On Topic: A reason why healers earn loyalty

Dr. Chirantan Ghosh opened his own oncology center on 42nd Street NE in Cedar Rapids two weeks ago.

Ghosh, you recall, was fired from his post with Physicians' Clinic of Iowa in early May because, reportedly, he didn't want to invest in PCI's medical mall project. (If there were other reasons connected with his termination, I've not seen nor heard them.)

Bosses and workers, corporations and employees have disagreements - and sometimes a parting of the ways - all the time. What's remarkable in this situation was the public response.

The oncologist was, to put it mildly, admired. He told Gazette reporter Cindy Hadish he figured he's treated some 20,000 patients in Cedar Rapids during his 21 years here. At the Iowa Blood & Cancer Care, which he founded in 2002 and now is under PCI's wing, he counted 1,600 active patients.

That's a lot of people on which this particular healer has laid hands.

But he also was deeply joined with the community. He's donated more than $115,000 to a program he started that entices students to take AP classes and exams.

He founded the Anna Purna Ghosh Foundation to enable patients to pay for their cancer and blood-disease prescriptions.

There's more: Ghosh and his wife have given money to flood recovery drives and paid utility bills for a year for Green Square Meals.

In October, Ghosh was awarded the Pravasi Achievers Gold Medal, given by Great Britain's House of Lords for reflecting the honor of his Indian homeland. He was a finalist for the American Society of Clinical Oncology's humanitarian award, for exemplifying professional service above and beyond ….

And, when word got out PCI had severed its relationship with Ghosh, some two dozen supporters rallied outside PCI's main office on Seventh Street SE to register their unhappiness.

Now certainly not all 1,600 of Ghosh's patients will leave PCI Hematology & Oncology - the suggested new name for the clinic - to follow him. But you have to wonder: What engenders that kind of loyalty?

PCI touched on part of the reason, in response to a request for comment on Ghosh's departure: “Many patients often form a personal connection with their doctor, having received specialty care for a health concern ….”

In my experience, that “connection” usually is deserved.

Let me tell you a story.

A few years ago, my father-in-law, who lives in the deep woods of Louisiana, and a friend were manhandling a deer they'd shot onto the back of a pickup. Somehow, the weight of the animal shifted and knocked him out of the truck and onto the hard ground.

He was taken to a hospital for what turned out to be a broken hip.

You have to know, my father-in-law never does well in hospitals - he regularly suffers adverse reactions to medicine, and something always seems to go wrong. This time, in his mid-80s, he developed an infection.

It got worse. He became massively dehydrated.

The other thing you have to know is the state of Louisiana does not enjoy a glowing reputation for health care. According to a 2008 United Health Foundation study, it ranked 50th among states in terms of the general health of its population.

In my father-in-law's case, the powers-that-be for some reason decided to take a wait-and-see approach.

Enter the heroes of this real-life drama: Two friends of the family, both physicians, determined that a more immediate approach was required.

They went to the hospital in the late evening, post-visiting hours, dressed in scrubs. To gain admittance into my father-in-law's room, the woman - we'll call her Dr. Joan, though that's not her real name - claimed she was his adopted daughter.

Then Joan and her co-conspirator stayed until sunrise, taking turns pouring water down his throat.

The result: They saved my father-in-law's life. Today, in his late 80s, he's still harassing hapless deer.

Of course, not every incident boils down to hospital versus physician, corporation versus front-line care giver. We all know testimonials of former patients and family members who swear devotion to a specific health care institution where they received superior service and kindness.

And they aren't all tales of life and death. Sometimes they're simply that extra bit of patience and understanding that's shown during trying circumstances.

PCI got that right. It's about a connection we could keep in our hearts for the rest of our lives.