Most of us hope that when our time on earth comes to an end, in some way our life will have made a difference; that our absence means almost as much as our presence. For those who knew Dr. Harold C. Pollard, III, of Lyndhurst Gynecologic Associates—family, friends, colleagues, and patients, his presence was felt with every encounter. Since his passing on November 3rd, 2017, those lives that Dr. Pollard impacted reach far and wide, and the year since his passing has brought the difference he made in others’ lives to the forefront.
A Family Man, First and Foremost
Anyone who met Dr. Pollard would soon learn that while he loved what he did, he was first and foremost a husband to wife Louise and a father to his three daughters, Tucker, Elizabeth and Nell. Dr. Pollard also had three sons-in-law whom he thought the world of, and ten grandchildren. The Pollard daughters grew up watching their dad be called away to deliver babies at all hours of the day and night, realizing at a very young age, Dr. Pollard loved being a physician. Nell Pollard Johnson, inspired by her dad, became a physician, choosing the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology, beginning her practice alongside her dad at Lyndhurst Gynecologic Associates. Dr. Pollard also had an extended family of colleagues and patients that grew over the years.
Living the Dream
For almost 40 years, Dr. Harold Pollard, III, was a part of Lyndhurst Gynecologic Associates, beloved by his colleagues and patients alike; but few had the honor of both working with Dr. Pollard and also being a family friend outside of the office. Kathy Poole, an LPN for 31 years at Lyndhurst, recalls her time with Dr. Pollard.
“In my 31 years at Lyndhurst, 28 of those were spent working with Dr. Pollard and his patients. Thinking about Dr. Pollard brings a smile to my face because he truly made the most of life and made things fun. He worked hard, seeing many patients a day, but he would add a little something every day to keep us smiling; he was a joy to work with and loved his patients, and they loved him. Dr. Pollard could relate to anyone and was easy to talk to, taking the time to get to know his patients. It didn’t matter that he was a well-known and respected physician, he never regarded himself as anything other than a friend to those he worked with and to his patients. I decided to go back to school to become an LPN, and I needed to pass some math courses, and Dr. Pollard jumped at the chance to get me up to speed. We’d come in early before the office opened, and he worked with me on the weekends to make sure I passed. He was so confident in me that his comment was, “If you were a racehorse, I’d bet on you!” I also went to a few concerts with Dr. Pollard, his wife and once with daughter, Tucker. We were at a Bob Dylan concert when Dr. Pollard disappeared, and as we looked around the massive crowd, we found him in the highest area of the coliseum dancing with some young kids. He truly made the most of every day and every part of his life. Even though it’s been a year, I’m not sure I’ve truly dealt with the loss; I tell myself he’s on vacation to keep from thinking that he’s not coming back,” Kathy admitted.
Lauren Wall and Mirla Gomez Dorville, Medical Assistants, worked with Dr. Pollard in different capacities, but each has fond memories.
“I’ve worked as Dr. Pollard’s Clerical Assistant for six years, and the past three years, I was his Medical Assistant. He was one of the first ones in the building every morning, and I would hear him coming down the hall whistling, so excited to get his day started seeing his patients. No matter how good or bad the day was, he always made sure to tell us how great we were. There was no one quite like him,” recalled Lauren.
Mirla remembers Dr. Pollard’s positivity and what he meant to his patients. “Dr. Pollard would go above and beyond for his patients. He would call a patient after hours to check on them and follow up on something they had discussed that day, giving them great peace of mind and reassurance. He was a big burst of energy and positivity; an inspiration to us all to get up and do what we love every day,” Mirla stated.
For Dr. Brad Jacobs, throughout his medical career, Dr. Pollard had many roles.
“I had the pleasure of working with Harold in the capacity of a Resident, junior partner, and partner over the last 20 years. He was a mentor, colleague, friend and second father to me. I remember going out to lunch with Harold, and you knew that you would bump into no less than 10-15 people who wanted to shake his hand, hug his neck or chat; he had a magnetic quality about him, and he knew no stranger. Meals often turned into mentoring meetings, and early on he took me under his wing. He was an analytical person who balanced Lyndhurst’s core culture and mission with the present trends in healthcare; everything was done with the patient in mind. Harold guided our practice successfully as President for over 20 years; Harold was excellent at just about everything he did. We were amazed at his stamina and his competitiveness, which came out during office trivia contests and on the tennis court. When Harold was asked, ‘How are you?’ his reply was, ‘Living the dream,’ and he left no doubt he did just that,” recalled Dr. Jacobs. Beyond his colleagues Dr. Pollard’s passion for his patients and love of what he did was evident. He made each patient feel as if they were the only one he was seeing that day.
Bartlett Bassett, mother of five, had known Dr. Pollard and his family since she was a young girl, and he had been her physician over the years, delivering two of her children.
“After living away for several years, I moved back to Winston-Salem, NC, in 1977, and Dr. Pollard delivered my two girls. Elizabeth, his middle daughter, had never seen him deliver a baby and she was in the room when my daughter, McKinley, was born. Elizabeth is her Godmother. Dr. Pollard was special, and he made you feel special no matter who you were. He loved people from all walks of life and knew how to make them feel good and genuinely cared for,” recounted Bartlett.
Pushing On to Be the Best
Dr. Jacobs summed up the thoughts of friends, family, and colleagues and how Dr. Pollard’s legacy of caring will continue at Lyndhurst, “Words and stories can only capture a tiny piece of the force that was Harold Pollard. His influence on our Lyndhurst Family is immeasurable. He was our patriarch; the physical and emotional champion of the practice. We certainly miss him terribly, but will do our best to balance that with the passion and purpose that he exemplified for 40 years.”
Lyndhurst Gynecologic Associates is located at 111 Hanestown Ct. Suite #151, Winston-Salem NC, 336-765-9350. Additional offices in Kernersville, NC, 336-993-4532; Mt. Airy, NC, 336-789-9076; and King, NC, 336-765-9350.
