Gutwein encourages BCHP graduates to keep listening, learning

Thomas Gutwein, MD, Physician Executive at Parkview Health, encouraged fall 2024 graduates from Trine University’s Dr. Earl D. and Melanie N. Brooks College of Health Professions to listen to others, share what they know and never stop learning during a special hooding and pinning ceremony on Friday, Dec. 6.

Held in the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts on the Angola campus, the event recognized nursing, surgical technology and physician assistant students who completed their degrees at the end of the fall semester.

Anthony Kline, Ph.D., Trine University Vice President for Academic Affairs, welcomed those in attendance by encouraging them to celebrate new beginnings and embrace living in the moment.

“The word commencement means ‘a beginning,’ and you have achieved a significant new beginning. The new opportunities that will present themselves because of this new beginning are also cause for celebration, but perhaps the greatest celebration is that you've arrived at this moment,” he said. “So, welcome to the moment.”

Never stop learning

Gutwein, citing his experience as Allen County Health Commissioner, opened his address to the graduates with a warm welcome from the northeast Indiana community. He praised the graduates for choosing “a path that is both noble and necessary: the path of service in the health profession.”

“Medicine is exciting, and it will provide an endless array of opportunities to anyone that has the energy and abilities to explore those opportunities,” he said. “You won't find a better occupation where you can help someone in their darkest hour, provide someone with relief from unbearable pain or hold the hand of a stranger that just needs to know if someone cares.”

Gutwein shared his own path to the healthcare field and public health arena.

He stated, “Each of us is writing our own story, one that shapes what we do, how we respond and how we treat others.”

He reflected on his high school football career, his brief engineering career path, his battle with mononucleosis that sparked an interest in medicine and his challenging medical school experience.

Gutwein has served as the Emergency Department Medical Director for Parkview Health since 2000 and has served as Health Commissioner for the Allen County Department of Health since 2022.

In both roles, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gutwein has seen the importance of a healthy community.

“All of us are looking for the same thing, a healthier, happier place to live, but the key to this is a healthy community. I'm now challenging you to be a part of that solution,” he said. “We will need to share our ideas, share our talents and help each other take care of our neighbors.”

The speaker encouraged the graduates to listen to and be in-the-moment with their patients.

“Being in emergency medicine has exposed me to thousands of patients from virtually all walks of life, from just a few hours old to well over 100 years. I have learned every day from these interactions, but what I have learned most is to focus on listening,” he shared. “Listening to the patient will make you a better clinician, help you understand and lead you to the correct answer.”

To drive his point home, Gutwein recalled a time when he diagnosed a young man from Africa with malaria and offered him treatment.

“He politely turned down my offer and stated, ‘I'm going back home where they know better than you how to treat malaria,’” Gutwein quoted. “I didn't feel offended at all. I felt happy that he was able to make his own healthcare decisions and do what he felt best.”

“Sometimes we think we know what's best, but we still need to be open to seeing things through the perspective of others. Learn every day. The day you stop learning is the day you stop living.”

Gutwein concluded with some final tips as the graduates quickly approach careers in the healthcare field.

“Take time to listen and reflect and share so that you can understand others better, and then give back. Time is your most valuable asset that you can share with others. As you step into your careers, I encourage you to see each challenge as an opportunity. Approach your work with humility, listen to those who serve and never stop asking, ‘how can we do better?’”

“The road ahead will not always be easy, but it will write your story. Make it a story you can be proud of,” Gutwein urged. “The world is counting on your brilliance, your compassion and your unwavering commitment to the health of all.”

New beginnings

Following the presentation of pins and hoods, Timothy Raftery, president of the Trine University Alumni Association, welcomed the graduates as Trine alumni.

In response, Ava Shamoon, a Master of Physician Assistant Studies major who was named the Outstanding BCHP Graduate of December 2024, told her fellow graduates that although the end to their journey feels bittersweet, it marks a noteworthy achievement that they have worked their entire lives for.

“We became each other's family, sharing in the challenges and moments of joy and supporting one another through every obstacle,” Ava said. “We will always share the memories of this experience and never forget what brought us here. Here's to a future of health, growth and endless possibility.”

“Patients will see us on their worst days, and it is our duty to advocate for them and provide comfort in their most vulnerable state. Let's commit to being the best we can be, not just for ourselves, but for our patients and for each other.”

In closing, Dr. Kline told the graduates their degree did not mark the end of a journey, but rather the beginning of a new one.

“As you leave campus today, you will leave as a different individual. You have achieved one set of goals, and now it's time to reach for a new set,” he said. “Remember, your degree is not an end, but rather a beginning, a catalyst or inception of what will become.”