Kennewick’s first children’s doctor calls it a career after nearly 50 years

Dr. Nikom Wannarachue moved to Tri-Cities to become Kennewick’s first pediatrician but only planned to stay for only a few years.

Nearly 50 years later, he’s retiring after caring for thousands of children — more likely tens of thousands.

“I thought we’d be here for two or three years and go back to a university setting or to Thailand,” said 79-year-old Wannarachue.

“Just imagine my first patients — some of them have become grandparents,” he said.

In 1972, he and his wife, Josie, had two kids, and Wannarachue was finishing a fellowship at Seattle’s orthopedic hospital, now Seattle Children’s.

He landed in Tri-Cities at Kennewick General Hospital, freshly done with his training believing they would return to his native homeland or to Philippines, where his wife grew up.

“We ended up living in the area, meeting a lot of friends — time just passed by,” he told the Herald. “Many times we thought we would move back to our native countries. In the meantime, we had more children, and they could get a better education here than back home so we stayed.”

Wannarachue remained busy for years as a general pediatric doctor. There were no emergency room doctors when he first began practicing at KGH, and everyone had to be on call and take after-hour shifts.

His hospital rounds became the impetus for the hospital to upgrade its nursery and changing practices to enhance neonatal care — especially for babies born with illnesses.

In recent years, he focused on pediatric endocrinology for children with growth problems, diabetes and other disorders related to the hormones and glands that produce them.

He created a day camp in Tri-Cities for children who have Type 1 diabetes but couldn’t afford to go to Spokane to attend the only other diabetes camp in the area.

Taste of home

Though they planted roots in the Tri-Cities, he and his wife made frequent trips to Seattle to get a taste of their former home.

“No one knew what Thai food was. Even beans sprouts, you had to buy them in Chinatown,” he recalled.

Josie Wannarachue opened the King & I in Kennewick and made Thai food more widely available. She owned other restaurants over the years and became widely involved in a number of civic activities.

“Now Tri-Cities is booming and you’re able to eat different ethnic foods.” he said. “We don’t have to worry about driving on the highway.”

Over the years, the couple also took frequent trips to Thailand and Indonesia, taking small groups of Tri-Citians including members of the Rotary Club of Pasco-Kennewick with them to learn about the culture.

The Wannarachues worked closely with the club to fund water filtration systems for poor schools near where Nikom Wannarachue grew up.

“It just happened at one of the schools I was at when I was a little boy received one of the water filters,” he said. “When I was there I took some of the Rotarians to look at it — they were very happy and pleased to see that.”

While the Wannarachues are sticking close to home for the time being because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Wannarachue says they will remain active in their Rotary club and social cultural club.

Mainly though, he is looking forward to being able to see his three grandchildren again and being able to drive his wife on outings.

“I will have more time for my life, and I’m glad that I will be able to be with my wife most of the time,” he said.

This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 12:48 PM.