Eureka, Ca., (KIEM)- A response to the shortage of doctors in Humboldt County is underway. According to Open Door Community Health Center CEO, Herrmann Spetzler, between St. Joseph Health Group and Open Door, more than 60 new providers have started to serve the North Coast in recent month s.
“We started our strategy to recruit physicians about three years ago. We’ve been in an upward growth mode. We anticipate that that will continue, but there’s still a huge demand for different types of specialties. We have several physicians committed to come, and many of those are young physicians coming right out of fellowship programs and residency programs. We’re really excited about that because that tells me that they’re committed to come and stay here long term in Humboldt County. If we can bring those people who are interested in staying.” David Southerland, the Chief Executive Officer at St. Joseph Health explains.
One of Open Door’s new recruits, Dr. Malia Honda says, “When I was in medical school I knew I wanted to do primary care and ended up getting a scholarship to provide care in an under served area.” She’s also a graduate of Arcata High School returning home, “So naturally Humboldt County was a very eligible place because we are so under served here and short of providers.”
Managing the shortage of providers on the North Coast hasn’t been easy for clinics, and they’ve often leaned on the help of “locum” or travelling doctors to fill urgent needs temporarily.
“At least a couple times a day I get patients that ask, ‘How long are you going to be here, do you think you’ll be here more than 3 months?’ I think in some ways they’ve grown accustom to having physicians leave pretty regularly due to being temporary doctors. So when they here that I’ll be staying for at least a few years they’re relieved.” Dr. Honda says.
Also, Southerland says recruitment itself can be tricky. “People in Humboldt County live behind the ‘Redwood Curtain.’ It’s geographically isolated. So it is a challenge to recruit periodically.” He says.
“We were always trained that there was a big drop off in skill and in knowledge when you went into a rural area.” Renowned breast oncologist, surgeon and researcher Dr. M. Ellen Mahoney says, “When I got here I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was working alongside some of the best physicians I’ve ever worked with. That includes some real giants that I worked with down at Stanford.”
Having great peers is not the only perk doctors describe when they talk about practicing medicine on the North Coast. “You kind of have access to a full breadth of clinical opportunities.” Dr. Honda says.
Dr. Mahoney says the demand for doctors can create a lot of opportunities for young providers, “If you are down at the University, whatever you do, there are other people who can do it to. Up here not only are there no people who do what you’re primarily trained to do, but there’s need for you to fill in other capacities that you never dreamed you would be doing.”
Find out more about the physician shortage in Humboldt, by checking out Part One of Healthcare in High Demand: Doctors Wanted: http://kiem-tv.com/2017/11/06/humboldt-short-doctors-healthcare-high-demand-doctors-wanted-pt-1/
