Melanie V. Hinson, MD
Retired March 2011
Gardena Medical Office Building

A colleague told me years ago I would know when I needed to retire.  That moment happened in my office one evening at 9 pm while working on my ticker-tape-like electronic “inbasket”.   I called SCPMG Benefits later that week and ultimately settled on a retirement date of 3/31/11.  Now I have been retired for 10 months (ironically I work 8 hours a week helping physicians with their inbasket) and I  could not be happier.

I began retirement by starting a healthier lifestyle—eating better, sleeping an hour or two longer, and, I took the books and clothes off my treadmill and actually starting using it for the purpose it was intended.   Instead of long trips to foreign shores I have taken many 4-7 day trips to see family and to renew old friendships.   I visited my 88 year old aunt that I had not seen in 10 years, went to a college homecoming, have read numerous novels, bought a smart phone, learned how to text,  have been keeping up with all my medical journals, and have lunched and lingered over dinners with good friends.  I even take the occasional afternoon nap. Having worked flat out my entire adult life, I make no apologies about going from a workaholic to a playaholic. 

I knew when I chose a Kaiser Permanente career in 1985 that the retirement benefits were good.  The reality is, the benefits are great.  Full Early Retirement, the ability to have a 401K and a Keogh, our Common Plan, and,  last but not least, our medical coverage, are allowing me to live a comfortable retirement.  An added benefit I had not counted on when I joined KP were the wonderful and lasting friendships I made with colleagues and their families.  Priceless.