outpatient with one-in-four call. Group based on Christian values and principles and desires to annually participate in overseas mission work. MN – MS-555 Two physician, two mid-level practice in south central MN searching for FP, OB optional. Inpatient/outpatient required. Practice attempts to see each patient as created in the image and likeness of God, knowing that Jesus went to the cross for each and every one of them. NC – FP-1134 Three physician, two mid-level group south of WinstonSalem seeking FP, no OB. Offers full range of family medicine, including inpatient/outpatient, office-based surgery, flex sig, colposcopy, etc. The practice cares for all ages, with emphasis on pediatrics, sports medicine, and preventative care. PA – MS-536 Hospital-owned outpatient only clinic near Lancaster, PA seeking FP, no OB. Inpatient referred to local hospitalists. Mission work encouraged. VA – MS-478 Independent practice in southwestern Virginia consisting of three family physicians and four mid-level providers needing FP, no OB. Inpatient/ outpatient required with a call schedule of 1:4. Near Tri-Cities area of East TN. Short-term missions encouraged. VA – FP-1111 FP with OB needed to join Christian group in beautiful area of Charlottesville. Inpatient/Outpatient with a call schedule of 1:7 weekdays and 1:4 weekends. WA – MS-553 Independent, multi-specialty group near Tacoma seeking FP to work in outpatient only/urgent care setting. Group provides a broad range of outpatient healthcare services seven days a week with extended hours. Practice considers it their ministry as well as a privilege to be a trusted friend of the family and embraces Judeo-Christian values wholeheartedly.
Ophthalmology IL – OP-143 An independent, single-specialty, inpatient/outpatient, 20+ year old practice seeking an Ophthalmologist. Currently two physicians and one optometrist in this practice. MO – OP-147 Kansas City - A five-year-old, independent, multi-specialty group is seeking to add another ophthalmologist provider specialized in glaucoma or plastics. Currently three other physicians are on staff. NC – OP-142 Independent, single specialty, outpatient only practice is seeking an Ophthalmologist. Currently there are two other ophthalmologists on staff. Call schedule is 1:4 for both weekdays and weekends. Practice is located in a coastal community 20-30 minutes from beaches. Both physicians have a strong Christian commitment. SC – OP-117 Group of five ophthalmologists seeking an oculoplastics and a corneal specialist. Practice is located in the upstate of South Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Population is 300,000+ with diverse and vibrant economy. All physicians seek to share their faith with patients. I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g
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