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Practicing family medicine in Wilmore for 23 years, Dr. Thomas Coburn’s faith-based practices cemented him as a pillar to the community. Coburn received his medical degree from University of Kentucky Medical School in 1995 and he has become affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, Saint Joseph Hospital and Baptist Health Lexington.

After such an extensive time serving the Wilmore community directly, however, Coburn is finally retiring from his current role. It was in the wake of this news that Coburn and his family were invited to the Wilmore Municipal Center Monday night to celebrate his service.

“I accepted a divisional vice president role as a chief medical information officer for Common Spirit Health,” Coburn explained. “I’ll be staying in Kentucky, but I’ll be covering the southeast division of Common Spirit, which is Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Ohio.”

State Representative Kim King and Wilmore mayor Harold Rainwater presented Coburn with a placard and proclaimed Nov. 15 to be Dr. Thomas Coburn Day in Wilmore. Friends, associates, and patients were in attendance – thanking Coburn and reminiscing on old times.

“It’s difficult,” Coburn said. “I’m excited, but it’s obviously so very bittersweet. I love this community, I love the people here and I love my patients, so it’s a difficult transition to think about, but I really feel like I can serve them and serve God. This is a role I believe I can take and be of service to the community on a bigger scale. But I’ll still miss people. I’ll definitely miss people.”

Present at the event that night was Coburn’s parents, Fred and Jude; his wife, Cathy; his son Jonathan and wife Jenny; daughter Rebecca and her husband Josh; and his daughter Catherine with her husband Christian.