After more than 35 years, Dr. Ron Pohlman is concluding his service as a physician with Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County. To recognize Dr. Pohlman, the interdisciplinary care team recently thanked him for his support of our mission with a special send-off event.

Lora Wilcher, RN, MSN, CHPN, director of care at Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County, expressed appreciation for Dr. Pohlman’s contributions over the years.

“Dr. Pohlman is an exceptional physician, and we are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with him for many years,” she said. “His expertise and knowledge of hospice and palliative care, and his compassion and kindness for the patients and their families, truly made an impact on so many lives for more than three decades.”

She explained how Dr. Pohlman relied on his team to ensure exceptional care was provided to his patients. “He was always calm, kind, and responsive to the team,” she said. “Regardless of his day seeing patients as a busy family practice physician, he always made time for any concerns that our team would bring to his attention, and he provided them with guidance.”

Noel Ranft, RN, team leader, has worked with Dr. Pohlman since she joined Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County in August 1989. “I cannot remember any instance when he was not approachable,” she said. “He always took the time to listen when discussing the needs of a patient or a family situation.”

For several years, her role included reaching out to the medical directors with new referrals and admissions. “It would be impossible for me to put into words the number of mountains Dr. Pohlman helped me move in order to ensure a quick response to a need of a patient,” she said. “He would do this without hesitation.”

A graduate of the University of Dayton and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Pohlman completed a residency in family practice at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Dayton, becoming certified in family medicine in 1985. He began practicing family medicine in Miami County, where he was for 15 years before practicing in Beavercreek, Ohio, where he has been for the past 23 years.

Born and raised on a small dairy farm in Maria Stein, Ohio, family medicine seemed like a natural choice for him. “I looked forward to being the health advocate for families in need,” Dr. Pohlman said. “My work in hospice was a natural extension of caring not just for the patient throughout life but extending care into the last moments of one’s life.”

He started his work in hospice care in 1987, responding to an urgent request of a family physician and colleague who needed a substitute for an interdisciplinary group conference at Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County, which was known then as Hospice of Miami County.

“By responding to a favor, I got my first exposure into a field largely underserved by the medical community, and thus was an unknown resource to the world as a whole,” he said.

He saw firsthand how hospice care went far beyond the physical treatment of the patient. Rather, it was the incredible dedication of the entire hospice staff that helped fill such a void in patient care, more specifically by addressing the physical symptoms of the patient in addition to the psychosocial and spiritual needs of the family.

“It became obvious to me that hospice services are vital at one’s end of life. It is an area of medicine which must continue and succeed,” Dr. Pohlman said. “Working in tandem with the staff of Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County has been one of the highlights of my career, and it has been an honor to work with people who dedicate such kindness, compassion and skill to their patients.”

We’re grateful to Dr. Pohlman for his many years of service and his support of our mission. We wish him the best as he continues to treat patients in the greater Dayton area.