From Battlefield to Boardroom, Doctor Continues to Serve
From Battlefield to Boardroom, Doctor Continues to Serve
After more than 15 years in emergency medicine, Dr. Robert Nolan has seen almost everything. From serving as a physician in Iraq to treating patients at Corewell Health, he’s spent his career helping people through crises. But now, he’s taking that mission further, joining the Caring Connection Board of Directors to help families heal and rebuild beyond the emergency room.
“I realized that most of my work was happening from a small room inside the hospital,” Nolan said. “I wanted to do more to help people beyond the moment of crisis.”
He explained that hospitals focus on emergency care, but organizations like Caring Connection focus on what happens after. “They’re the ones helping people recover, rebuild, and move forward,” he said.
Caring Connection, a nonprofit in Southwest Michigan, provides adult day services, guardianship programs, hoarding services to help clean up homes and shelter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Nolan said the connection between his medical work and the organization has always been there.
“When survivors come into the ER, they’re often with Caring Connection,” he said. “I’ve always worked alongside them, I just wasn’t officially part of the team. Now I get to be.”
Nolan brings years of leadership and experience to the board, along with a desire to strengthen its structure and strategy. “I think I bring a sense of organization and direction,” he said. “It’s not just about ideas, but how to make them happen. I want to help Caring Connection grow and function at its best.”
Before becoming a doctor, Nolan’s path was far from clear. He first studied law at UCLA, then tried chiropractic school before discovering medicine, where he finally found his purpose. “Medicine gave me grounding and purpose,” he said. “It allowed me to serve people in a way that felt real.”
His military service shaped that purpose even more. Nolan served in Baghdad and later at Fort Hood in Texas, where he was one of the doctors on duty during the tragic 2009 base shooting. “When you’re in the middle of chaos, you learn what really matters, people, teamwork, and purpose,” he said. “Those lessons still guide me every day.”
When asked how he copes with the difficult things he’s seen, Nolan admitted that it never gets easier. “You never really get used to it,” he said. “You just find ways to let go. Everything you see, the trauma, the loss, you tuck away somewhere. But when you’re alone at two or three in the morning, it all comes up. Finding an outlet and dealing with it is important.”
At Corewell Health, Nolan is known for his down to earth leadership style. “Good leadership isn’t about titles,” he said. “It’s about connection. Whether it’s a nurse, a volunteer, or a caregiver, everyone deserves to be heard.” He also lives by one rule: never ask anyone to do a job you wouldn’t do yourself.
For Nolan, joining Caring Connection isn’t just another title, it’s an extension of the work he’s always done. “I’ve spent my life responding to emergencies,” he said. “Now I want to help make sure people have the support they need after those moments, by being part of an organization that helps them heal and move forward.”
Caring Connection, formally known as The Avenue Family Network, Inc., has served Southwest Michigan since 1891. Through programs including Adult Day Services, Empowerment Center, Guardianship, and Safe & Secure, the organization helps build strong families, safe homes, and empowered lives.
For more information about Caring Connection or its programs, visit www.caringconnectionmi.org.
