“It’s a family practice. This is the way it used to be done,” said Dr. Bruce Lirones, one of the last country doctors.
The way it used to be done is the way one northern Michigan country doctor has practiced his entire career. 
Dr. Bruce Lirones is one of only a few country doctors left.
However, now it’s time for him to retire.
When people come to visit Dr. Lirones, they’re not only coming to see their doctor but a friend as well.
After practicing medicine for about 37 years under the same philosophy, he’s at a point in his life where it’s time to move on.
“I like it. I just like practicing medicine. I always have, always will,” said Lirones.
For Lirones, becoming a doctor was more than just a career choice.
“It’s been a mission. It’s been a goal and I’m a pretty lucky person to get to do what I wanted to do for my lifetime,” said Lirones.
Walking through his office is a lot like walking through a museum.
The waiting room is filled with old pictures and gifts given to him by patients.
“I have all these little memories of all this stuff people have done,” said Lirones.
His exam rooms have tables you wouldn’t see at a typical doctor’s office.
“A 1918 McManis table,” said Lirones. “It’s like an old barber chair. It’s got hydraulic fluid in there.”
There’s also not much technology here.
“We’ve all had to do charting. We’ve all had to do patient care. We’ve all had to talk to patients, running around doing house calls,” said Lirones.
That’s because Dr. Lirones isn’t your typical doctor.
He’s one of the last country doctors around.
“I grew up on DuPont Street in Flint, Michigan in a house office with my dad was a practicing physician,” explained Lirones. “You just took care of the whole town and you did house calls and dispense meds. We just took care of them and I loved it.”
That’s when he knew he wanted to be a country doctor, too.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Lirones went to medical school at Kirksville College, the same school his father attended.
“They had a rural clinic program,” said Lirones.
Lirones took his passion to Kalkaska to take care of his community the same way his dad did.
“I go out to their house and you know if they had a cold or needed medical care or blood draws or follow ups,” explained Lirones. “All my friends, they’re my patients and after all these years it’s just fun taking care of everybody.”
Jennifer Helferich has been a patient of Lirones for about 30 years.
Just about her whole family sees him.
“He’s one of those people that you just want as your friend and you want to be around and to be influenced by,” said Helferich. “Wherever he goes whatever he does, he will love people and he genuinely has a way with people he cares.”
But it’s a lot of work.
“I appreciate the staff so much for putting up with my little philosophical goal of how we’re going to take care of patients because all of us have had to do everything,” said Lirones.
Theresa Root has worked for Lirones for 18 years.
“It would be difficult to work for a doctor that you didn’t believe in that was good with his patients,” said Root. “That’s why I’ve chose to stay here all these years.”
His compassion and dedication to his staff and patients is why Root says they’ll miss him so much.
“There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for somebody if he could,” said Root. “Difficult. Very emotional. You saw the cards come in and people coming in just to give hugs.”
Lirones saw his last patient, last week, retiring from his life-long passion.
Root says it’s the end of an era for family doctors in this area.
“You don’t want to let a doctor like him go like you just stick with him,” said Helferich.
Patients like Helferich say they’re thankful for the way he’s shared his gift with her family and their community.
“Change isn’t easy but I’ll just move on and be grateful for the years that he was my doctor,” said Helferich.
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