Date: Fri 19-Mar-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Thomas-Draper-retires

Full Text:

Dr Draper Retires After 40 Years Of Service

(with photo)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

After 40 years of treating Newtown's youngsters, Dr Draper hung up his

stethoscope and put away his tongue depressors Friday. The beloved

pediatrician, now 72, is stepping down from his practice, but will remain

active in his never ending effort to promote community medicine.

Earlier this week, Thomas Draper, Jr, MD, sat down with The Bee to talk about

his career, his 40 years in Newtown and his concerns for the future of

community health.

"It has been a joyful experience. I highly value the opportunity to care for

these children and their families. It's been very rewarding," said Dr Draper.

He stopped seeing patients in December.

Since arriving in Newtown on March 19, 1959 (exactly 40 years ago to the day

of his retirement), Dr Draper's work has touched countless lives. To children,

he was the kind and gentle man who often treated kids from birth to their post

college days. To parents, he was a sort of extension of the family who was

always there to provide an assuring hand. To his colleagues, Dr Draper was

considered a goodwill ambassador to young doctors and a leader who helped

establish the community medicine program in the Danbury area. He will continue

to serve as Danbury Hospital's director of community medicine.

As a pediatrician, Dr Draper gained respect not only for his treatments, but

his accessibility, as well. He always made himself available for 7 am patient

phone calls at his home, an amazing feat, especially for a man with seven

children of his own -- Kathleen, Mary, Joan, Martha, Donna, Rosemary and

Joseph.

When a parent would bring his or her child in to see him, Dr Draper always

made a point to first ask how the parent was doing.

"I always thought the support the family provided for the child was more

important than the doctor," he said. "The doctor can be a helper, but it is

the integrity of the family that makes the difference."

Community Health

As Newtown's director of health, Dr Draper's efforts have gone beyond the

field of health care. His concerns over the condition of the public water

supply sparked the creation of the development of the sanitary code in town.

This past week, Health District Director Mark Cooper and the rest of the

health district board presented Dr Draper with an achievement award for his 29

years of service to the community.

Health District chairman Jim Smith called Dr Draper a real behind-the-scenes

force who was instrumental in the health district's expansion. As concerned as

Dr Draper was in the treatment of patients, he was equally committed to

prevention, he said.

Newtown's health regulations were lacking when Dr Draper first took over back

in 1965. Septic systems were built with little regard for the environment,

polluting streams and reservoirs. The doctor admits he knew little about being

a health director, but he made sure he learned and earned his degree in health

care organization from Yale University in 1965. It was there that he learned

the importance of testing soil quality before building septic systems or

creating lots.

Former conservation director David Thompson once called Dr Draper Newtown's

"evangelist sanitarian."

Mae Schmidle, longtime resident and former president of the Visiting Nurse

Association, said the town is where it is today -- in terms of health issues

-- because of leadership and inspiration. "He has always had a good vision for

this town and where it is going," she said.

Mrs Schmidle said the doctor became the state's first MD to also receive a

master's degree in public health.

"He has always been a leader as far as his concerns for the health of the

people in the community," noted longtime resident Mary Holian.

Dr Draper was a charter member of the Conservation Commission in Newtown and

said some of his fondest memories were working with people like Art Spector

and Polly Brody for the cause of promoting the environment of Newtown. He

continues to serve as medical adviser for the Newtown school system. And,

through his connection with the health district, Dr Draper has also been

involved in the town's social services agency. He set up the committee that

hired the town's first social worker.

As Danbury Hospital's director of community medicine, he heads a team of

physicians focused in on a broad range of public health issues such as

tuberculosis (TB) and sexually transmitted diseases. His link between the city

of Danbury and the hospital has helped support area health programs and

agencies in their efforts to bring care to a the population. He was involved

in the establishment of the school-based health clinic at Danbury High.

"Our concern is that the needs of vulnerable members of the community are

met," he said of community medicine.

Gerard Robilotti, executive vice president of Danbury Hospital, said Dr Draper

has contributed greatly to the quality of medical care in the area.

"He had the unique vision of marrying the public health care needs of the

community to the acute care of the hospital," he said. "Tom set up strong ties

between the hospital and the various health departments he was involved in."

Mr Robilotti said Dr Draper, who once chaired the hospital's department of

pediatrics, has a way about him that has drawn the respect and admiration of

his peers. He took many young doctors under his wing to ensure their early

years in the profession were successful.

Dr Draper served as president of the Danbury Hospital medical staff from

1993-96, chaired the hospital's department of pediatrics and was instrumental

in setting up the geriatrics center in Danbury.

The Health Of The Community

As much as Dr Draper has been a watchdog for the health of individuals, he has

also focused in on the health of the community. He fell in love with Newtown

soon after he arrived and believes its sense of community is what makes it a

special place to practice. He considered Newtown's first doctor, Benjamin

Egee, a mentor for his sense of community and marvelous perspective on life.

The doctor fears Newtown may be in danger of losing that sense of cultural

heritage that has made it such a wonderful place to live and practice.

"We're losing sight of that historical tradition," he explained. "People tend

to be too isolated these days and that sense of inter-dependence is no longer

there."

Walking is not only good for the body, but also for the mind, Dr Draper said.

It allows people to get out and about to meet their neighbors. He has endorsed

the borough's plan to construct sidewalks around the center of town.

The State Of Medicine

The state of medicine has changed significantly since Dr Draper first began

practicing a half century ago.

"When I first started, children were much more vulnerable to diseases than

today. These days, it's rare to have kids sick enough to be in the hospital,"

he explained. The character of medicine has also changed with fewer family

practitioners and more specialists. For those who choose to be family doctors,

carrying on a tradition like that of Dr Draper can be difficult. Managed

health care, HMOs and other limitations in medical coverage have changed the

face of the industry, according to the doctor.

Dr Draper and his wife, Patricia, moved to a home at 10 Main Street upon

arriving in Newtown in 1959. The doctor, who had moved to town from Syracuse,

set up an office at his home. In 1965, he opened his office on Route 6 where

he continued to treat patients until this year. Back then, doctors made house

calls, and Dr Draper was no exception.

In 1968, he moved his wife and seven children to Deep Brook Road where he

purchased the Northy Jones house and surrounding 60 acres. Dr Draper grew up

on a farm and fulfilled a lifelong dream when he opened the dairy farm behind

what is now Dickinson Park.

During the mid 1980s, he sold the house and surrounding three acres to Donald

Studley and family. He still owns much of the farmland, however.

Today, Dr and Mrs Draper make their home along the shores of Taunton Lake. He

credits much of his success to his wife, who he calls "the manager."

"Nothing happens unless we're in sync," he said.

Dr Draper was born on Long Island and followed his father's footsteps into the

medical field. He earned his medical degree from Queens College in Kingston,

Ontario in 1955.

During the early 1970s, Dr Draper became team doctor for the newly-formed

Newtown High football team. For whatever reason, those were injury-filled days

and the doctor found himself trudging onto the field to the aid of one injured

player after another.

"I spent more time in the emergency room chasing concussions," he recalled

with a chuckle. "Every game, I was saying my prayers that nobody got hurt."