VILLAGE MEMBER STORIES
Bob Andelman, Portsmouth
What prompted you and your wife to settle in Portsmouth in 1979?
I moved here from Boston after my anesthesia training in 1979 and took a job practicing anesthesia at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. I switched to the new Portsmouth Hospital in 1985, and stayed for 28 years, retiring in 2013. My wife and I met at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital where she was working as an ED and ICU nurse, and as a faculty member of the UNH School of Nursing. I thoroughly enjoyed my 34 years in private practice on the Seacoast, as my group served all who came to the hospital for surgery, obstetrics, and acute and chronic pain control.
Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Belmont, Mass., trained in anesthesia at the (old) Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and at Tufts.
Tell us about your professional experience.
I am drawn to small community hospitals, and loved my work, even as the Seacoast and its hospitals grew exponentially over time. I started the obstetric epidural service in 1985, and especially enjoyed finishing an epidural for a woman in labor, with her either smiling or starting to doze with relief. If the call from the hospital came at 2am, I can’t say I jumped with joy, but that was my responsibility and commitment to the community.
How do you most like to spend your time now?
When I retired in August 2013, I was perfectly happy with my coffee, newspaper, going to the gym, reading, and watching streaming services. Two years later, an old friend turned me onto the UNH Marine Docent Program, a two-semester course in marine biology and oceanography, followed by multiple volunteer opportunities conducting tours at Appledore and Star Islands, crewing on the Gundalow, and doing squid dissection with elementary and middle school students. Covid made me much quieter, and now I am down to just Appledore tours.
I spend my mornings biking, spinning, walking, and working out in our small home gym, which we set up because of Covid. Meeting friends for meals and talks is common, and I travel to New York, Knoxville, and San Diego to see my adult children and young grandchildren. Reading and streaming occupies many evenings.
In 2016, I kept my medical license, retooled, and began volunteering at Families First seeing men and women with opioid use disorder, prescribing Suboxone and doing my best to support and counsel them. This was fascinating and allowed me to see a totally different side of life. Several of my patients were homeless, and all had limited resources. My learning curve was extremely steep because I had to learn a new subject area, had to learn an electronic medical record, and most of all, had to learn how to talk to my patients!! Before, I could spend a half hour evaluating and talking to a pre-operative surgical patient, but that was gathering information and describing the anesthesia. Getting to know my substance use disorder patients was a different world, and I got to know them and develop their trust over time, some the entire seven years during which I did this work. Relapses on opioids or other street drugs were common, and I stuck with my patients through thick and thin. In early 2023, the Biden administration correctly opened Suboxone prescribing to any licensed provider, and I became obsolete! I said goodbye to my patients and was extremely grateful for that experience.
Why did you join the Village and how does it fit into your long-term plans?
After I “retired” from Families First, I thought about doing more volunteering, knew about The Villages Project from friends, met with Nancy Euchner, and am embarking on a new journey! I don’t know exactly where this chapter of volunteering will lead, but we’ll see!
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