John Rush Pierce Jr., MD, MPH has been in the medical field for over 40 years, and has worked in Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry, and obtained his Medical Degree at the University Of California School of Medicine, and a Master’s Degree in Public Health at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Pierce joined Doctors Care’s group of volunteer providers in January 2019, and we have been so grateful for all his work and dedication to the organization and the patients we serve. Since COVID-19 hit, Dr. Pierce began attending virtual staff meetings, including the weekly Pandemic Response Team. He stays up to date on COVID related news to help Doctors Care interpret health department guidelines, implement changing protocols, and clarify misleading information.
We are excited to highlight Dr. Pierce’s work, and share his reflections on working with Doctors Care.
What made you want to volunteer with Doctors Care?
After I retired, I quickly realized how much I missed seeing patients and the fun and excitement of clinical work. My good friend, Dr. Bob Henderson told me how much he enjoyed working at Doctors Care and encouraged me to apply. When I first applied, there wasn’t any need for additional providers, but a few weeks later Jana Baker (Doctors Care’s Volunteer Coordinator) contacted me about provider availability.
Will you share a quick story about an experience you had while volunteering?
Early on, I saw a patient with severe hip osteoarthritis who needed a hip replacement. She did not have any insurance, did not speak English, and did not have a VISA. I was completely at a loss as to how to help her. Our HAT (Health Access Team) team went all out to get her connected and eventually she got her hip replacement through Denver Health.
If you were speaking to someone about Doctors Care, why would you encourage them to get involved with the organization?
It is a small clinic so you get to know folks easily; the patients have trouble getting services elsewhere, so you can really make difference; and most everyone is friendly and happy, so it’s fun to work here!
