Interlocking circles and cycles

Still relatively new to the medical field, I am often struck by the interplay among generations of patients and doctors, and between doctors themselves. I have not seen it to this degree in other industries with which I have been associated. It makes the field intensely personal, with constantly interlocking circles and cycles of life.

Here's a microcosm. Dr. Harold Solomon learned about hypertension from one of the leaders in the field, Dr. Norman Kaplan, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Dr. Kaplan's book, Clinical Hypertension, is the standard in this area. Harold built a practice with an emphasis on this field, but also focused on delivering high quality primary care in general.

One of Harold's patients, Harvey ("Chet") Krentzman, died a few years ago. In recognition of the excellent care provided by Harold to her husband, Chet's wife Farla decided to lead an effort to fund a lecture series at our hospital in his name. One of the guest lecturers invited by Harold was Dr. Kaplan, in appreciation for his stature in the field and for his influence on Harold's own career.

Tonight, on the eve of tomorrow's lecture, a group of Harold's patients and physician colleagues joined to express their appreciation and affection for all three people. You see them above.