Dr. Pravin Gohel, Beebe cardiologist, retires after three decades

After more than three decades working at the same job, it would have been easy for Dr. Pravin Gohel to become complacent.

Since 1981, as the founder and director of Beebe Healthcare's cardiac rehabilitation center, Gohel's routine was the same: office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., rounds at the hospital well into the evening and then finishing the day writing notes in patient files when he got home.

In addition to meditation and support from his family, he says two life philosophies enabled him to attack each day with same vigor as a man in his early 30s even as he neared retirement.

First, and famously, he said, today is always better than yesterday.

"I always try to be happy," said Gohel during an interview a few days after nearly 150 people celebrated his career with a Nov. 10 party at the Lewes Yacht Club. "The next day is always a positive thing. If it's a cloudy, raining day, that's good for my vegetable garden. If it's a cold, snowy day, it's good for clearing up mosquitos. I always have a positive outlook on life. That's just how I feel."

Gohel was so well known for saying this that there was a large banner with, "Better than yesterday," across it at the party.

Second, less famously, but still important, is, if a person believes something is the wrong thing to do, they shouldn't do it.

"Don't do anything you believe is the wrong thing to do," he said. "I've always believed that."

He said those two principles helped him remain focused and calm, when patients were in times of need and other doctors felt the pressures of trying to have all the answers.

Gohel was born in 1946 in Chhatradia, a small town in India. At the time there was no running water. No electricity. No lights.

Despite the obvious challenges, Gohel said he learned those philosophies from his parents at an early age. He said they supported his schooling, sending him off to Bombay to live with his older brother once he aged out of the local school system.

He said he was singularly focused on becoming a doctor ever since a neighbor told his parents at a young age that was what he should be.

"There was only one goal," he said.

As for why he chose a career in cardiology, Gohel said he found it the most interesting.

"Cardiology is a must," he said. "The heart is the center of the body. You can live without a brain. You can live without a limb. You can't live without a heart."

Gohel said cardiology can be challenging because problems with the heart are silent, until they aren't. For years, he's been suggesting four basic preventative measures – diet and weight control, exercise, regular checkups and avoiding bad habits.

Always the cardiologist, Gohel, a vegetarian, is quick to remind former patients that the holidays are time for prayer, meditation and giving thanks – not overindulging in hearty meals and tasty desserts.

"This is the season of giving," he said, always smiling. "Not party, party, party."

In Gohel's world, today may have always been better than yesterday, but that doesn't mean he didn't have moments of regret during his career. He recalled one patient – an obese, pregnant woman in her early 20s.

She had blood clots, but couldn't take the normal medicine because of the pregnancy. Within days of her coming to Gohel, the clots worsened and the woman died.

"Patients like that hurt. They bother you," he said. "They're the type of patient that wakes you up in the middle of the night and makes it so you can't fall back asleep. It makes you wonder what you could have done differently."

Gohel and his wife Jyotsna, married since 1974, have three daughters. He said she supported their move to Sussex County from New York City when the opportunity presented itself, and he credited her with doing the work of raising three children while her husband worked long hours.

"She has always been a helping hand," he said. "It has worked very well."

He said when they first moved to Sussex County, Jyotsna would complain that the only time they saw people was when they watched television. Now, he said laughing, she must be a local, because she complains about all the traffic.

Gohel said even his time-consuming work schedule could not overshadow his commitment to his family. When his three girls, all proud Cape Henlopen High School graduates, participated in extracurricular activities, he would work until it was time to go to the event, support his children and then go back to work.

"I hardly missed anything. Whatever it was," he said. "I wanted to make sure they knew dad was sitting there in the stands. I was one of the parents sleeping on the floor during a sleepover in the museum."

Gohel didn't just support his own children. For about the past 15 years, he and his brother have supplied all the notebooks for the school-aged children of the town where he was born. They also funded building a second floor on the school they went to.

"When I started, the school only went up to fifth grade," he said. "Now, children have the opportunity to go to eighth or ninth grade without leaving town."

Gohel said he has no plans to leave the Lewes area. Look at this place, he said.

"There's no better place to move," he said. "At my age, what I need is a good hospital."

Looking ahead to the future, Gohel said there's traveling, gardening and visiting grandchildren on the list of things to do. There's more of an opportunity to play, he said.

"There's so much to do," he said. "I'm busier now that I'm retired. When you're working, there's only one thing to focus on. Now, I can do a variety of things. I've moved from rooms without windows, to rooms with windows, and I'm enjoying the view."