ROCKVILLE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — There’s a lot of history in the Parke Clinic. Inside it’s almost like a museum. Photos of Dr.John Franklin Swaim, his travels, his achievements, his credentials, his family. Since the 1960’s, Dr. Swaim has provided medical care to so many people, and he still enjoys his work at 87 years old.
Dr. Swaim spends a lot of time at work, up to 16 hours per day. And he’s not the only Swaim, working hard at the clinic. There’s his sister Alice who does a lot of office work, his daughter Heather who is in RN, there’s also another sister who helps from time to time and his wife Dr. Peggy Sankey.
Peggy says they have many long time patients and they are close to them.
“They’re like family to you, friends who are close enough to be family,” said Dr. Sankey.
“Caring. He just simply cares about his patients, so deeply and that’s what keep him
going,” said Alice Swaim.
After graduating from I.U. Medical School in 1963, Swaim spent a year in Vietnam as part of
the Military Provincial Hospital Assistance program with the Air Force. The program provided medical care to the local population and ultimately they tried to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese.
One situation stands out to him, when he did an emergency c-section with local anathesa for
woman whose infant was dead.
“I remember that case, she survived, but that was a memorable event, said Swaim.
After the war, he came back to Indiana and started his practice in his hometown. Later, he
married Peggy and the two worked together to serve the community eventually operating to five
facilities in two counties.
Work continues to be at the heart of Dr. Swaim’s life. Even his motto involves work, it’s “labor omnia vincit,” which is Latin for “work conquers all.”
Even with all his work, he found time to write a book called “One Year And Eternity”
It’s about his time in Vietnam, but it’s more than that,
“It’s about the philosophical aspect of war, the reality of war, it’s about
philosophy and history,” said Swaim.
Since he’s a doctor, he has some medical advice. Don’t smoke, keep your weight normal, stay physically and mentally active.
He also paraphrases a quote often attributed Hippocrates from two thousand years ago.
“If you can cure it with food, have the chemist keep his pills in his pocket,” said Dr. Swaim.
