Helping Hand
“Although birth is only a day in the life of a woman, it has an imprint on her for the rest of her life.”
Justine Caines, OAM
Happy Friday everyone. I had a great treat this past week by visiting one of the area physicians that has been giving a kind and gentle helping hand in our communities for the past twenty-five years. Dr. John Harlan, MD is Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a Member of the Butler County Medical Society, and the Ohio State Medical Association. Dr. Harlan is on the staff of McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford, Ohio and serves on the Board of Trustees and is a Board of Directors member at McCullough-Hyde as well. His office, Oxford Gynecology and Obstetrics (http://www.oxfordobgyninc.com/home), serves patients out of their Oxford, Brookville, and Ross offices Monday through Friday but there is more to the man than just a very impressive resume.
Dr. Harlan is a tall, soft spoken man with an easy smile. His gentle nature is ideal for helping his patients with the delivery of either their first child of their fifth. He sees patients from all over our geographical area, Butler and Preble counties in Ohio as well as Union and Franklin counties in Indiana. Even though McCullough-Hyde is his home hospital, about 40% of his patients come from Indiana. As I was sitting with him in his Brookville office talking with him, the topic of what he like the most about his job came up. When I asked him this question there was no hesitation at all as he said simply, “Talking to people.” The phrase ‘still waters runs deep’ came to mind for such a simple answer taken at face value is just that…but Dr. Harlan expounded that by talking to people you get to know them. He get to know their hopes and their fears, their joys and their sorrows…he gets to know his patients in a very in depth way. Dealing with patients one on one as he does, he has a great opportunity to help patients with not only their physical health but can lend an ear and discuss options about other areas of life. Help takes on many different forms and sometimes just having an ear to hear is more than what some patients get elsewhere. Compassion towards humanity can have a far reaching and healing effect on people. Dr. Harlan has an opportunity to see patients of all ages and all walks of life. No matter how old you might be or where you come from, the privilege of carrying another human life within can be an exhilarating and daunting all at the same time. As a father, I know the range of emotions that I have experienced through all phases of my wife’s pregnancies…I can only imagine what it might be like for the mother. For the sake of all women out there, I am glad for the likes of Dr. Harlan whose serene and calming presence can be a positive presence for the patients he so diligently serves. I would like to thank Dr. Harlan for taking time out of his busy schedule to sit down with me and chat, I look forward to doing it again sometime soon.
I would like to thank you all for reading and as always if you have any further questions for me or you would like you make a comment on this or any of my other post, please feel free to email me at wmreid@bhcshealth.com or visit our website at bhcshealth.com to see what we’re all about. I hope everyone stays warm this weekend, spring will be here to stay soon! Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com