Herrmann Spetzler is CEO of Open Door Community Health Centers in Humboldt and Del Norte counties in northern California. Before participating in a discussion in Fresno on rural healthcare’s future, he confessed that he was dating himself in the green room with his hero (Albert Schweitzer), his childhood hobby (roller-skating), and how much he remembers paying for a movie ticket as a kid ($0.15).
Q. How do you pass the time in the doctor’s waiting room?
A. I actually spend a lot of time in doctor’s waiting rooms because I want to see what it’s like for the patient to experience that. I do a lot of people watching, especially looking at frustration-gauging.
Q. Who was your hero as a child?
A. Albert Schweitzer-I guess that dates me.
Q. How long can you go without checking your email?
A. Twelve hours, maybe.
Q. Where would we find you at 10:00 on a typical Saturday morning?
A. Working in my garden.
Q. What inspires you?
A. The convergence of technology with human interaction.
Q. What’s your favorite season?
A. The fall. It primarily has to do with the change in the season. It’s hard to imagine when you’re in Fresno, since you have no fall, and you have only wet and hot.
Q. Do you have any recurring dreams or nightmares?
A. I have a recurring dream about being able to fly on roller skates. When I was young, roller-skating was a big thing. I roller-skated down banisters and all sorts of things.
Q. When did you last dance?
A. Last Friday. We have lots of live music in our area, and my wife likes to dance, so that’s our social activity.
Q. Who do you go to for advice?
A. I did go to my father, but he passed away this last year.
Q. How much is too much to pay for a movie ticket?
A. I can tell you when I was a child the least I paid for a movie ticket was $0.15. When I took my granddaughters to the movie the other day, I think it cost me $60 by the time the three of us got done stopping at the concession and getting into the movie.
*Photo by Esteban Cortez.