Richard J. Butcher, MD – 50th Reunion Essay

Richard J. Butcher, MD

2443 Mile Post Rd

Sunbury, PA 17801

butcher@dotterer.net

cell 570 259 6736; land 570 286 7894

Spouse(s): Barbara Johns MD (1975-1989 deceased); Christine Dotterer MD (1993- present)

Child(ren): James (1978) Garth(‘80) Derek (‘81) Butcher; Seth (‘72) Dotterer; Kate (‘81) D. Hafer

Grandchild(ren): Sophia (‘05), Ben (‘08), William (‘10) Dotterer; Hannah (‘07), Addison (‘10), Bryce (‘13) Hafer

Education: U. of Penn MD 1973; Geisinger Med Ctr Danville Pa IM, Cardiology (‘75-’81); Mass General Boston Nuclear Cardiology ‘82

National Service: National Health Service Corps 74-77

Career: Noninvasive Cardiology Geisinger Med Ctr 1982 – present ( 0.3FTE as of 7/1/18)

Avocations: social justice, “gentleman” farmer

College: Trumbull

The tragedy of my life was the death of my wife, Barbara, from breast cancer at age 40. Painful parts: a lump she felt while breastfeeding did not impress others; a mammogram was initially read as normal. A bone marrow transplant failed after the first recurrence; her anger about not living for her young sons.

Bright spot: a trip to Bermuda late in her illness; riding on the back of a scooter released her from physical limitations.

I probably didn’t really grow up until that happened (along with its aftermath, being a single dad for three years). I manage a fairly “adult” front, but I have trouble maintaining seriousness. I have been successfully treated for depression with meds and counseling.

During my first training year after med school, I felt the need to give primary care a test-drive, so I volunteered for the National Health Service Corps. My assignment (in southernmost Pennsylvania, the “northern tip of Appalachia”). Anecdotes—patient having angina walking to the outhouse; house calls on a moonshiner who slept in army fatigues with her shotgun. All those Pennsyltucky stories are true.

I have loved being a doctor (noninvasive cardiologist). Night and weekend call was tough (attenuated by working in a teaching hospital) but also rewarding. I would have been a more attentive dad without that level of commitment. I did manage, however, to attend 72 of my three sons’ athletic events one spring. Speaking of them, they’re great. All live in the Mountain West and are into skiing, white water rafting, and their jobs (all bachelors).

I enjoyed the good points and didn’t mind the bad points of doctoring for a salary in a large “top-down” institution (1,500 docs, 250K patients in our HMO). I’m happy to be part of Geisinger’s serious efforts to improve health care delivery and happy not to have to deal with the business issues and ethical shortcuts that mainstream medical practice seems to foster.

I enjoy practicing academic medicine, with a 15-minute drive home to our farm. Bonus: three nearby grandchildren.

I am also proud that Obama cited Geisinger as one of three hospital systems in the US as models for the ACA, pretty much summing up my politics.

My wife, Christine, and I are soul mates, agreeing on virtually everything important.

Frequent travel has been rewarding.

Recent developments, along with working just eight days a month: art lessons, becoming a church deacon last year.

The classmate I’m closest to now is John Adams (former Berkeley), who I met in Argonauts—the former underground spook; the classmate I miss the most is Fran Boyer (D’port), my high school classmate, who volunteered for infantry in Vietnam, survived it, was cited for battlefield leadership by his men, only to be killed riding a motorcycle while on R&R in California on his way home to begin Harvard Business School.