Marion doctor and social program founder reflects on his career

After nearly five decades dedicated to building relationships and serving his community, former obstetrician gynecologist Dr. James Bazzoli retired in September after 47 years of service.

Originating in Northeast Ohio, Bazzoli attended John Carroll University and went on to study medicine at The University of Bologna in Bologna, Italy. After returning to the US, Bazzoli found himself in Marion, where he joined the Smith Clinic, a multispecialty clinic now owned by OhioHealth.

This clinic, he said, was “like family.”

Through Smith Clinic, Bazzoli delivered nearly 4,000 babies. It is also through the clinic, and some unlikely circumstances, that the beginnings of his service to his community began to expand beyond delivering babies.

Early in his time at Smith Clinic, Bazzoli noticed an alarming rate of teen pregnancies in Marion County. For several consecutive years in the late '70s, there were more than 200 teen births in Marion County, he said. This was a turning point in his career.

Bazzoli told OhioHealth in a previous interview, “I could either sit there and deliver babies or perhaps make an impact. Can we change the trajectory?”

With the help of some of his dedicated staff at Smith Clinic, to which he expressed endless gratitude, Bazzoli worked tirelessly to compile data and bring it to the right people. With the information gathered, he created the Marion Adolescent Pregnancy Program, or MAPP, a social services agency aimed at helping provide discrete and accessible obstetric resources to pregnant and mothering teens.

Humble beginnings for MAPP

The beginnings of MAPP were heavily reliant on raising awareness. Because of Bazzoli's goal of “education, education, education,” this included school district superintendents and school administrators. This is how the Changes & Choices − a comprehensive sex education curriculum for students in Marion − came about.

“There are lots of adult solutions to teen problems, but you have to think like a teen and teach like a teen," he said.

Bazzoli knew educating the population of Marion wasn’t as simple as a few seminars at the library or a few meetings with public officials. The trajectory of MAPP changed exponentially upon his discovery and involvement in Rotary.

“I knew all the movers and shakers were Rotarians, and I wanted to be part of that," he noted.

Through his connections at Rotary, Bazzoli was able to thrust MAPP into a grander scale, and expand access and services. Since its founding, the teen pregnancy rate in Marion has decreased 65%, Bazzoli said.

Bazzoli's other contributions

Delivering nearly 4,000 babies and founding a self-sustained, four-decade-old social service program are two of Bazzoli's contributions to his community, but far from the only. Through his networking and philanthropy work, he has raised significant funding for several organizations, including $3 million for the restoration and upkeep of the Marion Family YMCA as well as funding the OSU Marion Campus. He emphasizes, however, that he does not act alone.

“I don’t do anything by myself,” Bazzoli said. “Nothing I do is without help.”

His impact on his community has been felt through various avenues, which he attributes to Marion’s tight-knit nature.

“Marion is a small community. … You can get involved in anything,” Bazzoli said. “If you choose to be active, you can be active.”

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: James Bazzoli retires after 47 years of service to Marion community