Honoring 40 Years of Dedication and Compassionate Care
Apr 08, 2019 12:00AM ● By By Seti Long
Orchard Medical Specialty Center Staff, Dr. Udom and his family celebrate the doctors last day of clinical practice, March 27th. Pictured Front Row (L-R) Lillian Udom, Daughter; Stella Ngo, Granddaughter, Suwanne Udom, Wife; Dr. Udom; Evan Ngo, Grandson; Gail Bickford, MSC Staff; Tammy Watson, MSC Staff. Back Row (L-R): Misty Schwartz, MSC Staff; Jennifer Ferreira, MSC Staff; Dr. C.J. Sheih; Ray Albot, MSC Staff.
Beloved Dr. Udom Retires
GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - After 40 years of dedicated service, the Gridley community is losing Dr. Nikon Udom to retirement.
Dr. Udom began his career in medicine after graduating from Chulalongkorn University, one of the most prestigious schools in his native Thailand. It was there he received his MD and graduated with honors, 6th in his class. In 1973, he moved to Chicago, IL, to do his residency at Cook County Hospital and later did his fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolic medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
In the year 1979, he set off to sunny California in an attempt to get out of the bitter Chicago cold and found himself in Gridley. After trying the town on for size and realizing what it had to offer, Dr. Udom and his young family decided to stay. On January 1st 1980, he officially took over the practice of Dr. Sears establishing his own clinic on Spruce Street and beginning what would be a 40 year career working with Biggs-Gridley Hospital – now Orchard Hospital.
He specialized in treating diabetes, hypertension and lipid abnormalities and quickly established quite a practice with his unhurried bedside manner. His daughter Lillian relates that “He (Dr. Udom) has a reputation for spending a lot of time with his patients,” commonly scheduling an hour for each patient and sometimes going over time. “They don't seem to mind the wait, because they know he will be giving them the same attention and time as those he was seeing before them.” Because of this, many of Dr. Udom’s patients became his personal friends.
In 2011, Dr. Udom put his compassionate care and high standards of treatment to work as the Medical Director of Hovlid, the skilled nursing center associated with Orchard Hospital. In 2013, he made the decision to close the doors of his own practice to work with patients at Orchard Hospital and the Medical Specialty Center, all the while serving on the Patient Safety Committee. Towards the end of his career, he worked as the Medical Director for Yuba Skilled Nursing Center, in Yuba City and routinely visited patients in Oroville, Gridley and Yuba-Sutter Skilled Nursing facilities.
On Dr. Udom’s last day of practice, March 27th, Orchard Hospital and the Medical Specialty Center held a private luncheon for him. Multiple other celebrations would be in the Doctor’s future as the medical community of Gridley, his friends and family honored his life-time work. Dr. Jenkins, who was an associate and practiced in the Gridley community during the same time as Dr. Udom, stated, “I thought a lot of him (Dr. Udom), his wife and family. They are lovely people and we enjoyed knowing them.”
Over the weekend, his two daughters and their families returned to their childhood home of Gridley to honor their father’s medical legacy and help him embark on retirement. Sadly, Dr. Udom will be leaving the Gridley area, relocating to the San Diego area to be closer to his children and grandchildren. Thank you, Dr. Udom, for your years of exemplary service to our community. You will be missed by many.
