After his first 10 years at Austin Medical Center, the time came for Dr. Tim Rietz’s official portrait, but Tim and his wife, Bonnie, had something else in mind than the formal photographs of the other doctors in suits and ties.

Tim posed for a photo clad in an African shirt and pith helmet from their time spent in Madagascar, a basketball for a noon league he played in and his cello. Tim and Bonnie packaged the picture and took it to Administrator Dick Graber, earnestly assuring him he’d really like it.

“He was trying to be polite, like, ‘We cannot put this up in the halls at the clinic,’” Bonnie said. “Then we started laughing and gave him the real picture.”

Tim and Bonnie recalled that early milestone in Tim’s 37-year tenure as an Austin doctor as Tim prepares to conclude his time at what’s now Mayo Clinic Health System – Austin and Albert Lea. Tim will retire July 31. A public reception will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on July 4 at the Austin Artworks Center, 300 N. Main Street in Austin.

 ‘Last of the Mohicans’

Sitting in his southwest Austin living room overlooking Turtle Creek, Tim recalled many of the doctors he worked with, the likes of Dick Schindler, Inman Hesla, Gene Muschow, Joe Mlinar and John Hagen along with independent doctors like the Lohman Brothers, Wanda Duscharme and many others.

Now, Tim is one of the last to retire.

“That core, I’m the last of the Mohicans,” Tim said.

Looking back over his 43 years as a doctor, many memories come to mind. Tim recalls a tracheostomy on a newborn baby in Madagascar, working with another doctor to revive a newborn, tragedy victims who couldn’t be saved, delivering babies and riding in ambulances with patients — and sometimes seeing patients 30 years later happy and healthy.

“It’s hard to put those things into words,” Tim said.

Tim grew up in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, and met Bonnie at Red Willow Bible Camp. He graduated in 1969 from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, with a degree in English and minor in chemistry. He then attended the University of North Dakota and then the University of Minnesota for medical school.

He completed a family practice residency in Spokane, Washington, learning a wide variety of skills from surgery to pediatrics and internal medicine.

But Tim and Bonnie then moved to Madagascar, where Tim worked as a doctor from 1974 to 1977. When they returned to the U.S., Tim applied for an internship and worked at the intensive care unit in Hennepin County before being accepted to the family practice program.

Tim and Bonnie came to Austin a bit by chance. They came to town first to visit Vivian Wells, a friend from their time in Madagascar, but they decided to check out the clinic too.

Tim still remembers what clicked during that first visit to the clinic: “It was the enthusiasm of the doctors,” he said, referring to people like Schindler, Hesla and Administrator Paul Tejada.

“These guys were top notch, just sharp individuals that had a love of practice and people and enthusiasm of the practice,” he added. “It was really kind of fun. They were so inviting.”

Tim joined the clinic in 1979. Bonnie would go on to teach French at Austin Community College and she’d eventually be elected Austin’s mayor.

After living across the country and abroad, Tim and Bonnie wanted to settle down in the Midwest, and Tim recalled Austin being a beautiful community with friendly people.

“Northern North Dakota just seemed too cold, so we moved south,” Tim joked, adding they preferred to live in the Midwest and visit other parts of the world.

The two have remained active in various clubs and activities around town.

“Our mindset was to make this our home and to kind of be centered around here, and we’ve never looked back,” Tim said. “We’ve had all these challenges in the community through thick and thin of the various historical events that happened here and the colleagues that I worked with.”

 Changes

Tim has witnessed a lot during his 43 years as a doctor and 37 in Austin.

“A lot of history, which I can’t claim I understand it all,” Tim said with a laugh, noting he was often focused most on his patients.

“I was more interested in the practice of medicine and dealing with people’s lives,” he added.

In his early years, Tim said doctors did just about everything. He worked with the surgeons to gain experience, he delivered his patients’ babies, took care of patients in the intensive care unit, visited the ER to see patients and more.

“We were on call every third night, but we were doing everything,” Tim said.

Occasionally, he’d leave a patient during an appointment at the clinic to deliver a baby or see a patient in the ER.

“Patients just understood that,” he said.

Today, medicine is much more specialized with people serving as experts in specific areas, and private practices have largely been replaced by group practices and medical centers.

And another big change took hold during his tenure: computers.

“Computers weren’t even part of the medical practice when I started,” he said.

On one hand, Tim witnessed an exposition in things like ultrasounds and other technologies, along with new science.

“That’s just fascinating,” he said. “It’s hard to leave some of those things behind.”

But computers haven’t necessarily simplified things. In fact, Tim says physician burnout is becoming an issue today across the country due to the increased amount of computer work and data entry.

But some government work is underway to correct that, though Tim said he doesn’t see burnout contributing to his decision to retire.

“I just think it’s time,” he said.

But Tim admitted he’s a bit tired of computer work, and he bought a FitBit and is looking forward to being more active and getting in shape.

He admitted the increased needs of data entry have made it harder to step away for things like noon basketball, which he played for about 20 years.

Even in retirement, Tim may find other areas to help out, perhaps by working with young people interested in medicine. Tim said practicing family medicine is still very rewarding, though it’s going through a few growing pains with increased data entry and computer work.

“I think that medicine is still a very vibrant, wonderful practice and calling for individuals,” Tim said.

 A new practice

During his four decades as a doctor, Tim has been interested in how viruses work, the importance of nutrition and much more. But he fears if the drive to stay current will remain as he takes time for other interests and as he isn’t focused on the day-to-day practice of medicine.

“If you don’t put it to practice, is it still going to be there?” Tim said. “But I’ve got so many other interests. I want to practice my music a little more, I want to do more … photography.”

In retirement, Tim plans to explore some other interests. He’s an avid photographer and has displayed his work at the Austin ArtWorks Center and at the medical center.

Bonnie and Tim remain active in the community, but Tim isn’t sure he’s going to take on anything new immediately after retiring, though some have already asked. He admitted he has many unfinished projects of his own to tackle and complete, including thousands of photographs to categorize and friends to contact.

In Madagascar, Tim journaled about his experiences often, but he didn’t as much in Austin. Now, he plans to write out some of his experiences, but largely for himself at first.

Tim plays the cello and is an avid biker. Tim and Bonnie have three daughters and seven grandchildren. Most of the Rietz family plans to participate in the Hog Jog and Mini Piggy Fun Run over the Fourth of July in Austin.

Tim and Bonnie remain involved in a couples club and continue supporting the arts by attending concerts and community plays. Tim also attends many community events with Bonnie in her work on the Riverland Community College Foundation board, as co-chair of The Hormel Foundation and more.

“I support a lot of her interests,” Tim said.

The couple attends St. Olaf Lutheran Church.

 A taste of advice

When he announced his July 31 retirement, Tim sent a letter to his patients and gave them a piece of advice he’s given for many years: eat healthy.

In fact, he’s given it enough to earn a nickname: The Oatmeal Doctor. He’s warned about high fructose corn syrup and other additives in contrast to benefits of slow-absorbing, high-fiber foods, and he’s quick to offer up examples of his own oatmeal routine for breakfast.

Tim pulled ingredients from his kitchen cupboards and drawers. He pours steel-cut oats, rolled oats, chia seed, flax seed and hemp hearts into a glass jar, which he closed and shook, all the while talking about the health benefits.

Bonnie can’t help but laugh as she watched him mix — and promote — his ingredients for future breakfasts.

“He loves this,” she said laughing. “He does it for the grandchildren.”

Then each morning, he’ll pour in a little almond or cashew milk and microwave his oatmeal mix about a minute. Then he’ll add a bit of Raisin Bran, cinnamon — which increases good cholesterol — some Greek yogurt for probiotics, and he’ll garnish his meal with mixed nuts and dried fruit.

“You can eat all that with a nice big spoon, and it sticks to your ribs and you’re not hungry all day,” he said.

“He tells everybody about it,” Bonnie adds.

Along with his advice for patients, Tim also echoed advice he’s given young medical students:

“When you close that door there, the patient’s got your attention,” Tim said. “This is always the common denominator, the purpose, why we’re here. That is a privilege and our duty to do the best we can in that situation.”

“It’s a privilege to be in a profession where you’re able to be in such a unique situation in other persons’ lives,” he said.

Dr. Tim Rietz’s morning oatmeal recipe

1. Make oatmeal blend of steel-cut oats, rolled oats, chia seed, flax seed and hemp heart. Store in a container.

2. Put 3 tablespoons of oatmeal blend in bowl.

3. Add 1 cup of coconut or almond milk.

4. Cook in microwave for 1 minute.

5. Add 3/4 cup Raisin Bran and 1/4 cup granola.

5. Add a dollop of yogurt, and a generous amount of cinnamon.

6. Garnish with mixed nuts, dried fruit and fresh blueberries (in season).