Lodi ophthalmologist George Chen retires, continues mission

After 43 years in the field of ophthalmology, 26 of those in Lodi at the Delta Eye Medical Group, Dr. George Chen is retiring.

Chen, soft-spoken and thoughtful, will be spending his retirement as the medical director of the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP), continuing his pursuit of health education and preventative medicine and focusing on his role as an elder and Sabbath school teacher at the English Oaks Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

George Chen

Recently, Chen started 2009 off by speaking with Business Editor Marc Lutz about his career, family and goals for a healthier community.

Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect in your 43 years of being an ophthalmologist?

A: I think it's the health education aspect of the practice of medicine I've been involved with. To see the wonderful changes that have occurred as people have incorporated a new lifestyle into their life.

Q: What drove you to become an ophthalmologist?

A: It was just the wonders of the eye; that I could make a difference in people's lives by treating eye diseases and doing eye surgeries. I had a wonderful professor who inspired me to go in that direction.

I had an older brother who was an eye doctor. I practiced with him for six years in Caldwell, Idaho.

Dr. George Chen at a glance

Age: 69.

Born and raised: Ayer, Mass. Chen lived in Ayers until 1960, went to Loma Linda University in Southern California.

Education: Graduated Loma Linda University in 1964 from the School of Medicine. Took eye residency in 1968. Finished residency at White Memorial in L.A. Earned Masters in Public Health from Loma Linda in '70s.

Family: Married to Irma Chen for 47 years. Two boys, George Jr. and Andrew. Four grandchildren: two girls, two boys. Andrew practices with Delta Eye Medical Group in Lodi. George Jr. is a dentist in Folsom.

Hobbies: Flying airplanes, bird watching, traveling, bible study, being an elder at English Oaks Seventh Day Adventist Church and being involved with the CHIP program.

What most people may not know about Dr. Chen: Chen jokingly refers to himself as an ABC who is a BAC (American-born Chinse who is a born-again Christian). "I'm just a regular guy," Chen said.

Information on CHIP: The annual Coronary Health Improvement Project will be held from Jan. 15 to March 5 at the Better Living Center at English Oaks Adventist Church in Lodi, 1260 W. Century. Blvd. Call 369-1021 or visit www.chipusa.org or www.sdachip.org for more information.

News-Sentinel staff

Then I came to Weimar and practiced three-and-a-half years at the New Start Live-in Health Education program. I was the first physician at the Weimar Institute.

Then I joined Dr. (Alan) Nakanishi in 1982, and have been practicing ever since. With the retirement, Dr. Nakanishi will be seeing my patients.

Q: Tell me about the most challenging part of your career over the past four decades.

A: I think it's been seeing the ravages of Western lifestyle diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes ... how they've mushroomed in the last 40 years. That's why I've been involved in health education and preventative medicine to make a difference. I took a Master's in Public Health in 1970 from Loma Linda University.

Q: What is CHIP? What's your role with the organization?

A: CHIP is the Coronary Health Improvement Project. It's designed to substantially lower high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, heartburn and angina, and to lessen depression. I'm the medical director, and my wife is the associate director.

Q: Does your son, Dr. Andrew Chen, who is taking over your practice, come to you for advice in the field?

A: Oh yeah. We have a great relationship. We consult back and forth all the time.

Q: What's the most important advice you've given him?

A: The most important advice is just to be honest and mainly it's about integrity.

Q: What's the most important thing you've learned from him?

A: We're just so proud of him. He's a competent, compassionate physician. As far as learning from him, he's my financial consultant. He's very good at finances and administration.

Q: How have you created a successful business in Lodi?

A: It's not all me. It's the whole Delta Eye Medical Group. Through health education and medical service, we've tried to meet the needs of our community.

We're ... serving the community (and) the world as well. A number of physicians have gone overseas on mission projects.

Q: Now that you're retiring, what will you do with your time?

A: I'm going to continue to be involved in health education and preventative medicine, continue to be involved in the church. I'm one of the elders and I teach Sabbath school. I'm quite involved there.

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.

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