Since moving back to Jasper in 2016, Dr. Ike Baker has kept himself busy. Between serving as a small-town general surgeon, running his own surgical clinic, and being a husband to his wife, Dorothy, and father to the couple’s four children, Dr. Baker understandably has little time to himself. But he does not seem to mind.
“One of the things I enjoy about my job is that I get to know people personally,” Dr. Baker says. “Being able to see all the families and listen to their stories is always inspiring. Patients whom I operate on will sometimes tell me about how my father operated on their parents. Getting to know people in the community has always been important to me.”
Dr. Baker took over his father’s practice soon after moving back to his hometown in September of that year. Dr. Larry Baker, Ike’s father, began building his relationship with Jasper and its residents in 1980 when he began as a general surgeon at Walker Baptist Medical Center. Now, Ike strives to honor his father’s four decades of service.
“Dad took such great care of people in the surrounding area,” Dr. Baker explains. “I felt like it was my calling to come back and care for his patients. I just want to be able to do half the job he did.”
Returning home following his residency was an easy decision, says Baker, and something that was always in the back of his mind. And when he finally settled on being a general surgeon, that solidified his decision to come back. But there was more.
“I also wanted to give my kids the small community experience I had growing up,” he says. “I think our school system here is top-notch, and I don’t have to spend an hour of my day commuting back and forth. I’m able to spend more time with my family and be a part of a genuine community.”
Dr. Baker offers a wide variety of surgical care, including anorectal, breast cancer, colorectal, gallbladder, hernia, thyroid, vascular access surgeries, and more. Preventative services are also offered by Dr. Richardson and Baker PC.
Of course, being a general surgeon in a small town can present challenges. Baker says they lack some ancillary services like larger facilities but he finds ways to work around those limitations. Still, the opportunities a small-town practice offers outweigh the challenges—by far.
Since taking over the family practice five years ago, Dr. Baker continues to make a difference in the community, just as his father did for decades. And thanks to the Jasper surgeon’s passion for serving others, Walker County will remain in good hands for as long as Dr. Baker’s doors are open. 78
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