“I grew up as the son of a pastor in a small community,” recalls Dr. Gary Morsch, founder of Docs Who Care. “Anyone in need knew they could come to the Morsch home for a meal, a place to sleep, or sound advice. Watching my parents give of their time, talent and resources birthed in me a passionate spirit of serving others.”
That passionate, spirit led Dr. Morsch, as a young physician, to Calcutta, India where he met and befriended Mother Teresa (St. Teresa) of Calcutta. Although he had a successful private family practice in Olathe, KS, this experience ignited a calling on Dr. Morsch’s life — to mobilize healthcare volunteers to underserved areas around the world.
In the early 90’s, Dr. Morsch left his private practice and began locums work. This flexibility allowed him the means of providing for his family while developing a nonprofit organization focused on providing access to healthcare for underserved populations around the world. In 1992, Dr. Morsch’s vision became a reality as the organization, Heart to Heart International (HHI), was established.
Shortly after the start-up of this global organization, Dr. Morsch received a phone call from a small community hospital in Larned, KS. The hospital was short-staffed and desperate for help. Dr. Morsch stepped in to fill the immediate need and went to work organizing teams of physicians to cover open shifts on a rotating schedule. These physicians, like him, desired the flexibility to practice medicine while freeing up time for family and volunteer work. It quickly became apparent other rural communities were having similar challenges in recruiting and retaining quality healthcare providers. This experience in Larned, KS was the motivation behind developing a solution for rural community hospitals. In 1995, Docs Who Care was created with the mission of pairing compassionate, high-quality providers with rural and community hospitals in need.
Almost three decades later, Docs Who Care has impacted rural communities throughout Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Hawaii, and Washington. As the landscape of rural healthcare continues to change, DWC’s commitment to our partners remains the same – meeting staffing needs with high-quality providers, while offering providers more flexibility to pursue their own passions and callings.
Today, Graham Morsch is the CEO of Docs Who Care. He grew up traveling with his father on weekends while Dr. Morsch covered ED shifts in rural areas across Kansas. Little did he know then that DWC would grow into the premier medical staffing company it is today.
“Working for DWC is truly a mission. I feel called to support rural hospitals with staffing shortages and to do what I can to ensure local communities have access to quality healthcare.”
Gary Morsch, MD, MPH
Founder of Docs Who Care
