Gun violence has continued to make national headlines after shootings at grocery stores and schools recently, and unfortunately you can add a doctor’s office to that growing list. Earlier this week, four innocent people were killed when an upset patient arrived at the clinic and started shooting.
The man the shooter was targeting was Dr. Preston Phillips, an orthopedic surgeon who now leaves behind a wife and children after another senseless act of violence. According to police, the shooter, who later took his own life, was upset that he was having continued back pain after undergoing a spinal procedure performed by Dr. Phillips earlier that month.
Dr. Phillips Was Highly Praised
I did not know Dr. Phillips, but I have two friends who had relationships with him, and they both echo the same sentiment, that he was a gentle, compassionate and caring physician. Dr. Phillips, like myself, was a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (view AAOS statement on the shooting here), and he committed his life to helping patients when they needed it most. It’s terrible to see a person who devoted their life to helping others be killed by someone acting so rashly and impulsively.
The killing of physicians and healthcare providers used to be extremely rare, but that’s no longer the case. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of five physicians and 20 health care professionals die each year in the United States as a result of assaults or other forms of workplace violence. And if you think it’s unique to other areas of the country, think again. A man barged into the Allina Health Clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota in 2021, killing a staff member and wounding four others. Back in 2013, a well-respected OB/GYN in Orono, Minnesota was gunned down outside his home by a former patient over a grudge possibly dating back to 1983, but some details are still unclear as the individual was later killed by responding police.
At the end of the day, the vast majority of healthcare professionals entered this field to provide care to those in need. To help these patients put an end to their pain and to get back to living a rewarding life. It’s so sad when these workers, who are only trying to do right by their patients, face violence because of misdirected anger.
I can’t imagine what Dr. Phillips’ wife and children are feeling at this moment, but I hope they take solace in knowing that their husband and father committed his life to helping others, and he was a shining example of what every orthopaedic surgeon hopes to become – someone who is caring, compassionate and willing to help anyone they meet in their time of need.
