I am Mark Olson and have been a physician here in Lincoln county for almost 38 years. I replaced Tom Jeffers as a public health service doctor. The National Health Service Corp, NHSC, paid for my medical schooling and in return I was required to go to a health provider shortage area, HPSA, which Lincoln county certainly was. This worked out perfectly for our family as my wife, Cindy and I grew up in Colorado Springs and have relatives there, Denver and the Rocky Ford area. We are the HUB city. It also fit perfectly with my professional plans as I had wanted to be a doctor since I was eight years old and a small town doctor since I was thirteen after talking with my own Family Physician.
Cindy and I started dating when I was sixteen and she was fifteen. I knew from the start she would be my best friend and lover for life. On our first date I told her I was going to marry her someday and believe it or not she went out with me again. We have been together for the last fifty two years. We grew and matured together meeting life’s challenges and successes. I feel like I am the luckiest man alive to have been blessed with a relationship like ours for the last fifty two years.
We have been blessed with two children, Heather Ann and Dustin Matthew, both valedictorians in their senior classes at Limon High School. Heather is married to Richard Hafer, they both graduated from Colorado School of Mines with engineering degrees. They have three children, Remy 17, Sally 14 and Finn 12. Unfortunately, for us they live in Connecticut but we see them as often as we are able. Cindy and I have experienced many wonderful things in life, but I think the best so far is being “Gramps”.
Dustin graduated from Washington and Lee University in Virginia with a degree in “Politics”. Yes, I was concerned. He has had an extraordinary career and runs his own political consulting firm based out of Alexandria, VA. He is married to Carolyn who he met on one of his political campaigns in SC. They are both heavily involved in politics. Carolyn is a consultant as well and frequently works in collaboration with Dustin. We have been blessed to have two such outstanding children. I was relieved as I expected “payback” for my misdeeds as an adolescent.
I was the fourth boy in four years to my mother and father, they finally got the girl five years later. I was born on my father’s birthday which was his father’s birthday, and we were all 30 years apart. About a month after my birthday, my father contracted Bulbar Polio and spent the next several months in Warm Springs, GA. He was 30 years old. This left him quite disabled from muscle atrophy in his upper body. My mother had to care for him and help him with most activities of daily living, like dressing, bathing and much more. Despite this he received his master’s degree and worked for Easter Seals. He developed and was the director of the Rocky Mountain Rehabilitation Center, RMRC, in Colorado Springs for 25 years. The facility for RMRC is now the campus St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs.
My mother is nothing less than a Saint! She reared five children, four knot head boys and a brat sister, while caring for my father. She is also, an accomplished artist. She is now a resident of Aspen Leaf at ninety-four years of age. She is a delight. Cindy’s parents are in their nineties and live in Colorado Springs. We see them pretty much every weekend as well as her uncle in Denver that is pushing ninety. Caring for the elders has been an honor. I’m glad I’m a board-certified geriatrician.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
See above
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
As mentioned, I wanted to be a physician since I was eight years old, and this did not change. I strove my whole life to achieve this. I had too much fun in high school but did well, Wasson 73, Go Thunderbirds! I was accepted at The Colorado College and paid with grants and loans receiving a BA in Biology Cum Laude. Cindy and I were married in our junior year. A year after graduation off to medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver for four years then a Family Medicine Residency at Mercy Medical Center in Denver for the next three years. In my third year of residency, I did a rural rotation with Dr. Jeffers, 1984. This is the first time I met some of you. Dr. Jeffers decided to leave the following year and I needed a HPSA to fulfill my NHSC obligation, so we came out full time in the summer of 1985. At that time this was a full-service frontier practice, Dr. Scarinzi and I were the only medical providers for approximately 80 miles in any direction. We did outpatient clinic, emergency room, hospital medicine, nursing home, surgery and obstetrics. I believe I helped deliver 500 babies over the years. I worked for Plains Medical Center for 25 years and Lincoln Health for the past 13 years. I have been the Chief of the Medical Staff for 30 plus of those years. We were also, prison doctors for 8 years at the Limon Correctional Facility. I have been blessed and had the honor to have worked with some outstanding colleagues over the years, approximately 75 to 80 MD’s, DO’s, FNP’s and PA’s. I’m not sure if I still would be here if not for the fact that Dr. John Fox and his family came to us the year of the tornado. He has been my colleague, partner and friend for the past 33 years. Together with the assistance of many others we have been able to provide stability and medical care for our area for the past 38 years. Lincoln Health has grown and adapted to the ever-changing healthcare landscape. We have always found a way to survive, unlike many rural communities. Many of our young have trained in the healthcare field and returned to our area. They are assuming leadership roles in our system, providing experience and vitality ensuring our future. With our current Board, Administration, Providers and Staff, I feel as I near the final chapter of my career the citizens of our community can look forward to a very bright healthcare future and will be in excellent hands. After all we are “Neighbors Helping Neighbors”.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
My favorite restaurant was The Golden China Café, always a fun and interesting experience. Oscar’s is currently my favorite, the Big Easy, yum.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I’ve lived in Lincoln County almost 38 years.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Don and Helen Morrison are a font of knowledge of the past 90 years for the Limon area and are wonderful community minded citizens and friends.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I really do not have a favorite TV show, but I have enjoyed many series on the internet. “Saving Private Ryan” although not really entertaining gave me a gut feeling of the horror and sacrifice that so many of our fellow citizens in the armed services have endured for our freedom. My father was on a destroyer off Normandy beach on D-Day.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
I believe in a strong work ethic taught to me by my father and mother. We are privileged to live in the USA where: “You can follow your dreams if you make the effort”.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Joe Biden to do a mental status exam at Southside. Seriously, Elon Musk because he is so innovative and forward thinking.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
Tamarac Golf Course, pretty nice for a small town, the new swimming pool and especially the Heritage Museum.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Hopefully in 5 to 10 years we will be happily retired travelling, experiencing life and neglected hobbies, otherwise I will be in an urn on my wife’s nightstand.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am related somehow to Jonathan Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed on my father’s side and Matthew Thornton New Hampshire representative to the Continental Congress whose signature is bottom right on the Declaration of Independence, apparently a 5th or 6th great uncle.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
That is easy, my wife Cynthia and the Big Easy at Oscar’s.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My wife and children, my colleagues and the memory of my father.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Love – Laughter – Loyalty
