No More Babies For Dr. Marchese By Sherrie Norris As the ninth doctor joining the staff at the old Watauga Hospital, and the only specialist when he arrived in Boone in 1970, Dr John. Marchese helped forge the way for improved health care and the latest technological advances that medicine had to offer in this area. Thousands of women in and around the High Country owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. John Marchese, who for the last thirty-six years, has provided them with the utmost in obstetric and gynecological care and compassion. Approximately eight-thousand babies have entered the world with his help since he began practicing medicine, about two-thousand of which were successfully delivered via c-section.His name is synonymous with new life in this region. As the ninth doctor joining the staff at the old Watauga Hospital, and the only specialist when he arrived in Boone in 1970, Dr. Marchese helped forge the way for improved health care and the latest technological advances that medicine had to offer in this area. Sadly, Dr. Marchese recently made the decision to discontinue his obstetric practice, but will continue providing gynecological services at Northwestern Obstetrics & Gynecology in Boone, his private practice shared by Dr. Andy Norman. He remembers well the first child he delivered while in medical school, his first after coming to Boone, and his “official last,” just a few weeks ago, and most in between. Dr. Marchese was born and raised in the rural community of Batavia, in northwest New York. During high school, he contemplated becoming a veterinarian, due to his love for animals and especially horses, but before graduation from Batavia High School, he realized that he was more of a “people person,” and decided to go into pre-med. He attended Georgetown University and received his MS from Georgetown’s School of Medicine, where he did his Postdoctoral Training. “My bother wanted me to join him as a dentist, but I realized that was not my calling. Obstetrics fit my personality better.” He completed his Medical-Pediatric Internship while at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, and returned north for his residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at University Hospitals of Cleveland. In the late ‘60’s, he served for two years as a Medical Officer in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the U.S. Army Hospital in Fort Rucker, Alabama, during which time he delivered 550 babies and performed 2,000 surgeries “for Uncle Sam.” When Dr. Marchese was at Chapel Hill, he learned of the northwest mountains, and sensed that gynecological and obstetric-specific care were basically unheard of in the region. In 1970, after speaking with Virginia Groce, Watauga Hospital’s Administrator at the time, he became enthusiastic about the opportunity to move here and open the area’s first specialty practice, but wondered how the community would respond to the type of care he offered. He thought the university would be an asset, but soon realized folks native to the area were just as eager for his services. Two years after his arrival, he began seeking an associate to help with his heavy case load, but another two years passed before help came. “Our office quickly drew patients from Watauga, Avery, Ashe and Wilkes counties, as well as Virginia and Tennessee.” As his practice grew, so did the hospital and its services. He remembers when Dr. Herring came aboard as the first orthopedic surgeon, joined within a short time by Drs. Waller and Hamby; he recalls helping recruit Dr. Russell Taylor, Internist from Banner Elk, whose sub-specialty was nephrology. He has vivid recollections of each “new” specialty practice that came to Boone and of the doctors, who through the years, helped build the hospital’s medical staff to its current roster of 120. Drs. Roger and Nancy Moorehouse were the first pediatricians with whom he worked. Dr. Bill Horn, (recently deceased) followed soon thereafter, during which time a labor and delivery unit was established. Dr. Marchese began to focus on high-risk pregnancies, and remembers the first fetal monitor the hospital obtained was, “unique to our area at that time.” He was instrumental in developing a much-needed higher standard for obstetric protocol for the hospital, regarding complications, inductions, etc. Before he came, caesarian sections were performed by general surgeons, and there were no alternatives available to those with fertility problems, those desiring tubal reconstruction, etc. When Dr. Marchese arrived in Boone, the infant death rate was 45 per 1,000; the national being 15 per 1,000, especially high in urban areas. “Not too far down the road, those numbers decreased to 10 per 1,000, I think, that because patients were receiving better care and doctors were able to deal more effectively with complicated pregnancies, the outcomes were better.” Dr. Marchese also saw a high number of babies with anencephaly, a condition in which the brain and skull are not properly developed, resulting in a 100% mortality rate. “This was caused by the lack of folic acid in a mother’s body, in which she had not eaten fresh fruits and vegetables, nor, as a rule, given supplements. Fortunately, we virtually never see that problem anymore.” Dr. Marchese was licensed to practice in Maryland and North Carolina with a Specialty Certification from the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology. He has served as Clinical Instructor of Obstetrics & Gynecology Georgetown University School of Medicine Washington, D.C.; Clinical Instructor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC For eighteen years, Dr. Marchese served as Medical Director for Area Health Education Center, (AHEC) and most recently as a key member of its Advisory Board. AHEC is an educational and training program designed to enhance the health of the public by improving the supply, distribution, and quality of health and human service personnel, especially in primary care, through community/academic partnerships. Dr. Marchese has no plans to retire at this time. “I enjoy what I do, and as long as I feel I can be an asset, I plan to maintain my gynecological practice.” He admits that giving up the babies was indeed a difficult decision. “It was a part of my life for so long,” and says his last “official” delivery was extra special. “The baby decided to come early and we had worked hard to keep mama healthy. This was only the second time that I had made house calls, but it was worth it to help maintain the pregnancy.” The first house call he made was for a mother of triplets. “Every time she started into the office, she went into labor.” Those three, Dr. Marchse says, were the only set of triplets “on record” ever delivered at Watauga Medical Center. “Others had to be taken to specialty units off the mountain . . . and there might have been a set born many years ago at the old hospital.” Marchese has long been considered a kind, gentle and compassionate doctor and friend to many “I like what I do and I like people. It is important to treat others with the same respect that you want to be treated . . . I learned a long time ago that there are three essential ingredients to building a practice and being an asset: Availability – you’ve got to be there; Affability – you’ve got to treat people decent and with respect; and Ability – you’ve got to practice good standards.” No doubt, those three ingredients have helped make John Marchese the incredible doctor that he is today. Beyond the exam and delivery rooms, we discovered that Dr. Marchese is a gifted wood craftsman. A cabinet in his office is just one of many incredible pieces that he has skillfully designed. “It’s relaxing for me, and something I can work on a little at a time. A good friend, who had a cabinet shop and did much of the work in my office, gave me some tips and I’ve picked up some on my own . . . some things I’ve learned through my mistakes.” He also enjoys a round of golf and time at the coast. His hope for the future, he says, when he does eventually retire, “or semi-retire,” is to do mission work . . . “among the Indian reservations and coal mining areas in this country . . . to help those who are not as advantaged as others.” It is a desire, he says, shared by his wife, Deniece, who is also his right-arm in the office. Dr. Marchese is the father of two sons: Christopher, a Captain in the NC National Guard, lives with wife, Lisa, in the Raleigh area. Matthew, a professional photographer, is employed with the Rousche Racing Team, and lives in Charlotte with wife Mandy and five-month old daughter, Jocelyn. Thank you, Dr. Marchese, for bringing life to The High Country!