Spectrum Health Medical Group Zeeland Pediatrics Announces Retirement of Charlotte Worpel, DO

Local pediatrician retires after serving the community for more than 40 years.

ZEELAND, Mich., Dec. 27, 2021 – After serving countless families over the past 40 years, area pediatrician Charlotte Worpel, DO, plans to spend more time with hers when she retires next month.

Dr. Worpel will retire January 3, 2022 from Spectrum Health Medical Group Pediatrics – Zeeland.

She said she’ll miss the relationships with patients most. “I love the relationships I’ve had with the kids and their families,” she said. “I’ve been able to enjoy the birth of a newborn and follow them through to adulthood. What a blessing this has been to me. “I consider my patients part of my extended family. I will miss the cards, letters and pictures that they colored or drew, as well as the hugs. I’ve learned a lot from my patients; they’ve taught me to take time and enjoy the moment.”

Her plans for enjoying the moment in retirement include enjoying time with her family and friends, walking and traveling, writing, medical mission trips and even taking a Spanish class.

Dr. Worpel’s career as a pediatric physician spans over more than four decades. She received her medical degree from Kansas City School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Metro Health Hospital in Grand Rapids. She started a private pediatric practice in 1982 and was in practice for 25 years before joining Zeeland Community Hospital. Early in her tenure she served as chief of staff for the hospital. She is a member of the American Osteopathic Association and the American Academy of Osteopathic Pediatricians. She has also been runner up for the Holland Sentinel Pediatrician of the Year for the past two years.

“Dr. Worpel has been such an asset to the medical team at Spectrum Health Medical Group Pediatrics – Zeeland,” said Phil Waalkes, DO, division chief, Spectrum Health Medical Group. “She is well known and loved in this community as she has compassion for all of her patients. She will be greatly missed.”

Dr. Worpel recalls many wonderful memories over the years. She described some fondest recollections from her first patient with epiglottitis who needed an urgent procedure, to the times she sat at the bedside comforting families of patients in their last moments of life.

“I will miss my colleagues with whom we have shared so much, not only about concerns of patients, but also about our families over the years,” Dr. Worpel said. “I will miss the staff at Spectrum Health Medical Group Pediatrics – Zeeland. We’ve been a great team.”

Dr. Worpel and her husband Curtis have lived in Zeeland for 40 years where they have raised their three children.

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Alexis Bolo Neal
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Email: alexis.boloneal@corewellhealth.org