By SHANA FOGERTY
At the end of this month, we will be marking the end of a nearly 50-year legacy. Dr. Jerald “Jerry” Sanders will formally retire on July 31, 2024.
Dr. Sanders entered the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1973. He was commissioned as a Naval Officer and completed his residency at Naval Regional Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina in 1980. He was then assigned to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and served for five years.
During his time at NAS Whidbey, Dr. Sanders fell in love with our island. Upon completion of his military service, he and a partner opened a family medicine clinic in Oak Harbor. Dr. Sanders practiced full-spectrum family medicine and served all generations in our community for the next thirty years. Since October 14, 1985, he has been an active member of WhidbeyHealth’s medical staff.
As a community physician and hospital medical staff member, Dr. Sanders has been instrumental in moving our island’s health care forward. He has served as chief of staff for the hospital, which requires a significant time commitment and continues to be an active participant in the hospital’s peer review committee (a group dedicated to ensuring hospital patients are receiving high quality care). He was a vital member in lobbying to get our emergency department staffed with emergency-trained physicians 30 years ago, and more recently participated in bringing the hospitalist service to WhidbeyHealth.
Although Dr. Sanders had planned to retire, he took on a new role as the medical director of WhidbeyHealth Hospice. He served as the only physician from the time of the program’s certification in October 2014 until February 2022, providing 24/7 medical support to our hospice patients. After moving to part-time status two years ago, he has remained committed to WhidbeyHealth Hospice to ensure continued success and excellent patient care.
In addition to his professional commitments, Dr. Sanders is an active community leader, contributing to the betterment of our island. Whether it was performing sports physicals, chatting people up at the grocery store, or attending school sporting events, you could count on Dr. Sanders being there. These days, you can be sure to find him at the local elementary schools, delivering food backpacks to children in need, attending the many Rotary club events, bringing apples to his coworkers, teaching new islanders where to do the best pheasant hunting, or helping local ranchers when they need an extra set of hands with their livestock.
While we are sad to see him go, Dr. Sanders has earned a long, happy, and healthy retirement. Please join us at his Open House at 1-4 p.m. on July 27 at the Oak Harbor Yacht Club to wish him a well-deserved retirement.
Shana Fogarty, MD, FAAFP is the medical director of WhidbeyHealth Hospice.
