Patrick Dempsey credits Grey’s Anatomy with inspiring ‘so many people to go into the medical profession’
“I think that’s been the biggest gift coming out of that show, is to be able to do something positive and give back,” the actor said.
This holiday season, Patrick Dempsey is very thankful for his 11 seasons on Grey’s Anatomy.
McDreamy himself stopped by Good Morning America on Monday to promote his new film Ferrari and chat about his latest designation as PEOPLE’s 2023 Sexiest Man Alive, when he got introspective about the impact of the long-running medical drama on both the series’ fans and in his own life.
“[Grey’s Anatomy] has really inspired so many people to go into the medical profession and has given me the platform to be able to do the Ferrari movie and to be able to have [the Sexiest Man Alive title],” he said. “I think that’s been the biggest gift coming out of that show, is to be able to do something positive and give back.”
For Dempsey, that “something positive” is also the Dempsey Center, which he established in his home state of Maine in 2008, after watching his own mother’s journey with ovarian cancer. Per the organization’s website, Dempsey Center “provides personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost” and aims to be “a space where those impacted by cancer could find relief, comfort, and resources.”
On GMA Monday, Dempsey said of the work, “We don’t treat the disease, we treat the person holistically with wrap-around care. Our goal is to reach everybody who has been impacted in the state of Maine and also then to spread the word of this is what you need to do to complement the traditional approaches of fighting cancer, and it should be standardized care.”
He continued, “We do spend so much time and energy on research and developing the drugs that are important, but we forget about healing the human being. Not only the patient but the family and everyone around them that’s been impacted.”
