Passion Project - Douglas DiRuggiero
My Passion
Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, PA-C
My passion statement: “To be used by God to bring hope and healing to those suffering and burdened by disease.”
It was 1910 Christmas Eve, and the infirmed and elderly Salvation Army founder, General William Booth, was home-bound and unable to attend the international annual conference. Wanting to encourage the masses that had worked so hard during the holiday season, he determined to send a telegram to the conference to be read in his absence. A murmur of disappointment fell over the crowd as the moderator of the opening conference session announced that General Booth would not be in attendance, but silence quickly ensued as it was revealed that Booth had sent a special telegram message of encouragement to be read to the assembly. Initially lengthy, financial restraints necessitated that the General shortened his message to just one word. A pin drop could have been heard as thousands waited for the telegram to be opened. The moderator held up the piece of paper and read the one word: “OTHERS.”
When clinic schedules, electronic charts, sample closets, and co-pays are removed, the modern medical world is stripped down to the basics--individuals seeking help from those trained and willing to offer it. What a privilege it is to have someone trust you with their bodies, their frailties, their fears, and their dis–EASES. When the body is not “at ease,” I (we) get to be used by God to offer a small “piece of ease” (peace), a spark of hope, and a healing touch to those suffering and burdened. My passion to practice medicine and to teach others about the human frame, and the wonderfully complicated ways it can deviate from its normal functions, is rooted in my call to help “others.” No word better describes the life and ministry of a dedicated healthcare provider. We continue to learn and increase our knowledge and clinical skills because our patients deserve our best, God deserves our best, and we deserve our best! Why keep going back to the clinic, nursing home, or hospital? “Others” are waiting! If not me, then who?
Douglas DiRuggiero, PA-C has been in clinical practice for 27 years. He loves to teach, lecture, and mentor. He and his wife currently live in Rome, GA and their three adult children are scattered. He is a certified master gardener, a chaplain for the local jail, and the owner of an impressive collection of over 30 airline barf bags (all unused).