McFarland didn’t always want to be a doctor. Like many other kids, he dreamed of being a professional athlete. He followed his passion into college, where he was the quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers before joining the Indiana baseball team as a pitcher while completing his undergraduate degree.

When going pro in football or baseball seemed unattainable, McFarland began to focus on medicine. A biology major, McFarland worked for a local veterinary clinic, but didn’t love the work. He set his sights on medical school and headed to UAB, where his passion for surgery emerged.

McFarland grew up in Birmingham, so returning to the South after undergrad in Indiana was easy. It was fate that led him to Morgan, a basketball player at Birmingham Southern. “I met her through a mutual friend. She was the first southern accent I heard when I moved back, and that was it,” McFarland jokes. A few short years later, the two were married.

While at UAB, Dr. McFarland trained with Dr. Tyler Harney, from Decatur, Alabama. Harney became a good friend and the two stayed in touch. One day, Harney called to tell McFarland that a vascular opportunity was opening in Decatur. The McFarland family decided to visit and see for themselves if Decatur was everything that Harney built it up to be.

“It was everything we were looking for,” Morgan said. “We loved the schools, the bike trails, and the community. It was very inviting.”

The McFarlands have now lived in Decatur for two-and-a-half years. Dr. McFarland found a home at Decatur Morgan Hospital where his services include vascular surgery, endovascular surgery, arterial, venous, and vascular access.

In Decatur, the pace is slower, and the needs of the community are different. He doesn’t face the same emergency room frenzy, and he’s able to work closely with his patients, building meaningful relationships. Most importantly, he has more predictable hours, allowing him to be home for dinner, bedtime stories, and weekend outings with his family.

He also coaches his daughter’s softball team and helps out with his son’s soccer. He attends school events and helps the kids with their homework. He is able to have date nights with his wife. Moving to Decatur has helped him realize that the true measure of success lies in the balance between work and home, and the ability to be present for the ones you love.