4-H Alumni Spotlight – Jerry D. Westerfield, M.D.

Westerfield brothers (Left to Right) David, Jerry, Larry, Oscar, Joe, and Tom.

By:  Paige Hart

Jerry D. Westerfield, M.D. is a diagnostic radiologist at Russell County Hospital in Russell Springs, Kentucky.  He and his five brothers grew up on a dairy farm in Hartford, Ohio County, Kentucky.   He first got his start in 4-H in elementary and high school clubs and later the Ohio County Teen Club where he held several offices.  Dr. Westerfield progressed in 4-H to win the state championship in Swine in 1956, winning a trip to the 4-H Club Congress and went on to become State 4-H President in 1960 through 1961.  One of his fondest memories is of attending 4-H week every year on the University of Kentucky campus and getting to know other 4-H’ers from all over the state.

4-H was an activity shared by Dr. Westerfield and his five brothers.  They all had 4-H projects and learned responsibility and a strong work ethic from their parents and their participation in 4-H.   Five of the six brothers went on to become state champions winning a trip to the national 4-H Club Congress in Chicago, one of the highlights of their careers.  The Westerfield brothers also very much enjoyed attending 4-H camp in Dawson Springs, Kentucky every summer.

Among Dr. Westerfield’s accomplishments were county and district championships in Poultry, Swine, Dairy, Tobacco projects, and winning the state championship in Swine in 1956.   Other activities Dr. Westerfield participated in included livestock judging, land surveying, tractor school and tractor driving contest, and showing dairy cattle at the local county fair.   His culminating moment came when he was elected State 4-H President in 1960 during 4-H Week.   He was honored to be an Ambassador and promote Kentucky 4-H that year.   The highlight of that year was attending the American Institute of Cooperation on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, his first airline flight out of the state.  He also enjoyed promoting 4-H by going to Frankfort with the other state 4-H officers to meet the Governor to “Proclaim 4-H week”.

Pam Rowsey Larson, Chairperson, Kentucky 4-H Foundation, presenting Jerry D. Westerfield, M.D., his Kentucky 4-H Foundation Leadership Circle lapel pin.

“4-H did so much for me growing up,” said Dr. Westerfield.  “It taught me responsibility, perseverance, attention to detail, and the importance of hard work, but it also helped build my self-confidence, and broaden my horizons outside of Ohio County Kentucky.   I have used the lessons and values learned from my parents and participation in 4-H throughout my whole life from high school to college, to medical school, residency in radiology, to practicing medicine as a radiologist for over 40 years, the last 15 years in rural Kentucky.”

The values learned by Dr. Westerfield from his parents and participation in 4-H were also learned by his five brothers.  Jerry, and his twin brother Larry were both blessed to be selected to do their radiology residencies at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Jerry at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Larry at the Massachusetts General Hospital.  The youngest brother, Tom, became a pulmonary physician who studied at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of California, Irvine and currently practices in Lexington, Kentucky.   Oldest brother David is a Methodist minister.   Brother Joe taught school at Apollo in Owensboro, and brother Oscar was in the FBI becoming #2 in the Tampa office when he retired.

Ribbon cutting of the Library in Cloverville sponsored by Jerry D. Westerfield, M.D., 4-H State President 1960-61.

Dr. Westerfield gives back in a variety of ways. He holds the greatest respect for all the 4-H volunteers that made a difference in his life and in the lives of youth all over Kentucky and the United States with every activity they have helped to facilitate.   Dr. Westerfield says since he does not have time to volunteer like many others, he gives generously to the 4-H Foundation to support their important programs.  Dr. Westerfield was the first Leadership Circle Lifetime Investor, and since 4-H meant so much to him he hopes his contributions to 4-H continue to positively impact the lives of Kentucky youth.  He sent five Russell County 4-H’ers to 4-H camp this summer.   “I don’t know a better organization to give to than 4-H,” states Dr. Westerfield.  Dr. Westerfield is also sponsor of the Library in the new Cloverville at the State Fair.

Major Jerry D. Westerfield, U.S. Air Force

After completing his residency in Radiology in Boston, Dr. Westerfield served two years in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.  He was stationed first at the B-52 base in U-Tapao, Thailand, and later at the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.  He took additional radiology training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and at the University of California in San Francisco.   After practicing radiology one year in Louisville at the Baptist Hospitals, he moved back to Tampa where he practiced Radiology for the next 25 years at St. Joseph’s Hospital, a large 750 bed hospital, primarily doing interventional radiology.  At the age of 60 and feeling that he had “been there, done that” he decided to take additional training in MRI and move back to Kentucky where he has practiced the last 14 years at a rural critical access hospital in Russell Springs, Kentucky.   Although Dr. Westerfield hoped he would be slowing down in moving back to Kentucky, in reality he has been busier.

In his spare time Dr. Westerfield enjoys mentoring aspiring doctors from Russell County High School and teaching medical students from the Pikeville Osteopathic School and Lincoln Memorial University College of Osteopathic Medicine who spend 4-6 week clerkships with him.

He enjoys attending the annual 4-H Homecomings, the Foundation Breakfast at the Kentucky State Fair and reconnecting with old 4-H friends.  He enjoys traveling and just recently returned from a month in Sri Lanka and India.   He has visited over 100 countries.   Dr. Westerfield embodies the 4-H pledge to put his hands to larger service, both for the betterment of his patients and the youth of Kentucky 4-H.