After more than 43 years in private practice in Nacogdoches, Dr. Dennis Coffman announced his retirement. Dr. Willburn “Eddy” Furniss III, M.D. of Furniss Family Medicine, has acquired his practice.

“Dr. Coffman has had a powerful influence on the Nacogdoches medical community, and he has been an inspiration to me in my career,” Dr. Furniss said. “I am honored that he has entrusted me with his patients’ health care, and I look forward to getting to know them.”

Dr. Furniss is board certified in family medicine and has been in private practice in Nacogdoches for more than five years. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed his residency training at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.

“Dr. Furniss is a talented and dedicated physician,” Dr. Coffman said. “I am confident that he will provide all my former patients with the thorough, thoughtful health care they have come to expect.”

Dr. Furniss and Dr. Coffman are working together to make the transition as smooth as possible. Furniss Family Medicine is expanding to include Dr. Coffman’s former office and will retain Dr. Coffman’s staff. Dr. Furniss has completed special training to care for Dr. Coffman’s allergy patients, and Dr. Coffman will be available for consultation and assistance for a few weeks after his official retirement.

Furniss Family Medicine, in association with Nacogdoches Health Partners, will keep Dr. Coffman’s former patients’ medical records on file. Patients who choose to seek medical care elsewhere can request that their records be sent to any physician or mid-level provider of their choice. Medical records are confidential, so patients will need to sign an authorization form before Furniss Family Medicine transfers or releases them.

Nacogdoches is home for Dr. Furniss. After graduating from Nacogdoches High School, he attended Louisiana State University and earned a general studies degree in premedical coursework. He was a four-year letterman in baseball and received the 1998 Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s most outstanding player. He is a member of the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame, the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. In 2016, the #36 worn by Furniss joined the #15 worn by coach Skip Bertman and the #19 worn by pitcher Ben McDonald as retired jerseys in the LSU baseball program.

Dr. Furniss also serves patients through Furniss Direct Health, a membership practice that offers East Texans a personalized, direct-care relationship for a fraction of the cost of traditional insurance.