Dr. Ken Warren is looking forward to life on his 50 acres of land in Gibson County, halfway between Milan and Medina. He’s got horses, a stocked fishing pond and room to roam.


“I like the space and freedom that is afforded by being able to live in the country,” he said.


Dr. Warren retired in August after 46 years of practicing family medicine, caring for a countless number of patients along the way. He enjoyed working with his patients, as well as the other medical professionals he encountered.


The medical profession changed throughout his career, sometimes for the good, but sometimes for the bad, he said. Regulations, for example, increased over time, creating busy work that stole time from treating patients.


“It tended to separate you from patient contact,” Dr. Warren said. “You were spending more time dotting ‘i’s and crossing ‘t’s.”


But technology also improved, which improved the quality of care. “A great number of diagnostic tests and procedures became much more available and very helpful.”


One of his top concerns during his career was prescription painkillers, which are highly addictive, and he took special care to protect his patients from addiction when prescribing medication.


“I was always very concerned about my patients and their well being,” he said.


Dr. Warren launched a program in his clinic with the goal of weaning patients off all addictive drugs. He used Suboxone, a medication that was initially only allowed in institutions and through programs much like the methadone clinics.


Dr. Warren prescribed just enough of a dosage to curb the desire because he wanted his patients to be aware of the desire so they could learn how to cope with it. After 11 months, he wanted his patients to be weaned off of Suboxone completely.


To be able to prescribe Suboxone, a physician must acquire a specific Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) number and additional certification from the DEA, which monitors and inspects the Suboxone programs regularly.


Addiction remains an important issue, he said. And the results of his program were mixed due to the nature of the disease.


Dr. Warren began his career in Canada in 1969 where he practiced for nine years. Then he moved to Picayune, Miss., for a year before opening a clinic in Milan.


In 1993, he needed more space. He moved to Jackson and opened his own clinic. “It gave me an opportunity to get more room and access a larger client market.”


Being a member of the West Tennessee Physicians’ Alliance was important to the success of his clinic, he said. The organization strengthened independent clinics, and there is no way he could have started a solo practice in today’s medical environment without it.


Looking to the future, Dr. Warren plans to keep busy. He plans to travel with his wife to see their children in Houston and Charlottesville, Va.


He plans to take up cycling again - a sport he enjoyed until he was sidelined by a car accident years ago. “I’ve always had an interest in fitness.”


He is also an avid musician, having performed in the local band, OK Chorale. He plays guitar, banjo, bass guitar and double bass, and he plans to play more music in his retirement. He also plays piano, and he is learning the violin.


“I’ve also decided I want to improve my golf game from embarrassing to semi-confident,” Dr. Warren said.


And then there is his farm with its open space and room to roam. He said he is looking forward to the freedom of doing whatever he wants.


But he’ll always miss his patients. “You miss the contact with the patient. “You don’t get that from fishing in the pond or golfing or riding your bicycle. I’ll certainly miss that.”