Superintendent of JCPS; the Wave 3 studio tour with Dawn Gee;
visiting the Speed Art Museum and listening to Louisville Orchestra
Director Teddy Abrams play piano; and visiting Frankfort and
listening to Senator Morgan McGarvey discuss current Kentucky
policy issues. These opportunities opened my eyes to the many things
our city and state have to offer; yet I have lived here for 33 years!
Ultimately, however, the most exciting and eye-opening experience
came as part of our “Building a Safe and Thriving Community Day.”
We were given the opportunity to choose a district in the LMPD
for a ride-along with a police officer. I chose the Third District which
is a large area of Southwest Louisville that includes PRP, Valley
Station, Fairdale and Iroquois Park. It extends west to the Ohio River
and South to the Jefferson County line. I chose that district because I
had an office in PRP for 15 years, and I thought it would be interesting
to see what happens in the area where I started my solo practice.
It was a Sunday morning in March when I arrived at the Third
District Headquarters. I met Officer Kent Rusch, formerly in our
nation’s military and who has been with the LMPD for the past five
years. The morning started off slowly and rather routinely per Officer
Rusch, as the officers were downloading their body cam videos from
their previous shifts. It did not stay quiet for long. The dispatcher
called: a male in a stolen vehicle was stealing parts from a disabled
car on Dixie Highway. An officer from the Third District confronted
him after discovering the vehicle was stolen. After being confronted,
the subject jumped back into the stolen vehicle and fled the scene.
There was a female subject in the car with him. Officers from the
District went in pursuit. I am not sure how fast we were going down
Dixie Highway, but all I could do was quickly attempt to buckle my
seatbelt and hold on for dear life! Following two and a half hours, even
with the help of the canine unit and the police helicopter, the fleeing
subject and his companion remained at large. It was the beginning of a
fascinating, albeit hair-raising day with Officer Rusch, and I developed
a great respect for what our LMPD officers deal with day in and day
out. I am also now aware of the pay scale of our police officers. I was
shocked that they put themselves in harm’s way for what I see as such
a nominal income. My thanks goes out to these men and women for
all they do.
I would like to thank the people from Leadership Louisville,
especially Cynthia Knapeck and Aaron Miller, for their dedication
and devotion to producing such an excellent program. A huge thank
you must also go to my clinical colleagues who graciously covered my
patients’ needs during my days away from practice, and to my office
staff for making this work. A hearty round of thanks to my classmates,
as well. We all made new friends, found new ways to reach across
the aisle, and understand our sometimes vastly different worlds. We
acquired a new view of our city that will help us lead Louisville into
the future.
GLMS TO HONOR
MILITARY VETERANS
Our November edition of Louisville
Medicine magazine will feature a
tribute to our physician members who
have served in the armed forces. If you
are a veteran, please fill out a brief form
so we may include you in our tribute.
Visit https://loumedsociety.wufoo.com/
forms/glms-veterans/ or if you do not
have access to a computer, contact
GLMS Communications Specialist Aaron
Burch at 502-736-6338.
Dr. Burns is a private practice ophthalmologist. His practice, Middletown Eye Care, is
located in Middletown, KY.
SEPTEMBER 2019
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