After 39 years serving the community, Dr. Kenneth Dodge, a beloved figure at Williamson Health, is embarking on a new chapter: retirement. While Williamson County has transformed dramatically since Dr. Dodge first began service here in 1986, one constant has remained: his unwavering commitment to treating patients as people first.

Hundreds of those people – including generations of patients and their families – embraced and celebrated Dr. Dodge at a reception Monday afternoon, June 30, in Franklin.

“I always tell folks that my work is people with medicine on the side,” he said. “I shouldn’t even call them patients, they’re people just like you and me, and at the end of the day we need someone who’s going to hold our hand and say it’s okay to take that leap.”

Dr. Dodge began his career in Franklin by joining the late Drs. Joseph “Dr. Joe” Willoughby and Hilbert Bryant Savage. He recalled those early days with fondness, arriving here just as the original Williamson County Hospital on West Main Street had moved to its current home and became Williamson Medical Center.

Dr. Willoughby showed his new hire around Williamson County – they gazed at the vast farmlands that eventually were developed into the modern Spring Hill and strolled to dinner through a worn Franklin downtown that was on the cusp of revitalization.

“Franklin seemed very small at the time, and was a place where everybody knew everybody,” he recalled. “I grew up in Dayton, Ohio; went to Ohio State and graduated from Wright State University School of Medicine so when I came to town I was considered a Yankee!”

Dr. Dodge beamed when he declared how blessed he felt to work with Dr. Willoughby and Dr. Savage.

“I don’t think I understood that at the time, but what a phenomenal gift it was to gain their insights and experience!” he said. Dr. Dodge planned to be a psychiatrist but switched early in college when he realized family practice would be his calling.

Still, his profound ability to connect with people is evident in his approach, and very similar to a psychiatrist.

“Folks tell me that I listen well, and that’s what I was taught by a very wise person in our residency program,” he said. “Listen, the patient will tell you the answer, and there’s so much truth to that.”

Dr. Dodge couldn’t recall how many people he has spoken with in 39 years, but he cherishes the thousands of relationships and the many, many profound stories he has heard as a primary care physician.

“The reason patients want me to help them is this thing called trust,” he said. “Whatever they share stays exactly between them and me, without judgment and with the full confidence that it stays right there.”

One of the most impactful stories was from an elderly woman who recognized Dr. Dodge’s office as a safe place for sharing.

“She looked at me and said with tears, ‘I’ve got to tell you something and no one knows this, but it’s just too overwhelming,’” and disclosed a traumatic event from her past, Dr. Dodge remembered, still deeply moved in the re-telling. “I was the only person she ever told, and if that doesn’t humble you, I don’t know what will.”

Like all physicians, Dr. Dodge would deal with complicated health issues every day. But he believes what truly sets a primary care physician apart is a commitment to a people-first approach. He believes in using our human connection to cut through the confusion of medical technology and complex conditions. At the end of the day, he said, his priority is to treat “you, the person,” not just your illness. It’s about a personal connection, not just a technical one.

“We guide our patients with a loving hand of understanding that says, ‘You matter,’” he said. “Let’s do this together.”

Dr. Dodge found immense value connecting with residents and staff during the nursing home visits Dr. Willoughby tasked him with in earlier years. He learned to appreciate them when he realized he was given the opportunity to become a better doctor.

“I eventually realized that God allowed me a change in attitude, and once I learned that, it changed how I did medicine – dramatically,” he said.

Dr. Dodge admitted that retirement is a hard decision. However, he convinced himself when he woke up one morning months ago that he’ll be retiring “to” something not “from” something. Now 69 years old, he is one of the longest-serving credentialed providers at Williamson Medical Center.

Dr. Dodge is stepping away from a passion, but family is his priority.

“I look at my wife and kids, and there’s just so much I want to do with them,” he said. Dr. Dodge, his three adult children, and five grandchildren plan to spend their time hiking, biking and traveling. He is confident happiness will follow them. “Being joyful may be the greatest gift God gave me, and so wherever I go, I expect to find or create joy,” he said.

Dr. Dodge plans to stay connected to the medical community through physician life coaching.

“All human beings, I think, would benefit from a coach,” he said. “I’m still working on Ken, but I’ve had the privilege of being a physician and I hope I should have some credibility to walk side-by-side with someone.”

It is an understatement to say that Dr. Kenneth Dodge’s care as a local physician will be greatly missed by the community. Please join us in wishing “Dr. Ken” a joyful and fulfilling retirement as he continues to find purpose in new and exciting ways.