Welcome Dr. John Swords, Family Practitioner!
Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics is excited to welcome Dr. John Swords as a family practice physician to the hospital and Waukon Clinic team. Dr. Swords will begin seeing patients in the Waukon Clinic in mid-November. He joins Dr. Dave Schwartz; Sue McMillan, NP; Alex Berns, NP; Katy Maker, NP/Nurse Midwife; Minji Na, NP; and Hannah Kelly, NP, in providing family medicine for patients of all ages and with any medical concerns. Dr. Swords will work full-time in the Waukon Clinic.
“We are very excited to have Dr. Swords join the VMH family. He brings experience, compassion and a dedication to the patient experience to every patient interaction,” states Michael Coyle, CEO of Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics. “Dr. Swords joins a growing and robust team of excellent Providers that have a passion for providing outstanding care.”
Dr. Swords was born and raised in Lancaster, PA. He was a member of the active-duty Army and Army Reserve for 20 years. After watching his parents age and become sick, he chose to further his career as a health care provider.
“I watched both of my parents age and become sick. I felt that the healthcare system was lacking and wanted to be there for other people and their families to give them the care I believed they deserved,” explains Dr. Swords. “I wanted to be in primary care since that allows me to follow my patients from cradle to grave. I felt that this specialty gave me the best opportunity to fulfill my wish of being there for others, giving them the care they deserve.”
Dr. Swords and his wife, Connie, and their young daughter, Grace, all reside in Waukon.
“From the moment I set foot in town, I fell in love with it. Before the interview even started, I already knew I wanted to practice in Waukon. The charm of the people and the area sold me right away,” states Dr. Swords. “I was very impressed with the seniority of your hospital and clinic personnel. I have been at hospitals where they can’t keep their people for whatever reason. Because of this they can’t keep any continuity between staff members. The patients are the ones who pay for this with higher medication error rates, infection rates, admin errors, etc. It also speaks to how the hospital treats their people if they are staying for 20+ years.”
Dr. Swords is available to see all ages of patients but has a few areas of special interest.
“I have a particular love for taking care of my older adults. I believe that annual physical exams or annual wellness visits are essential in catching disease processes early in order to initiate treatment for improved outcomes,” adds Dr. Swords. “I will also be working closely with my colleagues at VMH to start a new program for medically assisted treatment. Substance use disorder (SUD) is not something that only returning Soldiers with PTSD contend with regularly. SUD is rampant in our civilian society and I hope to use everything I’ve learned about this illness to help my patients fully recover and live a self-directed life.” “We are excited to welcome Dr. Swords to our Waukon Clinic team next month! His schedule is now open, and we are currently accepting new patient appointments,” states Laura Baxter, Director of the Waukon and Postville Clinics. “Dr. Swords, along with the other new providers joining our team, will help expand access to primary care and chronic care management—making it easier for community members to receive high-quality care close to home."
Patients may start to call now to make an appointment with Dr. Swords by dialing the Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Clinic at 568-5530. Dr. Swords will begin to see patients in mid-November.
