TIMOTHY F. PINGREE, MD

The Healer’s Art

As an ear, nose, and throat physician I am trained to diagnose and treat the complex medical and surgical issues that confront the head and neck region. However, the healing process also requires an emotional connection facilitated by empathic listening. I relish the process of working with patients to identify and treat the cause(s) of a problem, not just the outward symptoms, thus maximizing their chances of healing.

Dear Friends,

I want to inform you of an upcoming change in my professional life.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints, my wife Lou Ann and I have been asked to serve as mission leaders for a group of 180-300 young missionaries in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area, beginning July 1 of this year. The assignment is for 3 years, leaving us with the plan to return to Denver and practice ENT again in the Summer of 2023. During this time of service, we will devote all of our energies to the spiritual and emotional development of our young missionaries, working with them to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people in South Florida. I will not be involved in the practice of medicine during the interim.

The decision to leave on a mission is bittersweet, as Denver has been our home for 28 years. The calling to practice medicine, including my associations with physician partners, providers, and colleagues, as well as the countless patients with whom I’ve interacted, have been some of the great blessings of my life. I will miss you all and the blessed life I’ve lived more than words can say.

People ask why we would leave at such a prime period in life and career in order to volunteer our time and energies to something so removed from medicine. It really boils down to a question of faith: when we were invited to serve, we decided to go because we felt that this is part of God’s plan for us.

Many tender mercies have allowed us to leave in 2 months, one of which is the addition of Dr. Joseph Gonzalez to Integrated Ear, Nose & Throat beginning in July. Joe is currently completing his ENT residency at The University of Colorado School of Medicine, and will effectively take my place, making him a great fit as well as be a fabulous addition to our practice. By combining with Drs. Clark Walker, Bill Dickey, and Jessica Specht, we’ll continue to have four physician providers and two Physician Assistants to serve you and the patients you entrust to our care.

There will, however, not be a specific provider in our office to care for the mold patients and those with biotoxin illness from an otolaryngologic perspective, as this is one of my unique “niches” in the practice. Therefore, it is best to refer this specific group of patients to other specialists in this arena during my absence.

Thanks for your many kind words and deeds over these past decades. We look forward to this new and exciting chapter in our lives, knowing that we have dear friends back in Denver whom we’ll see upon our return. Feel free to contact our office for any questions or referrals at (303) 706-1616.

God bless you all,

Tim Pingree, MD