HEALTH
CARE
heroes
County Sheriff’s Department for 35 years, retiring as sheriff in 2000. Like her father, Donna has always had a passion for serving her community. “I treat people how I want my family to be treated,” she says. “I don’t want to disappoint them.” Two pivotal moments in high school influenced her career choice. First, her mother, Betty Whitt, was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, igniting Donna’s interest in medical research. Then, she was introduced to Dr. Mark Gwynne, who treated her for her track and volleyball injuries. His care inspired her to pursue medicine in a rural setting. “I didn’t consider another place,” Donna recalls. “We had different community preceptors and Dr. Gwynne was head of Chatham Primary Care in Siler City. We spent many nights waiting for babies to be born. I liked the small town feel and giving back to my county. I had no intention of leaving Chatham or my parents, and that’s where I worked for almost eight years.” Her commitment to the community endures as Chatham grows. Donna emphasizes the importance of making shared decisions with her patients. “I am a guide; I will counsel, but ultimately it’s their decision,” she says. This patient-centered approach sometimes means spending extra time with some patients, reminding her of the personal care she received from her family doctor as a youth. “I would take my homework and do it [during the] wait, but it was so worth it because she cared so much,” she says. “I wasn’t just a number to her.” However, the business side of practicing medicine in a franchise system presents its own set of challenges. Navigating corporate oversight and the complexities of 120
C H AT H A M M AG A Z I N E
Donna checks in with friend and longtime patient Jessica Allison.
We want more quality than quantity, and we want people to be happy. So, [my appointments] will run late – people know this – and I hope that it’s worth it. – Dr. Donna Whitt
WINTER 2024-2025
health insurance can sometimes feel restrictive. “You’re at the mercy of what other people are telling you to do,” she admits. She says the pressures have only increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, when health care workers were pushed to their limits. Donna relies on her capable staff and an array of online tools and techniques to stay organized. “I stay really late – that’s the honest answer,” she says. “I work hard during the week so that on the weekends, there’s lots of room for play. I finish every day with almost everything done in my inbox. And then the next day, I get there a little early to tackle any labs or anything that’s come in that morning before I start seeing folks.”
Her office reflects her thoughtful approach to her work. A small desk lamp provides soft lighting while classical music plays and aromatherapy mist fills the air. Her staff knows where to find the “Dammit Doll,” which was gifted to Donna by one of the many Carolina students she mentors and provides an amusing outlet for stress. “I haven’t really needed to use it,” Donna says, but it is available to her staff if someone needs to shake or slam it against the wall for a good laugh. “Then you just explode in giggles. Light-heartedness at the office, I think that helps, too.” Outside the clinic, Donna enjoys spending time with her husband, Wade Minges, and their two sons, Jonah Minges, 17, and Eli Minges, 15, who both attend Northwood High School. Donna loves to knit, garden, read a good book, stock the bird feeders in her backyard and look after her three pugs. – by Anna-Rhesa Versola cm