Beyond the accolades, awards and deep appreciation from his patients and the medical field, Dr. Richard (Dick) Deming is a compassionate care provider and empathetic leader – one who thoughtfully recognizes how individuals and their communities are deeply connected.
Deming is well known in the Greater Des Moines area for his expertise in oncology and for the compassionate care he provides for his patients and their families. His roots are humble, a kid from South Dakota, who had a love for learning and a natural talent for school. During high school, he also excelled in speech, oratory and debate, winning the state championship. He continued his studies at South Dakota State University (SDSU) with a double-major in chemistry and microbiology, while also dabbling in debate and theatre. He graduated from SDSU in 1976 and entered medical school at Creighton University on a Navy scholarship. He obtained his MD degree and was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as a first lieutenant in 1980. He went on to complete an internship in internal medicine at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. He then entered a military medical fellowship in Undersea Medicine that included submarine training in Connecticut, followed by scuba and deep-sea diving training in Florida. He served as the Diving Medical Officer for the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group in Hawaii, where he took care of parachute-jumping, scuba-diving, bomb disposal frogmen. Although he enjoyed the adventure, he felt the desire to return to a more conventional form of medicine. He completed a residency in radiation oncology at the University of California, San Francisco. His final assignment as a Navy physician was as a radiation oncologist at the National Cancer Institute and Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. After 9 years with the U.S. Navy, he settled down in Des Moines, Iowa in 1989. Deming has been with MercyOne Des Moines for 36 years. He is the Medical Director of the MercyOne Cancer Center in Des Moines and the founder of Above + Beyond Cancer.
Deming reflects, "As I look back at my life and consider all the forks in the road that I experienced on my journey, it amazes me to think that I ended up here and that here is exactly where I was meant to be.”
When Deming first started working in oncology, he found that there was a lot of focus on cancer, but less focus on the patient who has the cancer. He realized early on in his career that he was interested in the holistic care of his patients and their families, as he was in the endeavor of killing cancer cells. He saw the opportunity to bring the two together.
“It’s not either/or, it’s both/and. Oncologists can kill cancer and provide compassionate care to patients and their families,” says Deming. “What started out for me as a career in medicine has morphed into a ministry of healing.”
It was an uncharted journey, but a discovery that has paid dividends when it comes to patient care and quality of life. Deming helped establish the cancer center at MercyOne, and has been involved in a 36-year journey of helping expand and broaden their oncology program. In the process, Deming expanded and broadened his involvement in the Des Moines community.
Around 2020, Deming had the opportunity to work with a financial advisor to develop a financial and charitable giving plan. He was introduced to the Community Foundation, where he began to develop his charitable giving plans and where he was eventually asked to join the Community Foundation Board of Directors.
“The experience really opened my eyes, not just to philanthropy, but to all of the community needs in greater Des Moines and to the wonderful nonprofits that come together to help meet those needs,” said Deming. “It also cemented my connection to Des Moines, Iowa.”
Over the years, Deming has established several charitable funds at the Community Foundation to help him coordinate his philanthropy during his lifetime, as well as create an intentional plan for how he will support a variety of charitable organizations after his lifetime. His financial advisors work collaboratively with the Community Foundation charitable advisors to maximize opportunities to support Deming’s passions, today and in the future.
Through this deep founded commitment to the community, Deming established the nonprofit, Above + Beyond Cancer. The organization’s mission is to elevate the mind, body and spirit of patients, survivors and caregivers throughout the cancer journey. The program, now 15-years old, focuses on physical activity, nutrition and social connection. It teaches individuals how to use bumps-in-the-road of life as springboards, rather than barriers. He has led cancer survivors and caregivers on mountain climbing pilgrimages to Nepal, Tibet, Tanzania, Peru, Chile and many mountains in America.
“There is interconnectedness in being of service to others – look at a life of meaning and purpose, and you will see joy as a consequence,” reflects Deming.