As we grow older, take on professional careers, and leave behind the comfort of home, sometimes we may find ourselves searching to fill a void. We immerse ourselves in comfort and security, but sometimes, we just need to be with family.
Richard is a surname familiar to many patients and team members across JPS Health Network. You may know the name from your primary care physician, an emergency visit, or even an interaction with our sports medicine team. The familiarity of this name results from a small family embedded amid our larger JPS family.
Dr. Robert Richard, DO, Family Medicine, has been a physician at JPS for 34 years. Currently serving as a Senior Medical Director, Dr. R. Richard is commonly recognized for his smiling face and zest for life. Though Dr. R. Richard's charismatic personality reflects his passion for patient care, he also finds ease in the support he has received.
"The support that JPS provides for us and that my family specifically provides to one another keeps me coming back every day. There's no 'I' in 'team,' and my family is a testament to that."
Fourteen years ago, Dr. R. Richard's daughter, Misty Richard, RN, Emergency Department, joined him as a JPS team member in the JPS family.
"After high school, I didn't know where I wanted to go. I spent some time as an EMT and then in the Navy, but I felt like I was still searching for a home. My dad had been so happy at JPS, so I thought, 'Let me give it a go.' I went to nursing school and haven't looked back since," M. Richard said.
The Richards have spent over a decade bouncing ideas off one another, encountering the same patients, and sharing the same mission. Often, they find comfort in one another and a sense of stability.
The duo does not end here, though. Joshua Richard, DO, Family Medicine, joined his family at JPS a year ago. Both children's professional careers have led them back to their father. Perhaps having that familial support was all they needed to pursue their dreams.
“They grew up surrounded by medicine. They knew what healthcare was all about and what that lifestyle was like. I wasn't there to make decisions about their careers," Dr. R. Richard said. "Instead, I supported whatever direction they were going and helped them achieve their best in whatever they wanted. I never found it necessary to push them in a particular direction. I let God do that, and we all ended up here."
The three agreed that working for JPS alongside one another was like finding a home away from home. The passion for patient care is apparent in each of them as they practice medicine with empathy and quality.
"The support that JPS provides for us and that my family specifically provides to one another keeps me coming back every day. There's no 'I' in 'team,' and my family is a testament to that." Dr. J. Richard said.