Longtime Springfield ER physician assistant retires

After 37 years with Springfield Hospital and 40 years as a physician’s assistant (PA), Springfield resident John Bond is set to retire.

   

2017-07-01 / Front Page Print article Print 'I enjoyed every minute' Longtime Springfield ER physician assistant retires By KELSEY CHRISTENSEN kchristensen@eagletimes.com John Bond, an emergency room PA at Springfield Hospital, at his home with his Jack Russell Terrier mix and Labrador Retriever. With his retirement after 37 years of service on the horizon, moments like these will be in ample supply. — KELSEY CHRISTENSEN John Bond, an emergency room PA at Springfield Hospital, at his home with his Jack Russell Terrier mix and Labrador Retriever. With his retirement after 37 years of service on the horizon, moments like these will be in ample supply. — KELSEY CHRISTENSEN SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — After 37 years with Springfield Hospital and 40 years as a physician’s assistant (PA), Springfield resident John Bond is set to retire. Bond is originally from Pennsylvania. Before becoming a PA, he served in the Army Corps of America and then studied at Yale, class of 1976. He’s worked stints with other hospitals: Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, but found his home with Springfield in the 70s. “I was very lucky,” Bond said in an interview Friday. “All the people we worked with were fabulous. Springfield treated us very well. It was an easy decision.” Bond says he is also lucky to have found his niche in emergency room care. “When I switched to the ER, it was perfect for me,” he said. Bond says being able to have a great impact on patients in a short period of time made the job an enjoyable. “Being able to do things to help someone — dislocating a shoulder, helping someone who’s having trouble breathing — it’s just incredibly satisfying,” he said. Bond also says that, in the ER, no two days are the same. “You never know what the day will bring,” he said. Bond’s career isn’t limited to his role as an ER PA. He was one of the co-owners of Emergency Services of New England, which has assisted New England emergency rooms with staffing solutions for over 35 years. He retired from that post, which he balanced with a full-time schedule in the Springfield ER, five years ago. He’s also mentored Franklin Pierce students, giving them a taste of the ER, and he’s worked with the Physician’s Assistant Academy of Vermont in different roles including membership chair, treasurer, and president since the 70s. A lot has changed since Bond took a position in the emergency room in the 70s. In those days, there were no CT scans, no X-rays, and Springfield saw 7,000 visits annually, compared to the 18,000 it sees today. “You need a lot more technical skills these days,” he said. Bond says the hospital has changed in other ways, too. He says challenges in the later days of his tenure arose from the mental health of area residents. He doesn’t attribute mental wellness in the area to any one specific factor, but he says drugs exacerbate it. “Unfortunately, a lot of it is people making bad decisions. Finding them the help they need in a timely fashion [is challenging.]” But, overall, Bond speaks of his time in the medical field glowingly. “I did it for over 40 years,” he said. “And I can honestly say I enjoyed nearly every minute of it.” Despite his years of service, Bond maintains a staggering degree of humility. “It’s not like I donated my time,” he insists. Bond plans to spend more time fishing, hunting, and traveling with his forthcoming free-time. He and his wife plan on taking a trip to Maine later in the summer. Even with relaxation and increased leisure time ahead, Bond will miss the profession. “I’ll miss the camaraderie,” he said. “Both with my co-workers, and with the patients.” “Some of the patients look forward to seeing John because they’ve seen him before,” Bond’s wife, Corrine, said. “They’re happy to see John when they come in. I think the familiar face makes them more comfortable.”