having my family doctor be a doctor who was one of the founding MASH units in Korea. I didn't know it at the time and he never mentioned it and there was no hint like any pics etc. around his office. His practice was in his house and his wife was his nurse. The office calls back in the '60's were $15 and if you didn't have it right then it was OK. They just counted on you to try and pay something when you could.
I moved from there as a young adult and lost touch with any news about him. Until one day I read his obituary when I was in that area seeing my old dentist who I knew had been a Navy dentist for a long career. He told me the story and that my former doctor, like the obit said was one of the early MASH proponents/doctors. That was also where he met his wife. She was a MASH nurse.
He helped those without insurance and means as much as he could. He often did maternity care, delivery and 1st year post natal for next to nothing for those young couples with little money or insurance. Likewise my old dentist had his office in his house and treated people and cut bills to almost nothing. When my old dentist finally passed away I found out that he was so highly respected in the Navy that they had him coming in all the time to train new dentists for the Navy. He never mentioned it.
When the dental assistant for my old dentist had a baby he prepared an area of one of his patient rooms as a nursery and "day care" area because she was such a valued and skilled assistant. He could be a little gruff around older kids and people not caring for their teeth but it was truly amazing to see his demeanor soften dramatically when he would hear the baby making noise in the next room.
The way it was. Not much of that around anymore.
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