Dr. Gordon Moughon of Erwin, Tennessee, who practices internal medicine, is one of the few doctors left who still makes house calls. Patient, Jewell Banner, developed ulcers that never healed on both legs, and when they became infected they had to be amputated. Dr. Moughon has been visiting her for two years to draw blood. She’s on a potent blood thinner called Coumadin and has a mild cancer of the blood due to a high platelet count.
A sore on Jack Stallard’s foot is examined by Dr. Moughon as his son-in-law, Bobby Davis, looks over his shoulder. “This is the most unusual doctors office I’ve ever been to,” Davis says and explains that Dr. Moughon still draws blood. “You never see that!”
Dr. Moughon cannot remember why he first decided to make an at-home visit because it simply seemed like the obvious response. Many of his patients have been with him for decades, and these routine examinations have fostered friendships. When patients express that physically coming into the office is too arduous, he offers to come to their homes instead. Almost always, he continues visiting these patients for the remainder of their lives.
“In the old days, I’m sure these doctors would work all day and then get on a horse and ride to somebody’s house in the middle of the night. I mean I don’t know how they did it,” he says. “They were the real heroes.” Dr. Moughon sees up to a half-dozen house call patients at a time.
Dr. Moughon visits Bobbie Scott, 83, at the home where she has been housebound for a couple years. Scott has a multitude of health complications including Type II Diabetes. She is blind in one eye and cannot see well enough in the other eye to draw up insulin, so her daughter walks up to her house twice a day to give her insulin.
Roxie Hyder, 94, gets blood drawn from Dr. Moughon and is cared for by her nephew at home.
Dr. Moughon and his wife, Mary, walk to a church that meets in the neighborhood elementary school while the roof of their church building gets repaired after storm damages. They met at Vanderbilt University in Nashville while he was in medical school and she in nursing school. Two years later, they moved to Erwin, a small town on the east side of the state where they started his medical practice and raised their family in a three-bedroom house across the street.
“I feel extremely blessed to have the privilege of being a doctor and serving people who I know are created in the image of God,” says Dr. Moughon.
A Rembrandt replica hangs above patient, Bobbie Scott’s, bed.
“I hide my face in my body because I'm all dried up in a knot,” says Betty Ledford, who has osteoarthritis and scoliosis.
“The main thing I have to complain about is I'm just getting old!” says Bobby Scott. Dr. Moughon draws blood and gives her a vitamin B12 shot at her request because she prefers it to the pill. Among other health issues, she has fibromyalgia, which is an aching pain in multiple joint areas.
The commute is a simple walk across the street from his home to his office.
During every evaluation, patients are weighed.
Dr. Moughon reviews patient data on an outdated computer without internet capability.
Patient, Edwin Tolley, a neighbor of Dr. Moughon, goes for a routine checkup.
Following medical school, Dr. Moughon opened his practice in 1981 when many young doctors chose to become self-employed. Now, when many doctors are bought out by large physician groups or hospitals (due in part to the high demand of patients and the timely cost of electronic health records) Moughon holds onto a tradition that is largely of the past.
Receptionist, Tina Jones, hugs patient, Jack Stallard. “She’s prayed for me!” he exclaims.
Dr. Moughon and Mary enjoy a visit with their grandchildren at the same house in which they raised their family. They have six sons, two daughters, and eight grandchildren.
Mary hangs laundry to dry on a summer day when the dryer malfunctioned. She worked as a nurse for a couple years but later dedicated all her time to raising and homeschooling their children.
Like clockwork, Dr. Moughon spends his lunch breaks exercising approximately 90 minutes on weekdays and an extended 2-3 hours on Saturdays, especially when his favorite sports teams play on television.
He practices what he preaches. When he asks his patients to exercise and eat whole foods, he sets an example.
Flora Smith, 92, proudly shows her heart rate and blood pressure numbers to Dr. Moughon, whom she has been seeing since he opened his practice 39 years ago.
Dr. Moughon looks through the microscope while his receptionist, Tina Jones, prepares patient data.
Drawings by Dr. Moughon’s now grown children are still proudly displayed on his office door. “Daddy put this at yor offis,” one of them reads.
Grandsons William, left, and George, center, play as Dr. Moughon packs the car for their Thanksgiving holiday where all eight children, two parents, three in-laws, and eight grandchildren will gather.
On an usually warm November day, Dr. Moughon and Mary hike the Pinnacle Fire Tower trail. Situated in the Smoky Mountains, they have access to many trails including 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Dr. Moughon and Mary enjoy milkshakes at the local diner, Clarences. Only occasionally do they indulge in sweets, but a chocolate milkshake or black tie mousse cake is among Dr. Moughon’s favorites.
A day doesn’t pass without Dr. Moughon reading. His most common literature includes the Bible, medical journals, and articles written in Hebrew.