Medicine in a Small, Small Town

Such attitudes can be costly. A study published in 2009 in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice found that rural Americans spent over $9 billion on hospital bills in 2002 for problems—like hypertension and asthma—that could have been nipped in the bud with basic medical care. Sawdey certainly has had trouble bringing patients into his clinic. He estimates that his caseload could increase by 70 percent if everyone in the area who needed medical care made an appointment. “Preventive health is a hard sell,” he says. “They wait until they just can’t go anymore.”

For people who do go to the clinic, rural medicine can be a small blessing. Greta Stentoft, 82, says her sister used to drive to Billings every three months to see a specialist for her diabetes. With Sawdey’s help, her blood sugar is under control and she hasn’t been to Billings in over a year.

Dallas Gaines and his wife, Maxine, 82, catch flak from their kids for living so far away from a city. If the kids had their way, the two of them would pack up and move to Portland, Ore. The couple agree Portland is a nice town—but it’s no Scobey. “We’re going to stay put,” Maxine says. “As long as the doctor is here, we’ll be here.”

Chris Woolston is a freelance health writer whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and Reader’s Digest.