Hasta la vista, baby

37 years of doctoring
32 years since residency
23 hospital appointments
1,549,440 patients seen (915,840 of them here)
6,456 shifts worked (3,816 of them here)
77,472 hours worked (45,792 of them here)1

and this is the best Emergency Department I have worked in, by far. It is more than just a department run by hospital staff. It is a family of individuals that work together to help patients.

I first came here in January, 1998 with the intention of retiring. Finally, the day has come and I am retiring, 22 years later!

I have tried to get to know everyone I work with in order to provide the best care I can. I don’t mean knowing all the kids names and birthdays, and such, I mean knowing what each individual has to offer the patient in the best manner they can. I have tried to learn to trust the people I work with and to know what their strengths and weaknesses are and how those will mesh with my strengths and weaknesses, or not. Believe me you guys have saved my butt many a time. But it’s also knowing who talks sometimes and who talks all the time. Knowing who is sassy (and I like sassy) and knowing who is spunky (and I like spunky). It’s knowing who I always have to check on and who I never have to check on. I am amazed at the compassion, kindness, knowledge, work ethic, rush to challenge and general good humor I have found in the people I have worked with here.

I have become close to so many people that I never would have otherwise come close to. Closeness, not an intimate personal relationship, but a relationship of professional trust and respect. I apply that concept to housekeeping, patient access reps., case managers, secretaries, ESA’s, nurses, mid-levels, scribes and most of my fellow physician staff.

Many know that on this blog, I have chronicled events that have occurred during my career. Many of these have been in this ED. This is my diary, my biography or a verbal picture album of all of you. As long as I can read and understand what I’m reading, I will have these memories.

Before most of your time, Bob Hope would end every show with the same song. You can hear it on YouTube here.2

So folks, Thanks for the memories…

Da G.O.A.T., Dave Ward, M.D.

AKA grumpy Uncle Dave

1. Years are accurate, all other values are best estimate based on work history.
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dBokxZFMNw