Donald D. Goering, MD, possesses quite a bedside manner. And examining room manner. And football field manner. Whenever his former community--Coldwater, KS--turned out for an event, chances were pretty good Doc Goering would be in the crowd.
Dr. Goering was rewarded for his dedication to family medicine and his community when the AAFP Congress of Delegates recognized him on Oct. 1 as the 1997 AAFP Family Physician of the Year.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lousch, patients of Dr. Goering in Coldwater, were among many individuals recommending him for the honor.
"How can anyone be so many places at once? Doc Goering can," says the letter from the Lousches. They note he stood at the sidelines during football games in freezing temperatures to be available if a player were hurt and he attended every high school music and drama extravaganza.
Dr. Goering served Comanche County residents, including those in Protection and Coldwater, for the last 17 years. Before that, he worked in Salina, KS, for 13 years and in Tribune, KS, from 1961 to 1966. He also served as a missionary doctor in Zaire and Vietnam.
Currently, as an assistant clinical professor, Dr. Goering supervises medical students and family practice residents at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
"I do miss my practice in Coldwater," Dr. Goering says. "I miss the people and the closeness of living in a small town. But I like supervising the residents. They say they are grateful for my experience and knowledge, but I think a lot of them know more than I do."
Dr. Goering, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 19 years ago, doesn't like to discuss his disability because he doesn't consider it a disability. He thinks of it as a challenge. "Sure, it has slowed me down, but I'm 65 years old," he says. "I'm supposed to be slow."
His commitment has inspired some of his patients to become doctors themselves.
For example, in 1975 Dr. Goering delivered Melanie Ann Greenwood's second child, and now Dr. Greenwood is a family physician in Wichita. She says she learned from Dr. Goering "unconditional patience for a new mother of a fussy baby, the extra listening to the parent of a teenager who is acting out and testing the world, and courtesy."
Despite the glowing reviews from his colleagues and patients, Dr. Goering remains humble. "We seem to overlook the virtue of humility," says Dr. Goering. "It is important to remember that healing is more than pills, treatment, and surgery. We should remember that healing is basically a divine process, and we as physicians can only contribute."
By Leigh Anne Bathke, Associate Editor
FP Report, October 1996
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