Article by: Erica Douglas | Photography by: Jennifer Roberts
A doctor is one you rely on to take care of your health, but for Anne Mays and her family, the role of doctor has become much more.
Over the past several years, John Scott, M.D., FACP, with Quincy Medical Group has cared for three generations of Anne’s family beginning with her parents and aunt, then she and her husband, and eventually her son and daughter-in-law. “He’s special to me,” she said. “I know that the generations after me are getting good care, just like the generations before me.”
Her son, John Frank, says receiving care from Dr. Scott is somewhat of a family tradition. In fact, when he moved back to Quincy in 1999 to be closer to family, he said the decision to establish care with Dr. Scott came easy. “It wasn’t a question of who I was going to have for a primary care physician it was basically instinctive. ”
“…I’m taking care of grandma and grandpa, then mom and dad, then their kids. It’s really an honor to be able to do that.” – Dr. John Scott
He points to a connection with Dr. Scott that makes his family’s relationship with him so special. “When we get together, I’m more than a patient to him, and he’s more than a doctor to me. He’s not just a friend; he’s spiritually a member of the family.”
For Dr. Scott that feeling is mutual. His practice philosophy is centered around focusing on physical, mental, and spiritual health of his patients. He began his practice at Quincy Medical Group in 1983, and through the years has become close with many families in the area including the Mays family. “One of the reasons I came to Quincy, Illinois was so I could start a primary care practice where I’m taking care of grandma and grandpa, then mom and dad, and then their kids. It’s really an honor to be able to do that,” he said.
Dr. Scott encourages all his patients to take an active role in their health. That advice stuck with John and Anne, and led to valuable mother and son time. Upon arriving back in Quincy, John found himself less and less active. “I wasn’t normally a sedentary person, but I was overweight because I had stopped working out the way I had in my 20s. When we moved to Quincy, it was just a matter of me being a couch potato.”
John was encouraged by Dr. Scott to make a change. “I remember him telling me ‘I’m not asking you to do a half hour or an hour yet, I’m just asking you to get off the couch and walk two minutes around the block,” he said.
Those two minutes around the block turned into daily walks with his mom at the Kroc Center in Quincy. This has been their daily routine for approximately five years, until recently when Anne experienced a fall. “We would accomplish over a mile and a half. I’m 55, and she’s 84, and we would be passing people that are younger than me. It wasn’t like we were super-fast, but we were steady.”
John cherishes those walks with his mom. “That time evolved into us getting together as much for the socialization and joy of being able to get together once a day, and having exercise as the rallying point. You didn’t even care about the exercise. You just looked forward to getting together to chat. We would wind up talking and before you know it we’re done. Oftentimes that would happen.”
“His nurses are wonderful too. I know they are all going to take the best care of me.” -Ann Mays
On their walks around the track, they would often see Dr. Scott, proving that he just doesn’t give advice, he follows it too. “Our walks started with encouragement from Dr. Scott. So, seeing him was inspiring because this guy is putting his money where his mouth is. And, then for probably over a year, we kept seeing him exercise at the Kroc Center about the same time we were. As much as I depended on seeing my mom every day, you could count on seeing him as well.”
Dr. Scott says he looks forward to seeing them too. “With their family, we just really fit well together,” he said. “I enjoy seeing them out and about. It’s just a really nice relationship.”
Anne, John, and their family continue to count on and turn to Dr. Scott. “He’s a friend,” Anne said. “His nurses are wonderful too. I know they are all going to take the best care of me.”
John agrees. “He takes total care of the total person. I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody who is as proactive about a person’s health and wellness,” he said. “He takes personal responsibility to make sure you’re ok.”
Simply put, Anne says, “He cares.”
