For more than 36 years, Dr.’s Pat and Jane Dawson have been at the heart of Maryville’s Health Care Ministry.
Growing up in Nebraska City, the Dawson’s loved the small-town, Midwest life. While they fully intended to move back to Nebraska after Pat fulfilled his commitment to the National Health Service in Maryville, but the outpouring of support from this community changed their minds and they decided to stay and practice. The Dawson’s said that they were blessed by all the people that helped them raise their children, while they cared for the community. “Our kids grew up on chocolate milk and cookies in the doctor’s lounge where they waited while we did rounds,” said Dr. Jane Dawson. “There were many times that they came in with us in the middle of the night while Pat helped me with an emergency cesarean or complicated delivery. The kids would sleep in the van and the ER nurses would keep an eye on them.” Being a small-town physician certainly isn’t for everyone. From always being on call to patients having your home phone number, but the Dawson’s made it their life’s work. “It wasn’t unusual to stop by the pharmacy while at Hy-Vee or Easters to leave a prescription that someone in the parking lot stopped you for because they had run out,” said Dr. Pat Dawson. The Dawson’s recall that there was always someone there to show them how their new baby had grown and loved hearing kids point and say “there’s Doctor Pat, he’s my doctor. I just love him”. It’s a level of trust and understanding when you know patients on such a personal level. |
“By the time we retired, most of the patients were friends and you looked forward to seeing them and catching up,” said Jane.
The Dawson’s are joining the 32nd Annual St. Francis Classic to support the needs of the Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville Obstetrics Department. “When I came, the OB department was already busy. The hospital didn’t have an OB/GYN and I was the first and only north of St. Joseph,” said Dr. Jane Dawson. “I eventually built a practice and things continued to get busier. We learned to make do with what we had for the most part, but so much time and progress in medicine along with so many patients being cared for, updates are essential at this time. Our community deserves this.” The Dawson’s have four children, Abby Geis, PhD of Immunology, currently doing research at John’s Hopkins, Pete Dawson, Mosaic Life Care Sports Medicine Physician, Kelli Moore, Interventional Radiologist at the University of Missouri, and Suzi Decker, who works at home as a mother of four and a part-time librarian in Sioux Falls. They are also blessed with nine grandchildren. Along with their children and grandchildren, they will always say that the hospital caregivers are their extended family. “Nearly everyone who works here is part of the community,” said the Dawson’s. “They are caring for their friends and family. They work HARD! They work beyond the paycheck. Most could make more money working elsewhere but CHOOSE to work here and make a difference. They are smart and resourceful, making the most of what they have to work with. The work they do matters. Our community matters.” |