Dr. Glen Deutsch devoted his entire career to caring for his neighbors in and around Buffalo. He started his medical career at Buffalo Clinic, now Stellis Health, when it was located in downtown Buffalo near First Avenue South and First Street South.
“The hospital was on top of the hill, the clinic was at the bottom of the hill and our first house was right in between,” says Dr. Deutsch.
As the one and only place he’s practiced medicine, Stellis Health and Buffalo are very near and dear to his heart. He arrived in Buffalo with his wife, Florence, and two children. Today, he has four children and seven grandchildren.
Dr. Deutsch is retiring in August after practicing Internal Medicine at Stellis Health (aka Buffalo Clinic) for 50 years. “Dr. Deutsch has been a steadfast advocate for his patients and our community,” says Brent Wilde, CEO of Stellis Health. “His leadership and passion for providing cutting edge care locally are truly the foundation of our neighbors caring for neighbors philosophy.”
“I was hired as a replacement for Dr. Catlin, because he did a lot of internal medicine,” says Dr. Deutsch. “As I’ve reflected on the changes in medicine since I began practicing, there’s only one medication that I still use today, Furosemide. Otherwise, everything has changed. We had plain X-rays, a few medications, and surgical services when I began.”
Fifty years ago, the last naturally occurring case of smallpox happened, and it became the first time in history such a deadly disease was eradicated. Dr. Deutsch began practicing in Buffalo in 1975, when Lyme disease was first recognized in Lyme Connecticut; and the CAT scan was invented by Robert S Ledley.
Dr. Deutsch fondly recalls his early days practicing medicine, when the police would scour the county and travel to other hospitals in search of blood for people in dire need; and Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) were only available in hospitals; and all your complex medical information was contained on paper up to two inches thick separated by shingled X-rays. Today, if the electronic medical record system goes down, the clinic closes (which rarely happens); and AEDs are everywhere, from schools to parks and businesses to community centers.
Shortly after Dr. Deutsch’s arrival, the clinic quickly grew and expanded into its current location in 1979 and the hospital followed shortly thereafter relocating adjacent to the new clinic.
“While I was busy building a coronary care unit and internal medicine department, my wife Florence took care of the home front. I couldn’t have done it without her support and encouragement. And now, things couldn’t be better! I feel very blessed.”
Dr. Deutsch easily shares what he’s most grateful for and the three things he thinks of every morning.
“I’m most grateful for Florence and my family, my good health and my job and career.”
He’s quick to share the Bounce Back program’s core teachings about routinely practicing gratitude and the happiness that comes from gratitude, not the other way around.
When asked what’s next, he said, “I love to do things. I love to learn things, to build things, tinkering…I’ll have a hobby for six months or six years and then I’ll start doing something else, so I have a lot of things to fall back on. I’m never bored.”
Dr. Deutsch owes much gratitude to many who have helped him along the way.
“There’s so many people who have helped me over the past 50 years and I’m very grateful and want to extend a BIG thank you to all of them,” says Dr. Deutsch. “I retire with no regrets. I’ve gotten more from the clinic and more from the community than I’ve given so I’m on the plus side. I’m very happy.”
Join Dr. Deutsch in celebrating his retirement
A community open house is planned for August 2 from 2-4pm at Huikko’s Bowling & Entertainment Center in Buffalo. Everyone is welcome to come and celebrate Dr. Deutsch’s retirement and remarkable career.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Deutsch (before August) or any member of the Stellis Health team, call 763-682-1313. To learn more, go to stellishealth.com.
About Stellis Health, PA
For nearly 75 years Stellis Health has been providing comprehensive medical care for all ages in the communities we call home. We are neighbors caring for neighbors with locations in Buffalo and Monticello. With over 60 primary and specialty physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, Stellis Health is an independent group practice continually growing, adding more doctors and expanded services including Women’s Health, Skin Care, Pediatrics, Podiatry, Orthopedics, Chiropractic Care, Mental Health, Diabetes Care, and Urgent Care on weekends and holidays. You can also dive into the world of wellness and hear directly from our providers on Stellis Health’s podcast: Beyond the Checkup.
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