It was supposed to be a surprise to Dr. K. Anthony Shibley that he was one of Guideposts magazine's most-inspiring stories of 2009. It was, but not the way the editors expected.

Shibley was saluted for offering free exams to patients who had lost their jobs or health insurance. His reaction? "I'm surprised that more clinics aren't doing it," he said.

Shibley is part of the six-physician practice at Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialists, with offices in Burnsville and Edina. Not only did all the other doctors agree to join him in offering the free exams, but he talked the company that does the clinic's lab work into waiving most of its fees.

The Star Tribune ran an item in the Business section when the program was launched a year ago. Shibley thought that would be the end of it; instead, it was just the beginning. A number of medical publications and websites picked up on the news, which eventually worked its way to ABC News and the Washington Post.

That's where Guideposts found it, said Anne Simpkinson, managing editor of the magazine's online edition.

"We're always on the lookout for stories that offer hope and inspiration," she said. "Because of the economy, we've done a lot of stories about how people were getting through tough times."

At the end of the year, the staff voted on the seven best stories, and Shibley's was a slam dunk.

"He was the cream that rose to the top," Simpkinson said. "He was so generous with his time and his skills. That's very inspiring."

Shibley, 47, is flattered by the attention but he downplays it.

"We're just trying to help people," he said. "These people have been beat up; they've lost their jobs or insurance. They don't need another setback of having to go shop for new health care."

It felt right

In a first-person account that he wrote for Guideposts, Shibley described the moment that led to his program. He walked into an exam room and found a longtime patient who normally was upbeat sitting depressed and nervous. She admitted that she couldn't pay for her appointment.

"Both she and her husband had lost their jobs. They had no insurance," he wrote. "She'd talked her way past the receptionist, too embarrassed to admit her situation in the waiting room.

"I did what felt like the right thing. 'Don't worry,' I said to my patient. 'We'll take care of you. No charge for the exam today. I'm glad you're here.'"

Shibley soon realized that this wasn't an isolated situation. He wrote:

"In the 16 years I'd worked at the clinic I'd seen recessions. But nothing like this. Many patients had the same story. Appointments were canceled, treatment declined.

"As a doctor I was concerned -- skipping preventive exams can lead to far more serious issues. As a human I was appalled. It wasn't right that an economic downturn should cost people their health."

In an interview, Shibley said that his suggestion to offer free exams to current clients who had lost their insurance was met with universal approval in his office.

"Everybody loved it," he said. From the office staff to the nurses to his fellow doctors, "it made people proud to work here."

But as soon as anyone starts heaping humanitarian accolades on the program, Shibley insists on pointing out its pragmatic benefits.

"In the long run, it's cheaper for us to give people free care than for them to start over with a new provider," he said. "When you start with a new doctor, there's a lot of redundancy in terms of running tests."

One of the crucial parts of the program is maintaining the patients' dignity. The clinic sent e-mails to its clients and posted notices in the waiting room explaining the offer, but no patient knows which other patients are taking advantage of it.

"We make it discreet," Shibley said. "Our patients are so grateful. We've even gotten thank-you letters."

Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392