FOREST PORT – Dr. Stephanie Bosch, 32, of the Waldport Clinic died Wednesday night after being rushed to the Newport emergency room for medical treatment.
Dr. Lesley Ogden, CEO of Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport and Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City, was unable to comment on the circumstances of Bosch’s death out of consideration for her family, but was able to testify that Bosch will be greatly missed in Waldport, both as a health care provider and as a member of the local community.
“She was an amazing doctor and very young,” said Ogden. “It was a sudden and unexpected emergency. It was the Waldport Clinic where she worked the most. She also worked in the hospital, but she spent most of her day in Waldport. The patients there, whom they have got to know over the years, were simply devastated. “
Bosch had been working at the Waldport Clinic since 2018 and was the family doctor for many residents of Waldport. Due to recent staffing problems at the clinic, she has been one of the few doctors available in southern Lincoln County for the past six months. After her death last week, the clinic was closed while a temporary replacement was arranged.
“She came to us from the family medicine specialist training in Corvallis and was well known in the Samaritan system before she threw on her hat as a doctor in charge in Waldport,” said Ogden. “Then she came to us in 2018 and has been with us ever since.”
Ogden said Bosch started working with newborns but soon made the transition to patients of all ages in Waldport.
“She worked in the daycare for some time, caring for newborns, and then became a general practitioner who cared for patients in Waldport from birth to death,” said Ogden. “She was really an integral part of the next generation of doctors who would have looked after all of us as we got older.”
Ogden said the Waldport Clinic is currently in the process of rebuilding its practice after two of its longtime doctors retired this year, noting that Bosch had served as a bridge between the old guard and the new.
The two doctors who recently left the Waldport Clinic have yet to be replaced. One was scheduled to leave and return temporarily but was unable to do so due to personal medical concerns while the other was forced to move out of the area due to COVID-related issues with his family.
“They were already behind by two and losing Bosch was devastating too,” said Ogden. “But if there’s a good side in all of this, we have a replacement for Dr. Buzzard, Dr. Matthew Fauster, and a nurse replacing Nikki Door, Donna Reed, who will start in November and take us back there. “We were there before, but Bosch will still be missing.”
Ogden said the Samaritan plans to staff the Waldport Clinic for the time being with a temporary doctor who will continue to be employed after the other two arrive in November.
“I know the patients down there have not always felt safe that they have always received full attention to meet all of their needs, but we really prioritized their treatment and it was very important to us to make sure that they didn’t feel like that afterwards. “Bosch’s death,” Ogden said. “We have a temporary doctor who started there today (Monday) and she will be staying there for the next few months to fill that void and ensure that patients have options when they need immediate treatment.”
Bosch’s loss was felt throughout the Waldport community, and many of her longtime patients and friends contacted the News-Times to share their experiences with her.
Karen Chalmers, a patient and friend of Bosch, said she met Bosch when she first started working at Waldport. Chalmers added that she had been looking for a suitable doctor for years and few had been as patient and attentive to her needs as Bosch.
“I have some very complex and very severe chronic health problems and I moved to the coast a few years ago. I had spent eight years looking for a good elementary school before joining Dr. Bosch met and when I went to the doctor they usually said something like, ‘We can talk about three things today.’ while I would have to deal with eight potentially life-threatening problems, ”said Chalmers. “For everyone else, everything was just a hurry, but Dr. Bosch was patient, kind, and I never felt rushed or rushed. Each time she sat with me for almost an hour to talk about my problems. “
Chalmers, whose hobby is raking elaborate designs on the local beach, added that she and Bosch also shared a passion for dressing in bright colors and a penchant for bespoke sneakers.
“I raked a special design for her on the beach after hearing about her death. I know that losing it will be a great loss for this community, ”said Chalmers.
Melanie Cease, another friend of Bosch, remembers her as a caring dog owner who often dressed in bright colors. She added that she was very much loved by her neighbors who helped organize a memorial service for this morning (Wednesday).
A Facebook post in the Waldport Community group announced that the community will hold a Bosch memorial service today at 10:30 a.m. on Agate Beach near the Best Western entrance to the beach. Participants are encouraged to wear bright colors in honor of Bosch.
Comments are closed.