(Photo of Dr. John Richey courtesy of McLeod Health)

As a boy growing up in rural Illinois, Dr. John S. Richey imagined becoming a science teacher one day so he’d have summers off to work at the beloved camp where he’d spent so much of his youth.

But when the camp closed, his career path was sealed. And today he’s a surgeon with McLeod Health in Florence where on any given day he can be found juggling patient visits, performing pancreatic surgery, and taking trauma call.

“Since I was a little kid, I said that I wanted to be a doctor,” Richey, 43, recalls. “But at that point, I was already in college and I had to make a decision to tackle the pre-med requirements.” 

So he took the MCAT, or the Medical College Admissions Test, required for entry to medical school. But it wasn’t a straight shot from there. 

After earning his undergraduate degree in biology and zoology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, he spent a year in pharmaceutical research, and another year working at a free health clinic in Portland, Oregon. It was that experience that cemented his decision to go to medical school. 

“Seeing how thankful the patients were for the physicians volunteering and how much the physicians enjoyed the purity of free clinic medicine was inspiring,” he says. 

He attended Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica in the West Indies, graduating in 2010. And though medical school was grueling, he says, he found time to explore the island jungle, going hiking and learning to scuba dive. 

While there, Richey says, he rotated through all the medical specialties and enjoyed them all. But eventually he decided that surgery was his calling. 

“I really envisioned myself being a small-town family practice doctor, following families and their kids and their kids’ kids,” he says. “But once I did my surgical rotation, I realized I really liked working with my hands and fixing problems.”

Medical school was followed by five years as a resident at the former Greenville Health System – now Prisma Health – before a one-year surgical fellowship at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, and several surgical rotations around the country, including at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

It was at Mayo that his fascination with complex upper GI surgery blossomed.

“My favorite part of surgery is fixing things and to be able to cure somebody of a disease or suffering,” he says.  

The more complicated surgeries – such as removing the head of the pancreas, the bile duct, gall bladder, and part of the intestines – can mean six to eight hours on your feet, he says, allowing that “your dogs are barking after those surgeries.”

But, he says, his keen interest in surgery and focus makes the time pass quickly.

“An old attending told me once that watching surgery can be boring,” he says, “but doing surgery is not.” 

Richey met his wife, Whitney, now a nurse practitioner in the ER at McLeod, during his residency in Greenville. They married in 2017 and have a son, Bennett, 4, and a daughter, Hollis, 3.

“She’s one of the smartest people I’ve met, and she’s very caring and a phenomenal mother. She’s the glue in our family for sure,” he says of his wife. “But also … we almost have a revolving door of neighbors and friends who come in with a sick kid, and she gives them advice.”

As a couple, they enjoy dining out, traveling, and going to the symphony, says Richey, an avid gardener who also dabbles in oil painting.  

And as a family, they enjoy visiting relatives in Florida and freshwater fishing, although Richey says with a chuckle that as often as not, tree branches are the catch of the day.

Recently, he says, they’ve begun introducing Bennett to backyard camping in a tent, flashlight, and s’mores in hand.   

“The first time, I thought he’d make it 10 minutes,” he says. “But he made it the whole night. He had a better sleeping bag. I was cold the whole night.”

Richey joined McLeod in 2017 and is in practice with the Pee Dee Surgical Group, which is operated by McLeod Physician Associates, the physician practice network of McLeod Health in Florence.

Tapped by a recruiter, Richey didn’t know much about McLeod at the time.

“I had no idea what a big hospital it was and how nice it was and what good care they provide,” he says. “I was really impressed.”

A general surgeon who is specially trained in endoscopic biliary and pancreatic surgery, he’s admired by his colleagues.

Fellow general surgeon and practice partner Dr. Hugh L. Willcox III says working with Richey has been an “absolute pleasure.” 

“From the moment I joined the practice, he made me feel welcome and part of the team,” he says. “With a fellowship in hepatobiliary surgery, Dr. Richey brings specialized knowledge in pancreas and liver surgeries. His ability to offer minimally invasive procedures … provides a rare and invaluable service in our region, giving his patients access to exceptional care and cutting-edge treatment options."  

"Dr. Richey is an outstanding physician, not only for the exceptional care he provides to his patients, but also for his leadership and commitment to enhancing our general surgery program,” says Cameron Coker, chief operating officer of McLeod Physician Associates. 

“We are truly fortunate to have his expertise, dedication, and leadership at McLeod Health."