This year, the COVID-19 pandemic led 18 percent of physicians to consider retiring early, temporarily closing their practices or opting out of patient care, according to a survey of 842 physicians conducted by physician search firm Merritt Hawkins and nonprofit The Physicians Foundation.
However, there were also physicians — like former Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian Health CMO Richard Scott, MD — who came out of retirement to aid in COVID-19 relief.
The following retirements were announced or took effect this year:
Stephen Snow, MD, retired from Olympia (Wash.) Orthopaedic Associates after nearly 30 years of practice and began referring patients to Darren Trask, MD.
Fred McQueary, MD, spine surgeon and executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Mercy, retired at the end of June to help the Chesterfield, Mo.-based health system address financial losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Orthopedic surgeon Eric Cornish, MD, retired July 10. He served patients in Alpena, Mich., for 24 years and plans to remain connected with Midland-based MidMichigan Health in retirement.
Ed White, MD, retired at the end of August after a 35-year career in orthopedic surgery. In 1986, Dr. White became the first full-time orthopedic surgeon at Damariscotta, Maine-based Miles Memorial Hospital and Boothbay Harbor, Maine-based St. Andrews Hospital.
Sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon R. Stephen Lucie, MD, announced his retirement in early November, after four decades in practice. Dr. Lucie and four other orthopedic surgeons founded Jacksonville (Fla.) Orthopaedic Institute — an affiliate of Jacksonville-based Baptist Health — in 1994.
Scott Slattery, MD, who was the most senior surgeon at Washington Orthopedic Center, also announced his retirement in November. For more than 21 years, Dr. Slattery practiced with the group, which has locations in Centralia, Olympia and Elma, Wash.
Orthopedic surgeon Joel Rohrbough, MD, 54, is retiring early from Northern Arizona Orthopaedics to focus on involvement with nonprofits and charitable organizations, according to a Dec. 12 report. Dr. Rohrbough's 19 years with HOPCo-managed Northern Arizona Orthopedics — which has locations in Flagstaff, Prescott Valley, Lakeside and Sedona — included three terms as president.
Orthopedic spine surgeon Herschel Beker, MD, a founding member of Atlanta-based Resurgens Orthopaedics, is retiring Dec. 31 after 30 years in practice.
Samuel Goldstein, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Ala., is retiring Dec. 31 after more than three decades serving patients. His patients are being referred to Marcus Rothermich, MD.