{"id":8,"date":"2025-03-31T08:01:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T08:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/50.116.33.162\/?page_id=8"},"modified":"2025-05-29T18:49:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T22:49:31","slug":"about-gary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/?page_id=8","title":{"rendered":"About Gary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gary A. Goforth, MD, MTMH, FAAFP<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spouse: Kathy Goforth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children: Jonathan, Michael, Sarah<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grandchildren: Christina, Paul, Emma, Charlie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Profession: Family Physician<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Job: Medical Director, Shell Point Retirement Community (2018 to 6\/20\/2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior Jobs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Founding Program Director, The Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health (Fort Myers): May 2012 to June 2018<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Program Director, Self Regional Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program: 1999-2012<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. U.S. Army: Family Physician, residency faculty and assistant residency director at Ft. Benning (Ga), Pentagon Army Health Clinic, Ft. Bragg, Operation Desert Shield\/Storm (1983-1999)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Education:
      • B.A. (Physics), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (1976)<\/li><\/ul>
        • M.D., Vanderbilt School of Medicine (1980)<\/li><\/ul>
          • Residency in Family Medicine, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI (1980-83)<\/li><\/ul>\n
              \n
            • Fellowship in Tropical Medicine (earned Masters in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene), Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland (1990).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Experience:
              • U.S. Army: Active duty 1980-1993. South Carolina Army National Guard (1994-2002); Retired as Colonel (2002). Awarded Bronze Star during first Gulf War.<\/li><\/ul>
                • Medical Director: Founding Medical Director of the Greater Greenwood United Ministry Free Medical Clinic (1997-2012), Clinica Gratis Free Clinic (2009), and Abbeville County Free Clinic (2011)<\/li><\/ul>
                  • Volunteers in Medical Missions: currently serve as Board Treasurer and team leader, former board chair<\/li><\/ul>
                    • Rotary International: District Governor D-7750 in 2011-12; District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair for 2012-15; Charter President of Rotary E-Club of the Carolinas (2012-13); District 6960 CART Chair (2016-2022); District 7750 Global Grants Chair (2012-2020), Rotary E-Club of the Carolinas Secretary\/Treasurer (2016-current); CART VP Research Grants (2019-current), Rotary 7750 Charities, Inc. (501c3) President (2020-2022), Fort Myers Sunrise Rotary Club President (2024-5)<\/li><\/ul>\n
                        \n
                      • Gideons International: Coordinator, Fort Myers\/Naples Metro Scripture Blitz (2025); Vice-President (2024-current), President, Fort Myers Camp (2019-2024), Treasurer (2016-19)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Awards: \u00a0South Carolina Medical Association (SCMA) Physician of the Year for Service (1999); South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (SCAHEC) Halford Award for Humane Medical Education (2001); South Carolina Rural Health Association Excellence in Rural Education Award (2006); South Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (SCAFP) Family Physician of the Year (2008), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Family Physician of the Year (Top 5 finalist in 2009), SCMA Continuing Medical Education Award (2010), Rotary International Service Above Self Award (2002), Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service (2004), Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award (2014); Rotary International Cliff Dochterman Award (2011); Boy Scouts Long Cane District Distinguished Citizen Award (2011); Lee Memorial Health System Physician of the Month (Feb 2014); Lee County Medical Society 2014 Award for Health Education (Jan 2015)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                        Hobbies: International medical missions, Hiking, F3 men’s fitness group, Kayaking, Cycling, SCUBA Diving, Aviation (Private Pilot)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                        <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                        Gary A. Goforth, MD, MTMH, FAAFP Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida Spouse: Kathy Goforth Children: Jonathan, Michael, Sarah Grandchildren: Christina, Paul, Emma, Charlie Profession: Family Physician Current Job: Medical Director, Shell Point Retirement Community (2018 to 6\/20\/2025) Prior Jobs: Hobbies: International medical missions, Hiking, F3 men’s fitness group, Kayaking, Cycling, SCUBA Diving, Aviation (Private Pilot)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":193,"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8\/revisions\/193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goforthintotheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}