Traveling doctors common in northwest Kansas

By PHYLLIS J. ZORN

Hays Daily News

PHILLIPSBURG — Urologist Dr. Wallace Curry said outreach clinics are not a common feature of urology practices, but in northwest Kansas, they are a fact of life.

“Out of all the places I interviewed, very few of them traveled. Most of them sit in an office and people come to them. When you live in rural America, you adapt,” Curry said.

Curry, one of four partners at Western Kansas Urological Associates, travels on a regular basis to see patients in outlying communities. He and his partners, Dr. Darrell Werth, Dr. Kevin McDonald and Dr. Carl Newman, see patients at outreach clinics in Colby, Goodland, Great Bend, Norton, Oberlin, Phillipsburg and Scott City.

Curry said he knows many of the patients he sees at outreach clinics have little opportunity to see any kind of medical specialist except when the specialist is willing to come to their towns.

“For a lot of these people, there's not a whole lot of choice,” Curry said.

Patients often must work or farm, and having to drive to Hays for a medical appointment is a hardship.

“We try to meet them halfway and save them some time,” Curry said.

Logan resident Robert Becker confirms Curry's assessment.

At home he relies on a nurse practitioner to see to most of his medical needs. But he has been examined at outreach clinics several times, for such concerns as needing a knee replacement and having gallstones removed. Becker said he's comfortable with the care he receives at outreach clinics.

“They've all been really good. Every place I've been, the doctors and nurses have given excellent care,” Becker said.

Becker spoke while waiting for his wife's first outreach clinic consultation. It's a 20-mile drive from Logan to Phillipsburg. On the other hand, it's a 60-mile drive to Hays, Becker said.

“We have a clinic in Logan that's pretty good, but if I end up in the hospital, I always end up here,” Becker said.

During a recent outreach clinic day at Phillipsburg, Curry saw 11 patients, ranging in age from 13 to 88. The weather that day was foul, with freezing rain and snow.

“It's not any fun to travel when it's snowy,” Curry commented.

Outreach clinic patients can get a variety of services done, Curry said. He brings a limited amount of equipment with him. Simple procedures can be taken care of at the outreach clinic. More complex treatment requires the patient to come to Hays, Curry said.

“We do a lot of screening here,” Curry said.

He added that he regularly sees patients with prostate or prolapsed bladder problems. If a patient is hospitalized in an outlying hospital, he relies on local physicians to make the daily hospital visits, Curry said.

Curry began seeing patients in Hays about two years ago, after he finished residency at Salt Lake City, Utah.

Phillipsburg resident Bill Clark said he has been seen by the urologists visiting Phillipsburg for about two years.

“I'd have to drive 60 miles there and 60 miles back,” Clark said of the idea of making a trip to Hays to see a urologist.

“Then you'd have to buy something to eat there before you come back. I don't have to buy too much gas to come here. I'm right in town — I can eat at home,” Becker said.

Previously, Becker was seen at the outreach clinic by McDonald, but Curry is taking over McDonald's outreach clinics because McDonald is taking a teaching position in a few months.

“He seems to be a real qualified fellow. Dr. McDonald was, too,” Becker said.

Besides the urologists, other Hays physicians travel for outreach clinics.

Cardiologist Dr. Jeff Curtis travels to Smith Center, Phillipsburg, Atwood, Oberlin, Plainville and Russell monthly. Cardiologist Dr. Christine Fisher goes to outreach clinics monthly in La Crosse, Great Bend and Colby and twice monthly in Oakley and Quinter. Cardiologist Dr. Mohammed Janif travels to outreach clinics monthly at Scott City, Dighton, Leoti, Kinsley, Great Bend, Hill City and Norton. He goes to Ness City and Ransom every two months.

Pulmonology and sleep disorders specialist Dr. Robert Albers travels on a monthly basis to Hill City, Norton, Osborne, Ransom, Scott City, Smith Center, Atwood and Hoxie. Albers will no longer practice here after the end of April.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Greg Woods travels monthly to Norton, Hill City and Colby. Spine specialist Dr. Mirza Baig travels monthly to Garden City. Orthopedic oncologist Dr. Abdul Ahad Haleem travels monthly to Colby.

Opthamologist Dr. Tom McDonald travels to Oberlin and Smith Center every month and to Phillipsburg, Norton, Quinter and Hill City every two months. His partner, Dr. John Pokorny, travels to La Crosse and Alma, Neb., every month and Phillipsburg, Hill City and Norton every two months. They visit Hoxie every three to six weeks.

Dermatologists Dr. Wallace Weber and Dr. Matt Shaffer maintain offices in both Hays and Salina. In addition, they both travel to Great Bend that Weber staffs two days per week and Shaffer one day per month. Weber travels to Colby, Kinsley and Smith Center monthly.

Dermatologist Dr. Donald Tillman travels monthly to Scott City.

Surgeons Dr. Ross Stadalman, Dr. Michael Lasley and Dr. Charles Schultz travel on a rotating basis weekly to Plainville, Russell, Osborne, Oakley, Hoxie, Quinter, WaKeeney, Ransom and Scott City.

Reporter Phyllis Zorn can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 137, or by e-mail at phylz@dailynews.net.