Lisa Zacher, M.D., MACP, FCCP (Chem 85) knew from a young age that she wanted to help people, and specifically that she wanted to go into medicine or science.
“We didn’t have any history of doctors in our family, and everyone always had so much respect for the town physician.”
Dr. Zacher calls Eagle Butte her hometown even though the family moved around a lot due to her father’s occupation as a coach. Her mother, a teacher, would bring home extra homework assignments for her and her siblings that were sometimes a level or two above their current grade.
The extra studying and appreciation for learning certainly paid off when Lisa and her older brother, Dr. Jeff Zacher (Chem 83), became students at South Dakota Mines and again when both were medical students at the University of South Dakota. She remembers looking at the courses listed in the academic catalog at Mines and thinking “I want to take them all,” even if they weren’t required for her major.
“We knew that School of Mines was where the students good in math and science went, and in Eagle Butte they called it the ‘School of Minds’ so that’s where we wanted to go,” she said. "I did not know when I started at Mines that there was a pathway to medicine, but the Chemistry degree worked out well, and I was an early select for USD based on the reputation of South Dakota Mines."
She commented that in a lot of ways, she found Mines to be more challenging than medical school. Perhaps she remembers it as more challenging since she wasn’t just balancing her academics but was juggling life as a three-sport athlete. Dr. Zacher played basketball and volleyball for four years at Mines, picking up track in her senior year. She was inducted into the Hardrocker Hall of Fame in 2008.
While Dr. Zacher envisioned her future as a doctor when she was just a child, she never predicted that she would join the military and spend her career serving our country’s veterans. But what started as a military scholarship with the Army to help pay for medical school ended up a passion.
“It really grew on me. I had a uniform on, I had a mission, and I had my teammates. And a lot of it was that sports analogy of being part of something that’s bigger than yourself.”
She served at Tripler Army Medical Center from 1995-1999, during which time she participated in two Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command missions to Laos, searching for remains from the Vietnam War. She also completed two combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Defense Meritorious Service medal.
In 2013, after 24 years in the military, Dr. Zacher retired as an Army Colonel. But she wasn’t ready to stop serving fellow veterans. Her next mission would be as Chief of Medicine (now Chief of Staff) for the busiest VA in the United States – the Orlando VA Medical Center. She oversees all patient care and all physicians at the center.
Her pulmonology/critical care specialty was at the forefront during the Covid-19 pandemic. At one time, the Orlando VA had more Covid-19 cases than any other VA; however, the Orlando VA had the lowest Covid-19 mortality rate. When asked how they were able to achieve that, Dr. Zacher partly credits the problem-solving skills she learned at Mines.
“In order to get through those advanced math and science classes you had to do a lot of problem solving. That engineering background made me a better physician because you have to have a plan b, a plan c and a plan d in your back pocket. It’s not just all about making the diagnosis but understanding the infrastructure of a hospital, the people, the teamwork and making sure everything is in place.”
Lisa also credits her former Mines coaches, as well as her dad (also a veteran), for her approach to patient care and to being a physician leader. She specifically remembers basketball coach Barb Felderman who arrived at the campus the same year as Dr. Zacher.
"I was her first point guard, and she gave me a lot of opportunities. She was just a very positive influence in my life. She truly did have an open door. I’ve seen the lives my dad has touched, and I think coaches can make such a difference in peoples’ lives.”
Dr. Zacher’s advice to current Mines students and recent grads is to be willing to take the hard jobs, and to remember to take care of the people you work with.
“Be enthusiastic and take the hard jobs. You have to put a deposit in the bank before you can make a withdrawal. You need to give off that positive energy and be the go-to person. And while you’re developing your career, make sure you’re pulling other people up with you.” This is exemplified by the Army Chapter of the American College of Physicians naming a new annual award – “The Dr. Lisa L. Zacher Mentorship of Women in Medicine."
While she admits she doesn’t do a great job of unwinding, she does know how to reset. A few years ago, Lisa won the Hardrock Club’s Jeep Raffle. When she has a weekend off you can find her on the back roads in her Jeep exploring a state park or beach. All of us at the Center for Alumni Relations & Advancement hope that in this new year, she finds some extra time to ride that Jeep around. Thank you, Dr. Zacher, for your dedication to your career and to our veterans, and for being a great example of a Hardrocker!
Dr. Zacher serves on the Center for Alumni Relations & Advancement’s Board of Directors. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2021. Read her full bio here.
Below: Dr. Zacher in Baghdad, Iraq in 2007.
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