Gothenburg Health Honors Dr. Carol Shackleton as She Retires from 38-Year Medical Career

Gothenburg Health is honoring Dr. Carol Shackleton at a retirement celebration from a 38-year medical career on Friday, June 24 from 4-8 at Gothenburg Health through the YMCA entrance. Her community, friends, colleagues and staff are invited to fika, a Swedish coffee and cake break that is meant to strengthen relationship.

Dr. Shackleton began practicing medicine in July of 1984 by joining Gothenburg Medical Arts. She worked with Dr. Craig Bartruff for six years before serving as an emergency physician in North Platte and Grand Island for a total of 11 years. After a nine month bereavement leave following the death of her second husband, Bob Shackleton, to pancreatic cancer, she returned to the Gothenburg medical community in 2002 by resuming her practice at Gothenburg Medical Arts for four years. 

In 2006, Dr. Shackleton joined the Gothenburg Family Practice Associates with Dr. David Hult and Dr. Gerald Matzke. She continued practicing there as that clinic was absorbed under Gothenburg Health’s umbrella as Gothenburg Medical Clinic. In 2019 she became the Chief Medical Officer of Gothenburg Health and will retire from this position as of June 30. 

Mick Brant, CEO of Gothenburg Health, said “During Dr. Shackleton’s long tenure with Gothenburg Health, she has provided stability and excellent care for her patients as well as support for the staff and culture.” 

Dr. Shackleton graduated magna cum laude at North Park University in Chicago and attended medical school at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth and Minneapolis. She completed her residency and was Chief Resident at Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center in Chicago. 

After her residency Dr. Shackleton noted that she moved with her husband, Paul Severeid, to Brady where he pastored the Svea Dal Covenant Church and she started her medical practice with Dr. Bartruff. 

She married Bob Shackleton in 1988. Shortly thereafter, they purchased and renovated a cabin on Eagle Lake, lining the main room with pine siding.  Later, after her marriage to Dr. Morris “Fritz” Skinner in 2004, the bedrooms were refurbished with aspen siding, and a full basement was added. She said she takes pride in having done much of the finish work herself, both at the lake cabin and at her house in Gothenburg.

Over the years Dr. Shackleton said she has been a member of Lions Club and Gothenburg Community Playhouse, but much of her spare time has been devoted to the Presbyterian Church, where she is an elder, sings in the choir, and has been Clerk of Session for 17 years.  She served as vice moderator and moderator of Central Nebraska Presbytery and serves on both Committee on Ministry and Judicial Commission for the Presbytery.

While Dr. Shackleton has spent her entire medical career serving Gothenburg and surrounding communities, she was born and raised in Dawson, Minn.

A love for camping and travel began for Dr. Shackleton, her sister said, when her parents bought a 13 ft. camper in 1967 and the family attended the 1967 Expo in Montreal, Quebec. To date, Dr. Shackleton said she has traveled to 49 states (missing only Delaware), at least 20 countries and four continents.

Dr. Shackleton said she intends to continue traveling while retired and has plans to visit the remaining 3 continents, Delaware and the Maritime Provinces, along with a trip to Italy purchased at the Hospital Foundation Gala this year. Despite the lure of travel and the Minnesota lake cabin, she said she intends to continue to make Gothenburg her home.