Many times in life, you meet an individual who creates an impact on your life.
Social Model Recovery Systems (SMRS) had such an opportunity in Donald Kurth, M.D. who passed away this week. Dr. Kurth presented information and experiences for SMRS at numerous community events for many years. His impact and his knowledge of issues related to alcohol and other drug use and addiction were boundless. The many years he spent advocating for those who did not have a voice showed SMRS what an incredible person he was in our field.
When the time came for SMRS to look for a Medical Director to assist with growing changes in the field, the Agency looked through our list of doctors who could assist and kept coming back to Dr. Kurth. He, at this point, was happily retired and listened to the opportunity with optimism. It almost felt like a light went on in him to have the opportunity to join us in our exciting new adventure. We established some parameters, came up with realistic expectations, and began the work necessary to take SMRS onto the next step in our adventure.
Don quickly became part of our family. His openness with his own struggles with alcohol and other drugs allowed for our residents and staff to let down some of the walls, which are sometimes created from addiction. Don’s passion to assist individuals and help develop systems were welcomed by our team. He was instrumental in developing medications for addiction treatment protocols and training to assist staff with a new approach to treatment. He, along with our other physicians and staff, developed new treatment strategies and protocols, bringing withdrawal management services into our residential component. The lists go on and on.
Early in 2020, Dr. Kurth, who at one time in his career studied and taught Epidemiology, met with our CEO and helped begin to develop plans for what looked to be an impending pandemic. With his guidance and knowledge, our CEO was able to prepare for the future. Dr. Kurth’s guidance allowed us to secure protective measures and implement safety protocols prior to the lockdown. Many of the changes were instrumental in mitigating the spread of COVID and increased the level of safety for some of our staff.
One more time, the list goes on and on.
Most of all, he provided an ear for concerns within the programs of “what should we do when …” and was able to give our staff appropriate feedback to assist our participants who desperately needed a safe place to begin a life of recovery.
He truly became a friend to many of us. He shared his life experience freely and helped many individuals feel like it was okay to call him “Don”. We will truly miss you, our friend, and thank you for allowing us the opportunity to learn and to teach. We would be remised if we did not mention the Don who never stopped learning: Donald Kurth, MD, MBA, MPA, DFASAM. He took advantage of every opportunity to gain knowledge from anyone who shared with him something he did not know. If the subject interested him, and most did, he would find who the experts were and read everything they had available on the subject. He helped many around him to also “never stop learning.”
