Fremont doc is Family Physician of the Year

Ohio Academy of Family Physicians celebrates 70th anniversary

By MORGAN PELT

Ohio Academy of Family Physicians

The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians honored Jonathan F. Diller, MD, FAAFP, as the Family Physician of the Year, on Aug. 18 during the 2018 Family Medicine Celebration Awards Dinner at The Grand Event Center in Columbus.

The OAFP annually presents the Family Physician of the Year Award to an individual who meets and exceeds the criteria of being an outstanding family physician. Other criteria include maintaining high professional standards and service orientations; providing high quality and family-centered, continuing health care; and being active in their community, higher institutions of learning, or other public affairs.

Diller, a family physician for ProMedica Memorial Hospital in Fremont, has practiced family medicine for more than 35 years. He has served in numerous roles at ProMedica Memorial Health, more notably as the chief of staff, vice chief of staff and secretary treasurer. He also served as an operating board member of the Fremont Physician Association for many years.

“The reason I chose family medicine is that I enjoy the breadth and depth of medicine, but also I felt that it was the specialty I could do the most good for the most people,” said Diller. “And I’ve remained on the frontline of medicine my entire career.”

Diller has delivered more than 1,000 babies in the Fremont community and has cared for generations of families including children’s parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. He has maintained hospital privileges and provides inpatient care to his population of children and adults patients.

“You feel very comfortable when you walk into his office,” said Mike Gabel, a patient of Diller’s. “I know in today’s medicine it’s about getting people in and out, but he doesn’t make you feel that way.”

“Dr. Diller really takes the time to sit down and talk to his patients,” said Lisa Ebert, RN. “He really wants to know the patient as a person. He cares not only about their physical health, but also about what’s happening with them emotionally and how things are going in the rest of their lives.”

“A lot of the discussions you have with patients aren’t about medicine,” said Diller. “It’s about what’s happening in their life; it’s more than taking care of their medical problems, it’s them as a person.”

Diller began his career in medicine by observing his late father, Alford C. Diller, MD, who was the 27th president of the OAFP. As Diller attended college and medical school, he had the opportunity to learn more from his father who served the Van Wert community. After training, Diller returned to Northwest Ohio to setup his family practice in Fremont, where he continues to practice today. Recently, he transitioned his practice under the Northern Ohio Medical Specialists healthcare system, still continuing to provide quality medical care to his patients.

He received his bachelors, cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland; his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo; and completed his residency at the Akron City Hospital Family Practice. He is married to his wife, Karen Diller, who is also his office manager coordinator, and they have three children and eight grandchildren together.

“Jonathan knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a family physician. He did not get into medical school with his first application,” said Karen, his wife. “But he persevered, and with his next application he did get into medical school – and I think his patients are grateful that he persevered.”

“When I think of a family physician – the ideal family physician – I think of Dr. Diller,” said Faye Dittemore, RN, a patient of Diller’s. “He knows his patients. He’s caring, reasonable, pays attention to detail, listens, goes out of his way to help people, and leads by example. He knows what to do, and just as importantly he does it. In a word, he’s a good man and he’s a credit to his profession.”

For information about the Family Physician of the Year Award, visit the awards webpage.

Morgan Pelt is communications manager for the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, is a statewide professional association with more than 4,900 members, including practicing physicians, family medicine residents and medical students; ohioafp.com/cheers-to-70-years or 800-742-7327.