Printer-friendly format

Dr. Tom Head, far right, plays the role of Ko-Ko in “Hot Mikado,” a musical at the University School of Jackson. With him are USJ studets Ian Charles and Mary Haynes. Head’s children attend USJ.

As a young boy growing up in rural Alabama, where access to physicians was limited, Dr. Tom Head never got used to waiting for hours to see the doctor. When he made the decision to pursue a degree in medicine, he knew that timing would be an important part of his practice and his life.

“I grew up in a small town in Alabama where there were only a handful of doctors,” said Head, a neurologist with the Semmes-Murphey Clinic (SMC) in Jackson, Tenn. “When we went to see the doctor, the whole family would go and we would have to wait for hours, whether we had an appointment or not. When I chose medicine as a career, I made a promise to myself that I would do all that I could within my power to see that my patients would not have to wait long to see me. For one thing, I will not schedule patients when I know I can’t be there.”

To put his money where his mouth is, Head has a policy that if he is not able to see a patient within 20 to 30 minutes of the appointment time, the opportunity is given to reschedule the appointment. If the appointment cannot be rescheduled, Head offers to pay the patient’s gas expense.

“So far, no one has taken me up on my paying for their gas to the clinic and home,” said Head. “We really do try our best to hold to that timeframe; of course, with the practice of medicine, there are unexpected emergencies and patient situations, such as extra time to explain or discuss a diagnosis that cannot be avoided. But those can cause us to test my policy, so we do have to do our fair share of re-scheduling.”

Head is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in neurology and a one-year fellowship in neuromuscular disease. After his fellowship, he remained at UAB as an assistant professor in neurology. In early 2001, Head joined the staff of the Jackson office of SMC.

“I always enjoyed seeing patients, and wanted to be in a single specialty practice of neuroscience,” said Head. “Semmes-Murphey provided that, as well as an opportunity to continue to teach through its participation with the University of Tennessee’s family practice residency program. The residents here are very bright doctors and I thoroughly enjoy the time spent with them as they rotate through our clinic, as well as in the hospital.”

Several of Head’s interests outside of his medical practice deal with timing, both musical and theatrical. Head, who has a background in music, has always enjoyed community theater. Both of his two children are active in University School of Jackson’s fine arts program, so when the opportunity presented itself to be a part the school’s musical productions, it was an offer difficult to refuse for both him and his wife, Karlie.

Head has appeared in two University School of Jackson productions, as Ko-Ko in Hot Mikado and as Major General Stanley in Pirates of Penzance. Although he and his wife have had the opportunity to perform in the same play, they have yet to make a family affair of a production. Both of the Head children, Carol Ann, the actress, and Thomas, the drummer, have participated in several school productions, just not one in which their parents had a part.

“It is certainly a challenge juggling my work schedule with rehearsals and performances, but it is worth it,” said Head. “We really enjoy interacting with the kids and have such a fun time with it. We certainly hope to continue to do it at least while the kids are in school.”

Head’s talents do not stop with theater. He also keeps the beat as the drummer in a local band made up entirely of physicians. The four-man band, known originally as “The Healers,” has changed names as well as members over the years. Today, the band “Unassigned” mainly plays benefit performances for charities, such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. “We don’t get many gigs, but we have a lot of fun,” said Head.

Besides his accomplishments in the spotlight, Head has co-authored two medical books with Dr. Karl Misulis, another neurologist at SMC and a fellow “Unassigned” band member. Essentials of Clinical Neurophysiology was the duo’s first book together and took nearly one and a half years to complete. Their second endeavor, Netter’s Concise Neurology, turns the artwork of famous medical illustrator, John Netter, into a textbook.

“I had never really thought about writing a book, especially a medical one, and then Karl approached me,” said Head. “It was a great experience, but one I don’t see myself going through again.”

As far as keeping time in his next production, Head is waiting to see what theatrical opportunities and musical benefits arise. For now, he is keeping his early mornings at the office, starting his appointments at 7:30 a.m. and trying to stay on time as best he can. “I’m just a clinical neurologist who is obsessed with time wasted waiting,” said Head. “Everyone’s time is important and I try to honor that in my practice of medicine.”




To put his money where his mouth is, Dr. Tom Head has a policy that if he is not able to see a patient within 20 to 30 minutes of the appointment time, the opportunity is given to reschedule the appointment. If the appointment cannot be rescheduled, Head offers to pay the patient’s gas expense.



April 2008

Tags:

None

Login and voice your opinion!